Startup's hydrogen-injection retrofit slashes fuel use on cargo vessels

Newlight, a startup operating out of the San Francisco Bay Area, has built a hydrogen-injection retrofit that modulates diesel engine operation by injecting compressed hydrogen at precise moments, achieving fuel savings of over 20% and cutting carbon dioxide output by roughly 28%. The system was tested on a 650-foot Lomar Shipping bulk carrier during an 8,500-nautical-mile trip from Singapore to Ghana, where it delivered a 24% reduction in fuel use.

Installation requires less than two weeks and does not need a dry dock, according to co-founders Evyatar Cohen and Haran Cohen Hillel, who both have naval backgrounds. The venture secured a $9 million seed round backed by lomarlabs, BIRD Energy, Undeterred Capital, CiRi Ventures and Fusion VC. Newlight reports contracts for its technology on 12 ships and expects wider fleet deployments next year, while also eyeing potential applications beyond maritime transport.