Splash247: ABS and lomarlabs team up to accelerate maritime startups

Published by Splash247

ABS and lomarlabs have signed a master research collaboration agreement aimed at helping early-stage maritime technology companies move faster from concept to commercial deployment.

The agreement will see the two organisations combine technical, regulatory and operational expertise to support startups developing technologies focused on emissions reduction, fuel efficiency and automation.

ABS will bring its experience in technology qualification and class approval, while lomarlabs will provide access to shipboard operating expertise through parent company Lomar.

The first project under the agreement is with US-Norway startup Blaze Energy, which is developing a compact engine-integrated fuel reformer intended to make alternative fuels easier to deploy on commercial vessels.

Blaze Energy’s Flex-Fuel Reformer is designed to allow ships to use fuels including ammonia, methanol and LNG while retaining compatibility with existing engine platforms.

The initial programme will focus on moving the technology from laboratory validation towards vessel trials and, ultimately, regulatory approval.

Patrick Ryan, ABS senior vice-president and chief technology officer, said the collaboration would bring class expertise earlier into the startup development process, helping identify design improvements before technologies reach full-scale deployment.

Stylianos Papageorgiou, managing director of lomarlabs, said the pace of maritime innovation is now outstripping traditional regulatory development, making closer cooperation between innovators, regulators, flag states and class societies increasingly important.