Newlight raises $9M to cut cargo-ship fuel use with hydrogen injection
What's the deal? NewlightDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a San Francisco Bay Area startup, has raised a $9 million seed round for a hydrogen-injection system that retrofits cargo ships to cut fuel use and emissions. It claims the system reduces both by more than 20% and can save some vessels up to $500,000 a year.
How it works: The system monitors a ship's diesel engine down to the millisecond, injecting compressed hydrogen at optimal moments to reduce fuel flow. It tracks exhaust temperature, combustion pressure, and air intake, adjusting hydrogen flow each time a piston moves.
The product: Newlight sells the technology as a retrofit it says can be installed in under two weeks without a dry dock. The system recently completed its first long-range commercial voyage — an 8,500-nautical-mile trip from Singapore to Ghana on a 650-foot Lomar ShippingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → bulk carrier — cutting fuel use by 24% and carbon dioxide emissions by 28%.
Who's backing it? The round included lomarlabsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the venture arm of Lomar Shipping; BIRD EnergyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a joint venture between the US Department of Energy and Israel's Ministry of Energy; deep tech funds Undeterred CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and CiRi VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →; and Fusion VCDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Co-founders Evyatar Cohen and chief executive officer Haran Cohen Hillel previously served in the Israeli Navy.
Why now? Newlight says it has signed agreements to install the system on 12 vessels across multiple companies, with "broader fleet rollouts planned for next year."
What could go wrong? Rivals are pursuing similar fuel-injection methods using ammonia or methanol. Newlight argues its hydrogen setup is leaner and needs fewer changes to the diesel engines common on cargo ships.
The signal: Shipping is under growing pressure to cut emissions, and retrofit systems offer a faster path than replacing engines outright. Newlight sees uses beyond the sea — in transportation, data centres, and even trains — but plans to stay focused on shipping for now.
Read more: TechCrunch
Image credit: Newlight
