Origins
In 2020, Karin Govaert, Henk Jonker, and Joep Beukers founded Solid Hydrogen B.V. with the goal of reducing shipping emissions. In 2023, the company came under the management of Huub Bergstein and Dennis Lensing, who rebranded the company to Mana Engineering. The founders continue to support the company and its goal to contribute to the energy transition.
Why Mana Engineering? Dennis and Huub are former rugby teammates, and Polynesian culture holds a significant presence in rugby. The term ‘Mana’ originates from Polynesian culture, symbolizing strength, energy, and leadership. Our deep involvement in the energy transition and our determination to take a leading role in it, led us to choose the name Mana Engineering. Since its inception, the company has grown from two employees to a multidisciplinary team of 6 motivated engineers.
Our Concept
Hydrogen for Hotel Load
The new FuelEU regulation (effective since January 2025), forces shipowners to reduce the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) intensity of their fleet. The regulation will become stricter every 5 years, requiring increasingly large reductions in GHG-intensity.
In case of non-compliance, ship owners face a fine. For a vessel that uses 2.000 tonnes of VLSFO per year, this fine is €107.000/year from 2025-2029, and €312.000/year from 2030-2034.
So why Hydrogen?
RFNBO-Multiplier
Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO's) are given a multiplier in the FuelEU regulation. Their energy content can be counted double when calculating a ship's GHG-intensity, creating a unique advantage over biofuels.
Hotel Load
On a typical Coastal Merchant Vessel, 10-20% of total energy demand comes from Hotel Load. This is due to the fact that these vessels spent a lot of time in Port, where the Propulsion System is switched off, but the accomodation keeps consuming Hotel Load
​
Fleet Pooling
Our Solution creates the possibility to generate the Hotel Load with RFNBO-Hydrogen. This means a shipowner can create a significant amount of overcompliance. These surplus credits can be pooled with other vessels in their fleet. By doing just one retrofit, up to 10 comparable vessels can become compliant with FuelEU, and thus avoid fines. If the entire fleet is already compliant, there is also the option to sell the surplus credits to other shipowners, which creates new revenue streams.
The Economics
The factors mentioned above amount to cost savings. The Figure on the right shows the annual savings based on the MRV data of a 8.800 GT Coastal Merchant Vessel.
In the model, the following prices where assumed:
-
Hydrogen: 8 euro/kg
-
MGO: 800 euro/tonne
-
ETS: 100 euro/tonne ​
Our History
Mana Engineering collaborated on drafting the proposal for the Maritime Master Plan (MMP) Growth Fund. Secured in the summer of 2023, this initiative unlocked over €210 million of government funding for zero-emission ships. The fund aims to assist ship owners in transitioning to hydrogen, methanol, or LNG-carbon capture ships, fostering sustainability in maritime transportation.
Solid Hydrogen was established in late 2020 by two seasoned investors from the maritime sector. Our mission has always been to drive the transition to green energy through innovative technologies. Initially focused on hydrogen carriers as sustainable maritime fuel, our vision expanded under new management, leading to the rebranding as Mana Engineering. Today, our team has grown to six dedicated professionals, showcasing a diverse project portfolio spanning solar energy, carbon capture, and various hydrogen-based projects.
Participation in the H2SHIPS project enabled international collaboration and provided a case study for hydrogen solutions on a vessel operated by Holcim in Paris. While feasibility studies showed promising results, low technology readiness levels (TRL) prevented immediate implementation. Nevertheless, valuable insights were gained from collaborations with technology partners, universities, and business partners. These insights contributed to the development of the SH2IPDRIVE R&D program.
Dennis and Huub join the team and rebrand Solid Hydrogen to Mana Engineering.
After the SH2IPDRIVE project was awarded, together with Royal Roos, we started to develop modular, hydrogen-powered energy solutions. In this concept, several 20ft containers can be used to store hydrogen and convert it to power at any location or time.
​
In 2022, Solid Hydrogen spearheaded the launch of the SH2PDRIVE project, dedicated to advancing hydrogen technologies for ships. With 30 partners and €33 million in funding, SH2PDRIVE is driving innovation in maritime sustainability. This project empowers Mana Engineering to develop a modular hydrogen-power pack for offshore and shipping applications, providing a sustainable alternative to diesel-powered generators.
Solid Hydrogen conducted extensive research on Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) and Sodium Borohydride (NaBH4) to leverage as sustainable ship fuel.
We are working hard to reach our goals for 2026. These are:
Mana Engineering grows to 6 employees
Partners
Dennis Lensing
Managing Director/Maritime Engineer
After finishing his engineering degree, Dennis has been motivated to put his knowledge to use in the energy transition. His curiosity and passion for innovation were put to good use during a two years tenure at the TU Delft University. He instigated various successful research and development projects resulting in a 33 million euro subsidy for the SH2IPDRIVE project, focussing on hydrogen in shipping. After this experience, Dennis wanted to focus more on market-ready projects and founded Mana Engineering with Huub.
Huub Bergstein
Commercial Director/Chemical Engineer
Like Dennis, Huub wants to use his skills to accelerate the energy transition with a drive to work towards feasible and sensible technologies. His Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering was put to good use in the development of a hydrogen storage technology for a start-up. After a research focused stint of 2 years, he wanted to focus more on the business development side of innovations and founded Mana Engineering with Dennis.
