Hydrogen-powered recreational boat trial gains approval
A Korean project looking at the viability of hydrogen as a boat fuel gains concept approvalVinssen, a Korean engineering group specialising in alternative marine fuels, will build and test a 16.0-metre hydrogen-fulled recreational boat that it will use to work out how it can commercialise the technology.
The move comes after two years of trialling hydrogen, ammonia and methanol as boat fuels in an effort to reduce the marine industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The concept boat will use a 200kW hydrogen fuel cell paired with a 125kW hybrid battery system. As part of the next step in its hydrogen fuel cell trials, Vinssen will develop and operate a series of hydrogen refuelling stations – important when the fuel the boats will use is stored at up to 10,000 bars of pressure and -252.8 degrees Celcius.
The concept boat appears to be a high-speed monohull motor yacht with a fully enclosed cockpit and a low, aerodynamic profile.
Vinssen was waiting on approval from the Korean government before it could take this next step. The project aims to resolve a sticky issue before any shift can be made to use hydrogen as a fuel.
“Despite growing global momentum in maritime decarbonization, Korean legislation lacks standards for hydrogen fuel cell vessels,” Vinssen said.
“At present, hydrogen fueling stations are also limited to automobiles, highlighting a need to establish operational standards for hydrogen vessels.”
As part of the project, Vinssen is also building a 14.0-metre electric vessel that will be used during a garden festival held in Korea’s south.
It has also planned an 8.2-metre battery-powered recreational boat featuring a 300hp water-cooled electric motor capable of up to 25 knots of ground speed.
No mention was made of when the trials would start.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
