Sustainable mobility in maritime transport will receive a new boost from a French group, which will launch the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial cargo ship in mid-September 2021.
The tugboat is part of the initiative funded by the European Union Flagships, a project started in 2019 that seeks to positively impact the commercial development of vessels with zero emissions. The vehicle will belong to the French River Transport Company (Compagnie Fluviale de Transport, CFT).
Compressed hydrogen produced from electrolysis is the mixture that will power the ship, while the power generation system will be provided by ABB Marine & Ports. In the same way, the Canadian company, Ballard Power Systems will provide fuel cells.
The project coordinator, Jyrki Mikkola, said that maritime transport is an essential area in the fight to achieve emission reductions around the world.
“Ships powered by renewable hydrogen will make a substantial contribution to reducing emissions from shipping and improving air quality in cities and other densely populated areas,” says Jyrki Mikkola.
The ship is scheduled to sail in Paris along the Seine River, and beyond providing traditional services, it will serve as a basis for data collection to improve its own development and the necessary fuel supply infrastructure.
It should be noted that the European Union donated about 5 million Euros for the execution of the Flagships project, within the framework of the EU’s Research and Innovation program, Horizon 2020.
Norway also
According to the portal sectormaritimo.es, part of the money contributed by the EU has been earmarked for the modification of a ferry owned by Norled located in Norway, to which the biodiesel will be replaced by hydrogen. This company is known for its efforts in the development of new propulsion systems.
Written by | Osward Rubio
