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Pioneering Zero-Emission Fuels in Shipping

Hydrogen is yachting‘s fuel of the future. Renewable, lightweight, clean and flexible, the gas is widely regarded as the best solution when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in shipping – the industry is responsible for around 3% of the global total, and while most of this is commercial shipping, leisure also plays a part. One report believes the industry could completely decarbonise by 2035 using known technologies, with hydrogen at the forefront of this green revolution. Hydrogen has some great advantages. It‘s lighter than other fuels, it can be stored for longer without waste, and it offers increased cruising range as it has the highest energy density for its weight.

Lightweight

Compared to batteries

Long-term energy storage

No fuel is lost, even if the yacht sits for weeks

Increased cruising range

Hydrogen has the highest energy density

Yet while there’s a lot to like about hydrogen, it isn’t entirely without problems. Hydrogen is flammable and expensive, and it is sometimes made using fossil fuels, creating carbon. There’s also a lack of supporting infrastructure in the form of accessible refuelling stations, which stems partly from the fact that experts aren’t sure of the best means of creating, storing or even using hydrogen.

Ground-breaking projects

Fortunately, there are pioneers working on several different solutions. The German shipbuilder Lürssen is currently building a yacht that will use methanol, which can be converted to hydrogen that fuel cells use to generate electricity. Methanol is easier to handle and store than liquid hydrogen. The fuel cells, which are like batteries but emit only vapor, can be used for domestic consumption – on-board electricity use – or to power the electric engines, offering a range of 1,000 pollution free nautical miles. The yacht is scheduled to be launched in 2025.

Another pioneering fuel cell comes from Baglietto in Italy, which will capture hydrogen direct from the sea to complement or top up the existing hybrid or diesel-electric power. Norway‘s revolutionary Hydrogen Viking – a boat with a rich history as it was formerly known as the Che Guevera and owned by Colonel Gadaffi – has been retro-fitted with hydrogen tanks to feed fuel cells that power two electric motors, while French start-up Hynova has produced hydrogen-fueled pleasure boats with a range of 150 sea miles and can reach 30 knots.

All these different projects vary in their attempt to solve the main issue that comes with hydrogen. Boat builders want their fuel tanks to be as small and light as possible to provide more living space but also to reduce weight and increase efficiency. That means limiting the amount of hydrogen that can be stored on board, thus reducing a boat’s zero-emission range given the lack of available refueling infrastructure.

The future is in self-sufficient yachts

The ideal solution would be a boat that is self-sufficient – one that produces its own emission-free hydrogen. A boat is surrounded by everything it needs to produce hydrogen – energy (such as solar power) and water. That’s what’s being done with Energy Observer, a fascinating self-sufficient French project that has been travelling the world since 2016 as a floating real-time experiment in environmental innovation, trialing different clean technologies each year and visiting different parts of the world to share its knowledge.

Then there is AQUON One, which is bringing pioneering self-sufficiency to commercial luxury yachting. This 68 feet (19.5m) Swiss catamaran can produce green hydrogen on board through an electrolyzer and solar panels, so it is solely reliant on renewable sources. That means the boat doesn’t need to worry about refueling stations, offering an unprecedented degree of independence. The yacht will have a huge cruising range and be able to visit areas of the ocean denied to diesel-fueled boats. It will be insulated from rises in energy prices, and can even recycle the steam that results from electrolysis, increasing the overall energy efficiency. Upfront costs caused by the cost of hardware such as an electrolyzer and fuel cells will be offset by cheaper running costs.

It is time to redefine yachting

With oceans bearing so much of the cost of climate change, it seems only fitting that yachts and boats should be seeking to restore balance by achieving zero emissions. With pioneers such as AQUON One we will reach this destination faster, cleaner and more efficiently.

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