Engineering news
The Scottish-led Hyseas III project aims to deliver Europe’s first seagoing ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The double-ended passenger and car ferry will have capacity for 120 passengers and 16 cars, or two lorries. It has been designed to operate between Kirkwall and Shapinsay in Orkney, where hydrogen is generated through wind power, although it will be capable of operating at other ports where hydrogen is available in future.
The EU-funded programme involves partners CMAL, St Andrew’s University, Orkney Islands Council and several European organisations. The consortium will next seek feasibility ‘approval in principle’ of the designs by AqualisBraemar LOC Group from the DNV Classification Society.
String testing is also underway in Bergen, Norway to demonstrate the complete fuel cell-battery-multidrive propulsion. The full-size string test mirrors the load requirements of the new ferry, and will confirm power and fuel capacity requirements. The results will provide valuable information, which will be fed back to the team to be incorporated into the design.
The partners aim for the design to be complete in March 2022.
John Salton, fleet manager and projects director at CMAL, said: “We know that maritime transport remains the UK’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and our Hyseas III project will pave the way for the first seagoing vessel using purely renewable energy.
“Seeing the concept designs brings the project to life. The vessel design is broadly based on our larger loch class vessels, which are double-ended. Once the designs are approved, we will move to the next stage of the project, which will see the build of the engine to be used in feasibility studies.
“The maritime industry has a key role in the global fight for climate change, and this project marks a step toward emissions-free marine transport.”
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