Future Proof Shipping (FPS), in collaboration with the EU-funded Flagships project and the Interreg-funded ZEM Ports NS project, has launched the H2 Barge 2, hydrogen-powered vessel.
The emission-free cargo ship will operate on the Rhine, shuttling goods between Rotterdam (NL) and Duisburg (DE). According to FPS, the vessel features a 100% emission-free propulsion system, incorporating PEM fuel cells, hydrogen storage, battery packs, and an electric drive train. The retrofit, carried out at Holland Shipyards Group, involved the installation of six fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems, providing a total installed power of 1.2 MW.
During 2023, H2 Barge 2 was stripped of all combustion engines and fossil fuel tanks at Holland Shipyards Group (HSG) in Werkendam.
Successfully launching our second hydrogen-powered inland cargo vessel is just as important an achievement as the first, not just for Future Proof Shipping, ZEM Ports NS, and the Flagships project, but for the future of green shipping.
… said the CEO of Future Proof Shipping, Richard Klatten
The H2 Barge 2 is expected to annually reduce 3,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions while navigating the Rhine, with 80% of cargo flows between Rotterdam and Duisburg.
The aim of the Flagships project is to take zero-emission waterborne transport to an entirely new level. Now we´re one important step closer to reaching our goal
… explained Flagships Project Coordinator and Senior Scientist at VTT, Jyrki Mikkola
The collaborative effort highlights the importance of cross-border and cross-company collaboration in advancing green shipping and accelerating the maritime industry’s transition to sustainable practices, noted Future Proof Shipping. A second demonstrator vessel, Zulu 06, is scheduled for deployment in Paris in 2024.
The H2 Barge 2 will bring knowledge on how to retrofit vessels from diesel combustion to zero-emission alternatives, by using batteries in combination with green hydrogen in a fuel cell. I am proud to see that our funding contributes to the decarbonization of freight transport in the European Union
… highlighted Mirela Atanasiu, Executive Director ad interim of Clean Hydrogen Partnership
