Ricardo is working with the sustainable HYdrogen powered Shipping consortium (sHYpS) to design and develop hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technologies for passenger ships.
The project involving 13 partners in six European countries will accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a renewable fuel in the maritime industry. The work has been funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK Government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee.
Ricardo is leading the specification, design, build and test of a 375kW fuel cell module and the design of a 40-foot containerized multi-MW power plant that combines the outputs of several fuel cell modules. The containerized solution is intended to be installed on board passenger ships.
Ricardo will be engaging with consortium member Lloyd’s Register to initiate the classification process for the system in line with classification rules that are currently being developed. Testing of the first module will take place in Ricardo’s 400kW hydrogen fuel cell test chamber.
Pros
- Zero emissions.
- Low vibration, low noise if used in fuel cell.
Cons
- Low energy density.
- Cryogenic storage.
- Difficult to handle.
- Less bunkering infrastructure.
- Embrittlement of metal materials.
This project is at the forefront of innovation, with the prospect of using hydrogen fuel cell technology to support the industry meeting its sustainability objectives.
… said Adrian Schaffer, President of Emerging Mobility at Ricardo
I encourage anyone else who is considering applying to Horizon Europe to go for it. As Ricardo did, they can draw on UKRI guarantee funding while the UK awaits formal association to the EU programme.
… said Mike Biddle, Executive Director – Net Zero at Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
