With the bunkering procedure of the 118.8 metre long gigayacht, the port of Amsterdam made history: it was the first time that a ship was refuelled with liquid hydrogen in the Netherlands. The recently delivered "Breakthrough" was built at Feadship in Kaag, a few nautical miles south-west of the Dutch metropolis.
Innovative technology on board "Breakthrough"
Project 821 was the world's first superyacht with an integrated hydrogen fuel cell system, which also serves as an energy source for the electric drive pods. Electricity is generated without a combustion process and the only by-product is water. As the liquid hydrogen is green, i.e. produced using renewable energy, the system does not emit any local greenhouse gases or other harmful particles. With a total output of 3 megawatts, the PEM fuel cells from the Swedish PowerCell Group generate a full 30 per cent of the total energy. The rest is covered by variable-speed diesel generators that can run on HVO diesel. A battery bank caps load peaks.
Methanol as an alternative energy source
A number of yacht yards such as Lürssen or Sanlorenzo are currently focussing on methanol as an alternative to hydrogen. The advantage: the energy source does not have to be stored at -253 degrees Celsius in pressurised tanks, but in tanks comparable to those used for diesel. The disadvantages: Due to the lower energy density of methanol compared to diesel, the tanks are about twice as large. In addition, methanol has to be converted into hydrogen via reformers upstream of the fuel cells. If everything is to be emission-free, green methanol is also required here.
Truck-to-ship refuelling
The refuelling process of "Breakthrough" began with an initial delivery of liquid hydrogen, followed by several refuelling operations in the weeks that followed. The refuelling was carried out by a specially equipped truck from Air Products. Truck-to-ship refuelling is a flexible and efficient method of supplying even larger ships with the innovative fuel.
Amsterdam's Chief Harbour Master, Milembe Mateyo, comments: "We expect several alternative fuels for shipping to co-exist. This requires flexibility and foresight from us and the companies in the harbour area. We are proud that the first bunkering with liquid hydrogen has now taken place in our harbour. It shows that hydrogen as a fuel is a practicable solution for emission-free ship operation. This is an important step towards more sustainable shipping and our goal to make this possible as a multi-fuel port."
Sören Gehlhaus
Stellvertretender Chefredakteur BOOTE EXCLUSIV
