(Rotterdam / Netherlands) – Dutch shipping company Future Proof Shipping (FPS) has taken delivery of the “H2 Barge 2” from Holland Shipyards Group in Werkendam near Rotterdam. The hydrogen-powered vessel will transport goods emission-free on the Rhine between Rotterdam and Duisburg.
Drive with 1,2 megawatts of power
It is the first of two similar vessels in the EU-funded Flagships project and the second in the Zero Emission Ports North Sea (ZEM Ports NS) project. The container ship, which is around 110 meters long and 11 meters wide, was built in 1993 with a capacity of 190 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit). In 2023, Holland Shipyards Group (HSG) will have removed all internal combustion engines and fossil fuel tanks. The six “FC Wave” PEM fuel cells now installed, each with an output of 200 kilowatts, come from Ballard Power Systems. There were also hydrogen storage, battery packs and an electric drive train.
The “H2 Barge 2” is intended, among other things, to provide insights into how ships can be retrofitted from burning diesel to emission-free alternatives, says Mirela Atanasiu, interim director of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The annual savings in CO2 emissions are forecast at 3.000 tons. The second demonstration ship, the “Zulu 06”, will be deployed in Paris this year.
Second H2 container ship for inland freight
“H2 Barge 2” is the second hydrogen-powered inland cargo ship from Future Proof Shipping after “H2 Barge 1”. The first barge was launched in May 2023 and shuttles several times a week for sporting goods manufacturer Nike between the port of Rotterdam and BCTN's inland terminal in Meerhout, Belgium. FPS wants to build and operate a fleet of ten emission-free inland and coastal sea vessels over the next five years and offer them for charter to logistics service providers.
The hydrogen-powered container ship “H2 Barge 1” completed its first 200-kilometer non-stop trip to Rotterdam in December. © Port of Rotterdam
The “Flagships” consortium includes twelve European partners. The Zero Emission Ports North Sea project consists of seven organizations and aims to promote the use of zero-emission fuels (electric and hydrogen) in the maritime sector. The Clean Hydrogen Partnership aims to strengthen the European Union's research and innovation capacities and at the same time the competitiveness of the clean hydrogen value chain. Members include the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe as a representative of the fuel cell and hydrogen industry, and the Hydrogen Europe Research research community.
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Holland Shipyards Group has delivered the fuel cell-powered inland cargo vessel “H2 Barge 2” to Future Proof Shipping. © Future Proof Shipping
