Dutch students launch hydrogen boat to ‘inspire shipping industry’

Dutch scientists on Wednesday unveiled a ship powered by liquid hydrogen that they hope will supply classes to the transport trade because it eyes new gas sources to cut back its important greenhouse gasoline emissions.

The coed group from the Delft College of Know-how is coming into their glossy “foiling boat”—that means it’s lifted out of the water on three pillars—on this 12 months’s “Energy Boat Challenge” in Monaco.

They are saying their creation “Mira” is the primary hydrogen-powered foiling boat to compete within the race, which goals to showcase modern power know-how for transport.

“We want to show that sustainable solutions are already possible in the maritime industry,” group chief Olivier Poelman advised AFP on the champagne launch in The Hague.

“And if a team of 25 students can do it, then the bigger companies can implement these sustainable changes as well in the maritime sector,” the 21-year-old mentioned.

Transport accounts for almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warmingbased on the United Nations’ transport physique, the Worldwide Maritime Group (IMO).

The IMO is making an attempt to decarbonize the trade, aiming to chop emissions by at the very least 50% by 2050 in comparison with 2008 ranges.

Hydrogen feels like a promising resolution on paper: whereas fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases, burning hydrogen leaves solely water vapor.

However it has not but lived as much as its promise, with a number of much-hyped initiatives globally struggling to beat excessive prices and engineering challenges.

‘Encourage the maritime trade’

Hydrogen’s local weather credentials additionally rely on how it’s produced.

“Green hydrogen” makes use of renewable energy whereas “blue hydrogen” depends on fossil fuels equivalent to coal and gasoline, with carbon-capture know-how to cut back emissions.

The most cost effective is “gray hydrogen”, which is produced by fossil fuels with out carbon seize.

Poelman mentioned his group tries to make use of inexperienced hydrogen however acknowledged that “most of the infrastructure is still gray hydrogen”.

“We try to source as much as possible from green hydrogen through partners of ours or other companies that are involved,” he mentioned.

One main downside is scaling up the know-how to be used in container ships in an economical method, however Poelman was assured that innovation may drive down the value.

“For now, it might seem a bit expensive and very difficult,” he mentioned. “But once companies really start to pick it up, I really believe that the innovation gathered from that can make it a bit easier.”

Poelman and his group hope to win their class within the Monaco competitors, which places sustainable boats via their paces by way of pace, endurance and maneuverability.

“But the bigger goal is to inspire the maritime industry,” he mentioned.

“We just really want to show that there are green options out there that are already possible. And we want to show that the bigger ships can also do that.”

© 2025 AFP