Air Liquide, a French multinational, will begin supplying carbon-free hydrogen to a barge owned by transporter Future Proof Shipping (FPS), which moves containers between Rotterdam and Antwerp, starting next year.
The barge, dubbed Maas, would no longer spew dangerous compounds as a result of this invention. This equates to a CO2 reduction of around 2,000 tons per year. The vessel is propelled by an all-electric system comprised of a fuel cell, hydrogen storage, and batteries.
“This project represents a watershed moment in the effort to decarbonize inland waterways,” Air Liquide and FPS stated in a joint press release. “It enables hydrogen to be utilized in place of traditional fuel in shipping. This significantly minimizes the sector’s ecological footprint. The method is easily replicable on other ships, railways, and other vehicles.”
Richard Klatten, FPS’s president and CEO, is brimming with enthusiasm. “Our collaboration with Air Liquide, a firm founded on hydrogen, enables us to eliminate a significant portion of our logistics chain’s emissions,” the Dutchman explains. “Our ships must be fuelled by renewable energy, and at the moment, carbon-free hydrogen is the most prudent and environmentally friendly fuel option accessible to us.”
FPS intends to build nine further zero-emission inland and coastal vessels during the following decade. Hydrogen is a viable propulsion option for inland transportation since inland vessels frequently have to stop for fuel. According to experts, hydrogen is far more difficult to obtain on larger ships that travel for extended durations before refueling. In the future, these boats could run on green ammonia, for example.
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