A hybrid boat created in Liguria that aims to test sustainable fuels and make the first required steps towards less polluting modes of transportation on the waters of the Mediterranean and other seas of the world is one of the first hydrogen boat prototypes to come from Italy.
The unique modular hybrid boat is known as Biim and is 12 metres in length and 4.20 metres in width. It can go at a speed of 10 knots and weighs 11 tonnes. The initial tests were conducted in the seas of the Gulf of Poets and the Cinque Terre after the construction was finished in the shipyards of Tigullio di Lavagna, in the province of Genoa.
The Biim vessel is equipped with a hybrid power generation system that uses salt batteries and PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cells that are driven by pure hydrogen kept in metal hydride storage cylinders. Fuel cells that generate electricity for the boat’s electric engines are powered by hydrogen. This prevents the boat’s emissions from being hazardous and polluting when it is in motion.
The Biim boat features a structure made of eco-friendly elements including wood and naturally generated composites, making it a sustainable composition as well. A novel mechanical mechanism makes it possible to attach the electric propulsion engine to the shaft line even on boats that are currently on the water. The propulsion system is a hybrid diesel-electric system. The 2-million-euro initiative, which will last for 18 months, aims to show that hydrogen is a viable alternative fuel for on-board energy production.
The company Cantieri Navali del Tigullio produced the eco-friendly composite hull using only recyclable natural fibres and resins, while Blue Energy Revolution created the hydrogen plant and Vulkan Italy created the transmission facility that could build the hybrid propulsion system.
Imars and the University of Genoa’s mechanical engineering department are also involved in the collaboration. Eventually, the initiative was chosen by Filse (the technical and financial organisation for the Ligurian region) as the beneficiary of a 1 million euro grant funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the primary financial tool for the cohesion policy of the European Union. The Duferco company took the lead in building the hydrogen boat.
