A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the system integrator H2Boat from Italy and Nuvera Fuel Cells from the US, a manufacturer of heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell engines.
H2Boat will get an E-45 fuel cell engine from Nuvera for certification of marine type approval. After certification, Nuvera will continue to provide the engine for integration in H2Boat’s next HP Energy pack in an effort to broaden its maritime product offering.
In the latter half of 2020, Nuvera unveiled its multi-platform E-45 H2 fuel cell system. At the time, Matt Weig, product manager at Nuvera, noted that the E-45 fuel cell engine’s design philosophy was to create a system that satisfies the requirements of various mobility markets and integrates readily with current electric vehicle platforms. The transition to marine applications occurs as demand to decarbonize the maritime industry mounts.
Giampaolo Sibilia, head of European operations at Nuvera Fuel Cells, stated that fuel cells “offer an incredibly appealing value proposition to the maritime industry.” “We think hydrogen will be essential to the sector’s progress toward decarbonization. We are eager to work with H2Boat to address a special demand in the boating sector and improve the efficiency and quietness of marine transportation.
In order to promote hydrogen technology to the marine industry, H2Boat was introduced in 2020. The business is a component of Bluenergy Revolution, a business established by the University of Genoa (Italy) with a focus on the research and development of fuel cell, electrolyzer, and metal hydride systems, aiming to provide stationary and mobile applications with hydrogen technology solutions. The American business Nuvera Fuel Cells recently inaugurated a brand-new, sizable fuel cell durability testing facility in Italy. Additionally, Nuvera participates in the StasHH partnership, which is assisting in the development of hydrogen transportation technologies throughout Europe. 25 businesses are collaborating to create a heavy fuel cell truck standard for Europe.