Vancouver — A consortium of British-Columbia based hydrogen experts announces its pilot project for the design of a hydrogen fuel cell powered harbour cruise vessel, H2Ocean. Based in BC, this project is being funded by amongst others the National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and project partners.
Global marine transport emits 940 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually requiring world fleets to decarbonize rapidly. However, decarbonization will require some of the world fleet to be zero emission vehicles (ZEV), making hydrogen one of the most suitable solutions. The H2Ocean project is being developed to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen fuel in a harbour cruise marine setting in Canada.
The design of this zero-emission marine vessel is being undertaken by a consortium of globally leading hydrogen companies, regulators, academics, industry groups and, naval architects and marine engineers: Capilano Maritime Design Ltd (Capilano), Canal Marine & Industrial Inc., HTEC, Ballard Power Systems Inc., the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA), Lloyd’s Register (LR), The University of British Columbia (UBC) and Fairweather Cruises.
Capilano leads the ship design of the H2Ocean vessel while HTEC leads the design of the hydrogen storage and fueling infrastructure. Canal Marine & Industrial Inc. are the electrical engineers for the design of the power generation and distribution systems onboard the vessel. Ballard’s role in the project is to provide technical support to integrate the FCwaveTM fuel cells into the vessel. LR will leads the Hazard Identification process of the hydrogen systems and another LR unit will be responsible for the Approval in Principle. CHFCA will play the critical role of liaising, monitoring and raising awareness of the project throughout Canada. UBC will provide technical support on naval architecture subjects resulting from their research programs. Finally, Fairweather Cruises’ role in the project is to consult on cruise vessel passenger area design and operation.
The project recently completed a HAZard IDentification study (HAZID) on February 3, 2022, marking a significant milestone. The 3-day HAZID meeting conducted by Lloyd’s Register, identified hazards and corresponding mitigation measures related to the use of hydrogen as a marine fuel encompassing compressed hydrogen storage and distribution, fuel cell operation, and battery systems. The project is being advanced with safety as a priority in all aspects of planning, designing and operations.
The H2Ocean aluminum catamaran will be able to host 95 passengers in a seated dinner setting and up to 194 passengers in a cocktail setting in the sheltered waters around Vancouver harbour and adjacent islands. The vessel design will include two 200 kW Ballard FCwaveTM fuel cells and 160 kW electric motors driving twin propellers for a maximum speed of 12 knots.
Currently, the project is focusing on implementing the recommendations and mitigating measures identified at the HAZID to achieve an Approval in Principal by May 2022.
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