HAARLEM — Feadship, the Dutch maker of highly customized superyachts, says it has found an “advanced solution for a more sustainable yachting: a fully certified liquid hydrogen fuel-cell yacht!”
In a Linkedin post, Feadship Director Jan-Bart Verkuyl said the hydrogen-powered yacht “will house a cryogenic fuel tank, storing liquified hydrogen at around -250°C.” That, he added, is “the densest storage method of pure hydrogen.”
Cryogenic fuels are fuels that must be stored at extremely low temperatures to remain in a liquid state. These fuels are typically used in machinery that operates in space, such as rockets and satellites. Cryogenic fuels most often constitute liquefied gases, such as liquid hydrogen.
Verkuyl, who is also CEO of Feadship unit Royal Van Lent Shipyard, added the fuel bank cell on Feadship’s hydrogen-powered superyacht “will be sufficient to sail at a decent speed while still powering the hotel load in summer conditions.”
Feadship released three renderings of the hydrogen propulsion engine, but released no further details of the project. “In the near future we’ll be saying more … in a press release,” said a Feadship spokesperson.
Hydrogen is on many lips in the yacht-building sector as announcements of fuel cell projects gather pace. Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe and, essentially, pollution-free. But storing hydrogen is problematic. Hydrogen has such a low energy density, it must be stored and transported under high pressure which makes it bulky and impractical.
Feadship’s announcement on LinkedIn generated lively and overwhelmingly congratulatory comments from scores of people.
