Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Maritime Applications

Rohit Prasad, Sales Manager, Maritime and Rail Applications
Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH

[@colinslamon4492]

Interesting video, it’s refreshing that a company is pushing this technology. I have a question though. I have recently become interested in boat ownership. I therefore looked at my budget and the running costs of a half decent sized boat to spend some serious time on. The fuel costs are frankly shocking! Most smaller boats use Volvo penta Diesel engines with an average £2K for about 250 miles range. Then it occurred to me this could be a perfect fit for fuel cell driven electric motors. My question is this. Can a hydrogen separation station develop enough gas, be compressed and used in a fuel cell to power a 50ft owner operator sized boat? This is a huge market and with the end of Diesel engines in the not too distant future, this may be the ideal time to get your feet wet so to speak. The running costs for such technology should be tiny compared to that constant bill for fuel. I would expect the weight and dimensions of such a drive system to be very much smaller too so more living space and perhaps performance could be enhanced. If nothing else it’s an interesting question and the answer I hope isn’t a quantum leap away. A large manufacturer such as princess yachts in the uk I’m sure would be a great partner in developing a test bed and possible market for this inevitable technology. Regards CS

[@Peter-nv3wu]

Hi CS, I was in the middle of posting something similar but different to you. I was wondering how Hydrogen compared to Battery, Diesel and Petrol as a means of energy to propel vehicles per mile, or over a set distance say 50 or 100 miles if mile by mile would be a too smaller figure to work with. From the little that I have read, I think anything that is Hydrogen powered will have to be new as the cost of converting anything to run on Hydrogen is going to be beyond belief which makes me wonder if Propane could be the way to go ? ok it is not as clean as as an electric powered vehicle but it's far cleaner than petrol or diesel so it could be the way to go to fill the gap there is going to be until fuel cell's and everything connected with them become the "norm" to power vehicles, as I am certain they will be until something far more efficient is developed at some point in the future as I personally don't believe electric vehicles in their current form are going are to be powered as they are now for many years into the future. To me they are something to use and develop, only until something far more efficient in every way comes along.

[@quantumthinker3248]

Hydrogen is not suitable for that scale. You'd better get a lithium battery powered electric boat.

[@Syedfendi]

@@quantumthinker3248 Can lithium battery power the offshore oil and gas...? Where can I buy lithium battery power production plaftform ( say for capacity 250 - 300 kW)

[@Syedfendi]

Hi Mr Prasad...How about PEMFC application offshore..any development and progress up to date? Can U advice a stack unit for any Fuel Cell candidate for offshore and roughly the PFD ( process + its BOP)