By : Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, July 18, 2022
The Danish company Vestas, in collaboration with Windcat Workboats, started a pilot program consisting of the propulsion of a crew transfer vessel (CTV) from a combination of hydrogen with marine diesel.
With the start-up of this pilot program, the aim is to explore, for the first time in the world, the propulsion of a ship powered by this combination of energy sources, in order to help reduce carbon emissions in service operations on the high seas of Windcat Workboats.
Vestas explained that the CTV runs on a dual fuel solution capable of running on hydrogen in a combination with marine diesel. Because hydrogen fuel is carbon-free, the rate of carbon emissions can be significantly reduced while maintaining the same power output.
He added that the solution will be tested at the Norther Wind Farm in the North Sea and its purpose is to gather information on the opportunities and improvements of hydrogen-powered ships in daily tasks, this to explore the most scalable potential approaches for incorporate hydrogen into its operating configuration.
Vestas detailed that the new CTV has the potential to generate CO 2 savings of 158 tons, which means that said hydrogen propulsion has 37% less carbon emissions compared to a traditional ship. Said savings will be validated during the pilot, as well as exploring how the solution can be scaled if an impact on Vestas scope 1 and 2 emissions is demonstrated.
The ship is expected to run primarily on gray hydrogen due to the unavailability of green hydrogen in the necessary quantities. Through the pilot program, Vestas intends to follow the path towards green hydrogen, in its offshore operations.
This material from the EnergíaDebate portal was edited for clarity, style and length.
Sources : https://energiaadebate.com/sera-vestas-pionera-en-la-propulsion-de-buques-con-hidrogeno/ – https://www.vestas.com/en/media/company-news/2022 /vestas-pioneers-world-s-first-hydrogen-powered-offshore-c3596070
Photo : WBC. TECH
