Consortium to develop green H2 production barge concept for harbor use

UK consortium has been awarded a research and development (R&D) project to develop a green hydrogen production barge under the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).

A consortium comprising AqualisBraemar LOC Group (ABL Group), Green Hydrogen Solutions and Poole Harbour Commissioners will work on the concept development and feasibility study for a moored barge to generate, store and provide hydrogen to vessels bunkering at the same port.

The port will store hydrogen produced via electrolysis using onshore renewables. Poole harbour will be used as a case study for demonstrating the environmental and commercial viability of the concept.

“The maritime industry contributes to three percent of all greenhouse gas emissions and is a hard to abate sector. Technical demonstration of CO2-free powering of ships, when combined with scale, will blaze a trail for the net zero future,” said RV Ahilan, chief energy transition officer at ABL Group.

“This project is aimed at providing rapid infrastructure for hydrogen production at the point of requirement. Providing ready availability of hydrogen will support its adoption as a viable alternative marine fuel and contribute to the reduction of the sectors’ emissions,” stated Dean Goves, Longitude Engineering’s managing director for marine vessel design, defence and small craft.

The CMDC, announced in March 2020, is a program supporting 55 projects across the UK, including projects in Scotland, Northern Ireland and from the South West to the North East of England.

It is financed through the government’s investments and industry to reduce emissions from the maritime sector.

As set out in the Clean Maritime Plan (2019), government funding has been used to support early-stage research relating to clean maritime.

What is more, the program will be used to support the research, design and development of zero-emission technology and infrastructure solutions for maritime and to accelerate decarbonisation in the sector.

The new project follows the appointment of ABL Group to a project with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL) to design and emission-free fuel-cell sea-going passenger and car ferry.