Hydrogen-powered inland containership H2 Barge 2 wraps up its first trials

H2 Barge 2, a second inland containership converted to run on hydrogen by Dutch shipbuilder Holland Shipyards Group for compatriot shipowner Future Proof Shipping (FPS), has completed its first trials.

Holland Shipyards Group shared the milestone via social media on March 5, saying that the coming days will be dedicated to fine-tuning, enabling this zero-emission vessel to enter service.

As revealed earlier by the project partners, hydrogen-powered H2 Barge 2 will ship goods completely emission-free on the Rhine between Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Duisburg, Germany, and is expected to reduce 3,000 tons of CO2 annually when sailing the Rhine.

The vessel, formerly Fenny 1 and FPS Waal, was built as a conventionally powered containership, and during 2023, it was stripped of all combustion engines and fossil fuel tanks at Holland Shipyards Group in Werkendam.

Now, the vessel’s propulsion system includes PEM fuel cells, hydrogen storage, battery packs, and an electric drive train installed below the deck.

The H2 Barge 2 is the first of two demonstrators in the EU-funded Flagships project and the second demonstrator of the ZEM Ports NS project. The second demonstrator vessel in the Flagships project, Zulu 06, will be deployed in Paris in 2024.

FPS’ first hydrogen-powered inland containership, H2 Barge 1, was launched in May 2023. Chartered by BCTN on behalf of Nike EMEA, the vessel is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 tons of CO2e per year.