Project 821, the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht, has completed its inaugural sea trials in the North Sea, reports Feadship on its LinkedIn page. At 118.80 metres, the yacht also boasts the title of largest motor yacht ever launched in the Netherlands.
Project 821 was launched on 4 May at Feadship‘s Amsterdam yard. Designed by RWD, this vessel pioneers zero-emission cruising powered by green hydrogen, setting a new benchmark for the yachting industry.
Also read: Feadship launches 118.80-metre fuel-cell yacht
Developing equipment, protocols and safety regulations
Although hydrogen fuel cells are used in other industries, there were no regulations for hydrogen storage and fuel-cell systems at class, flag-state or even IMO level for maritime use. Seeking expert partners from allied industries, Feadship, owner’s representative Edmiston and Lloyd’s Register developed appropriately scaled equipment, protocols and safety regulations simultaneously.
‘The aim has been to develop a new, clean technology not just for this project, but for the world,’ said Jan-Bart Verkuyl, Feadship director/CEO Royal Van Lent Shipyard, at the time of the yacht’s launch. ‘The size of the proposed yacht – 100-metres-plus – made it a good candidate to explore pure green hydrogen as the fuel-cell source.’
Also read: Feadship reveals fuel cell solution for sustainable yachting
Storing liquid hydrogen
From the beginning, one of the biggest hurdles would be developing a reasonable way to store compressed liquid hydrogen below deck at -253°C aboard a luxury yacht. But investing in the required technology is necessary to make the transition away from fossil fuel, and hydrogen is one of the most efficient and cleanest options. When hydrogen is processed in a fuel cell, the only by-products are electricity and water in the form of steam.
Safely storing it on a vessel requires a double-walled cryogenic storage tank and it takes eight to ten times more space to store hydrogen than the energy equivalent in diesel fuel. In total, the cryogenic fuel tank that holds 92 m2 (some 4 tonnes) of hydrogen on Project 821, the sixteen compact fuel cells, their switchboard connection to the DC electrical grid, and the vent stacks for the escaping water vapour added four metres to the yacht’s original specification length.
The fuel cells developed for Project 821 can also use easier-to-store methanol, a liquid fuel in ambient conditions. Steam reforms methanol into hydrogen before the electrochemical reaction in the fuel cell.
Also read: Feadship presents new concept with fuel cells running on green methanol
Hotel load
Even a yacht the size of Project 821 cannot carry enough liquid hydrogen to power a crossing. That is why Feadship chose to impact a yacht’s carbon footprint where it is largest — generating electricity to serve the hotel load. According to the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI), seventy to 78 per cent of a yacht’s total energy use per year is to supply its hotel load, with heating and air conditioning making the largest demands.
Supplying that electrical power via hydrogen fuel cells has a significant impact. For longer travels or when pure hydrogen is not available, the electricity powering the 3200 kW ABB pod drives comes from MTU generators combusting HVO, a second-generation biofuel that reduces harmful emissions by ninety per cent.
The yacht also features batteries, a waste heat recovery system and energy management system to bring down emissions further. Project 821 is being offered for sale by Edmiston.
Picture: Project 821 while on sea trials (photo by Feadship).
