On 19 November, TNO inaugurated the first test cell for maritime engines at the Innovation Centre for Sustainable Powertrains in Helmond. This facility enables the development of engines for inland and coastal shipping.
Article and picture by TNO.
It marks a milestone for the Dutch maritime sector: with over 5000 registered inland vessels, the Netherlands has more inland shipping than any other European country. As an independent testing location, TNO will play a key role in the transition to clean and sustainable propulsion systems for shipping.
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The Netherlands: driving maritime sustainability
Pressure on the shipping industry to become more sustainable is increasing. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target of fifty per cent CO2 reduction for all global shipping traffic by 2050. Inland shipping must also make significant strides in sustainability, and strict EU Stage V emission standards have been in force for several years. For the Netherlands, with one of the largest inland shipping fleets in the world, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
‘The Netherlands used to have maritime engine manufacturers, but they have disappeared,’ says Peter van Gompel, Business Manager Powertrain Testing at TNO. ‘Yet we have a major interest in the decarbonisation of shipping. This is an opportunity to reclaim a position by developing new solutions.’
Making investment in new engines more attractive
The global inland shipping market is too small for major engine manufacturers to invest significantly as first movers. Moreover, inland vessels have a lifespan of fifty years, with engines lasting around thirty years. ‘If you want to meet the target in 2050, you need to start now,’ states Jack Bloem, Business Developer at TNO. ‘Retrofitting existing engines is becoming increasingly complex due to stricter environmental requirements. You almost need to make changes at the manufacturer level.’
By establishing one of the few test cells for maritime engines, the Netherlands can once again play a more prominent role in this sector. ‘We developed this cell in close collaboration with the market,’ emphasises Bloem. With broad support from the sector, TNO secured funding for the cell from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. TNO’s independent position makes it more attractive for manufacturers to jointly develop new solutions here, without a single commercial party taking the lead.
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Greater capacity, expanded capabilities
From a technical perspective, the new test cell stands out from existing facilities in multiple ways. The most visible difference is the capacity: the new test cell features a dynamometer with a braking capacity of 1.4 megawatts.
‘To simulate the resistance for a marine engine, we had to make the brake twice as large as for automotive test cells,’ explains Van Gompel. This required careful planning at the Helmond site. ‘To accommodate larger engines, the exhaust after-treatment systems are located not in the cell itself, but in the basement below, which we have designed to resemble a ship’s engine room within the laboratory.’
Pieter ‘t Hart, Maritiem Kennis Centrum: ‘The extensive facilities available at TNO Powertrains for testing maritime engines up to approximately 1.4 MW are unique in Europe. They open the doors to new research and innovation for advanced engine concepts and hybrid propulsion systems with batteries and fuel cells.’
Hydrogen and methanol
Van ‘t Hart adds: ‘The test centre is suitable for various sustainable alternative maritime fuels, including hydrogen, methane, methanol, and ammonia. This involves not only optimising the efficiency of the engines and propulsion systems, but also optimising the reduction of harmful emissions such as greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.’
‘TNO’s extensive knowledge and experience in testing and optimising maritime engine concepts is now available in concrete terms for the maritime and inland shipping sectors in the Netherlands, and even far beyond. This also strengthens the Dutch shipping industry’s international leadership in maritime innovation,’ concludes Van ‘t Hart.
The real added value of the new test cell lies in its fuel capabilities. For the decarbonisation of shipping, TNO is focusing on two fuels: hydrogen and methanol. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and require dedicated research. Whereas previous automotive test cells could only test conventional fuels, this facility now enables testing with hydrogen and methanol. ‘That is possible in very few places in the Netherlands, especially at a location not affiliated with a manufacturer,’ says Bloem.
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Geopolitical argument for hydrogen
Hydrogen combustion produces only water. In TNO’s automotive test cells, TNO has already created conditions where the exhaust gases were cleaner than the ambient air entering the engine.
Van Gompel: ‘The efficiency of hydrogen engines is currently around forty to fifty per cent, and we are working to increase this towards sixty per cent.’ The main drawback of hydrogen is the tank volume required: a hydrogen tank needs to be about four to eight times larger than a diesel tank. For short inland shipping routes, this is less of an issue, as vessels can refuel more frequently.
There is also a geopolitical argument. A hydrogen engine can be produced entirely within the EU, unlike batteries for electric propulsion, which require rare earth metals from outside Europe. ‘Previously, that autonomy was a minor consideration,’ says Bloem. ‘Now it is suddenly among the top three factors.’
Methanol: more compact, but with emissions
Methanol offers a practical advantage: the tank only needs to be at least twice as large as a diesel tank. Methanol is available in a bio-variant that is CO2-neutral, or can be synthesised using sustainable CO2 sources (e-methanol). Methanol combustion does release CO2 and generates new emission components, which can be investigated in the new cell.
TNO is already involved in several projects where the knowledge gained in the new cell can make a contribution. For example, in the GTD-H programme (Green Transport Delta – Hydrogen), automotive and shipping sectors are working together on hydrogen solutions. TNO is also participating in the MENENS project, where 21 partners are working on methanol applications.
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Collaboration for the Maritime Masterplan
According to Bloem, the new test cell can also play a crucial role in the Maritime Master Plan, the ambitious programme from the National Growth Fund for the decarbonisation of Dutch shipping. ‘Next year, the second tender within this project will start, allowing consortia to submit plans for making new or existing vessels more sustainable,’ says Bloem.
Van Gompel: ‘The sector is too small for individual manufacturers to innovate alone. That is why collaboration is essential. Parties that are normally competitors must now jointly develop technology. We provide the neutral platform for this.’
The ambition is clear: the Netherlands must reclaim its historic position in the maritime sector, but this time with clean engines.
