FLAGSHIPS project to deploy two hydrogen vessels

The European innovation project FLAGSHIPS has been awarded €5mn from the European Union (EU) to support deployment of two commercially operated zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vessels – one in Lyon, France, and one in Stavanger, Norway. The vessels are to start operation during 2021.

In Lyon, a hydrogen push-boat operated by Compagnie Fluvial de Transport (CFT) will serve as a utility vessel on one of its most demanding rivers, the Rhône. In Stavanger, hydrogen is intended to power a passenger and car ferry operated by Norled as part of the local public transport network.

The funds awarded to the FLAGSHIPS project have been granted from the EU’s Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020 under the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH2 JU). Green and sustainable shipping is a prerequisite for reaching national and international emission reduction targets. With increasing pressure for shipping to reduce harmful emissions, fuel cells and hydrogen are seen as key technologies in providing a sustainable transportation option for the international shipping industry.

‘Both the EU and the shipping industry see hydrogen as a key contributor in the work to mitigate climate change. The FLAGSHIPS project sets out to raise the readiness of hydrogen-powered waterborne transport to a new level globally,’ says Senior Scientist and Project Manager Antti Pohjoranta from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, who will be coordinating the project.

The project aim is that both vessels will run on hydrogen produced from renewable energy. This will not only enable truly zero emission operation of the ships, but also create a solid basis for further local zero emission transport deployment both at sea as well as on land.

An important part of the project will also be the building of European support networks covering hydrogen fuel supply chains, vessel design and manufacturing competence networks as well as significantly broad-based regulatory expertise.

‘FLAGSHIPS is a key project to demonstrate the superior features of hydrogen fuel cells in the maritime sector – with lower CO₂ and pollutant emissions and reduced noise amongst the most critical. The project will cooperate with relevant organisation such as CESNI, IMO and certification bodies to speed up the introduction of hydrogen for the maritime sector both for inland and coastal operations and for freight and passenger transportation,’ says Bart Biebuyck, Executive Director of the FCH2 JU.