New Baleària ferry will test bed hydrogen fuel cell

Written by Nick Blenkey
Ferry will have green hydrogen fuel cell

Ferry is Under construction at the Astilleros Armón shipyard

Spanish ferry operator Baleària is building a battery-hybrid ferry for the Ibiza-Formentera route that will emit zero emissions during port stays and approaches, helped by the experimental use of a hydrogen fuel cell.

Under construction at the Astilleros Armón shipyard in Vigo, Spain, the ferry is of double-ended design. It will be 83 meters long (272 feet long) and 15 meters wide (49 feet wide), and will carry 350 passengers and up to 14 trucks. It will have a service speed of 12.5 knots.

The new ferry will reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the route by 80%.

In addition to allowing the use of batteries in port, says Baleària, the vessel’s diesel-electric propulsion system will improve propulsion performance and reduce emissions and noise, as well as maintenance.

GREEN HYDROGEN TEST LAB

Baleària says the ship will be a test laboratory for green hydrogen, with a 100 kW compressed hydrogen fuel cell, the largest currently available, being installed.

“Our goal is to use this ship as a small-scale test laboratory to learn about this fuel and apply this knowledge in the long term, when a more mature and stable storage system than the current compressed hydrogen is expected to be available,” said Baleària’s president, Adolfo Utor.

Baleària is also a participant in the European Green Hysland project, which aims to turn Mallorca into the first green hydrogen hub in southwest Europe.

CHILL-OUT ZONES

From the passenger’s point of view, the design prioritizes outdoor accommodation, mainly focused on the summer market, with terraces on different levels where passengers can enjoy sea views during the journey and with services focused on the pleasure of traveling: chill-out zones, a large bar with a DJ area and showers to cool off with.

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