TU Delft develops coach boat running on hydrogen
Going by the name H2 Coach Boat, TU Delft is joining a consortium consisting of maritime companies, the Sailing Innovation Centre and the Watersportverbond (Water Sports Federation) to develop a clean coach boat for the sport of sailing, with propulsion based on hydrogen in combination with electricity. The aim is to drastically reduce carbon emissions in the sport of sailing and make sailing a cleaner sport.
Ir. Klaas Visser, researcher in Marine Engineering at TU Delft is leading the research team of maritime students who have completed a feasibility study, among other things, in cooperation with several companies from the marine sector and who are focusing on reducing boat emissions.
During sailing races, coaches move in so-called rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB), rubber boats reinforced with a skeleton made of wood, metal or plastic with powerful outboard engines. It was Jaap Zielhuis, head coach at the Watersportverbond, who introduced the idea of developing a clean version in the Netherlands during a Clean Rib Challenge. This dovetails with the plans of the umbrella organisation, World Sailing, to only allow emission-free coach boats to compete in major events from 2030 onwards.
For their Bachelor graduation project, four Delft maritime students – Bobby Visser, Jarno Kuipers, Lars van Heugten and Bart van der Kroft – conducted a feasibility study in cooperation with several companies from the marine sector affiliated with the Economic Development Board of the ‘Drecht’ cities. It revealed that there are both technological and economic opportunities for a clear coach boat. In the meantime, a sub-project has been launched to develop the powertrain for the H2 Coach Boat. The regional development company Innovation Quarter has provided almost 30,000 euros for this purpose to the municipality of The Hague in the framework of Fieldlab North Sea Innovations.
The idea is to present a prototype vessel at the 2022 Sailing World Championships that are being held in Scheveningen. An infrastructure for ‘filling up’ on hydrogen during that event is also part of the plan.
The consortium consists of the companies Koedood Dieselservice (ship engines, Hendrik Ido Ambacht), Habbeké Shipyard (aluminium boats, Hoorn), TU Delft, the Sailing Innovation Centre and the Watersportverbond. Several other parties are involved as well, such as Oceanco (yacht building, Alblasserdam), HyFly (Construction / Hydrogen technology, Oudeschoot) and De Stille Boot (electric boating, Heeg).
View the video about the Clean Rib Challenge
Read also (in Dutch) ‘Haalbaarheid van schone coach boat onderzocht’
