A consortium of Dutch companies, called Fuel Cell Boat BV has agree to build the first commercial hydrogen boat by the end of 2007. The hydrogen boat will be used in Amsterdam for transporting up to 100 passengers at a time.
The Dutch fuel cell boat already has a group of waiting customers as 600 employees from Shell Amsterdam will be transported by the hydrogen vessel over the IJ River on a daily basis. The hydrogen for the boat will be created by wind energy and electrolysis, creating a renewable energy loop that yields zero emissions throughout the process.
The hydrogen boat built by the Fuel Cell Boat BV will not be the first hydrogen boat, however, or the first hydrogen boat built by the Dutch for that matter. The first hydrogen boat was demonstrated in 2003 in California’s Newport Beach Harbor. The Duffy boat prototype was powered by Millennium Cell’s Hydrogen on Demand system and Anuvu’s Power-X PEM fuel cells.
In 2006, the Hydrogen Xperiance, a Dutch fuel cell sloop built by Ecofys and the Knowledge Center Yacht was introduced during the Frisian Nuon Solar Challenge. The prototype sloop is able to travel 2 to 3 days before refueling. The refueling only takes 15 minutes as canisters of hydrogen are swapped out.
In regard to the Fuel Cell Boat BV, leave it to the Dutch to develop the first commercial hydrogen boat and make that idea float.
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