Zemships (zero emission ships) will be cruising Alster Lake near Hamburg, Germany this summer. Almost a year ago, I had talked about the $6.7 million Zemships project, which is a hydrogen fuel cell ferryboat that will carry 100-passengers across the lake.
The Zemship is a hybrid vehicle using both fuel cell and battery pack for power. The fuel cell is being developed by Proton Motor, which is providing two PM Basic A 50 50kW systems for the boat.
Hydrogen fuel is stored onboard in pressurized tanks. The ship will hold enough compressed hydrogen so that it only needs to be refueled once every three days. Proton Motors isn’t the only contributor to the Zemships project as there are eight other projects partners also seeing to it that this ferryboat sees action this summer.
The keel has already been laid on the ship, which signals a turning point in the development of this hydrogen ferryboat. This summer, tourists from all around the world will be cruising on an emissions-free Zemship and breathing a little easier because of this.