Hydrogen Power

Cruising round the narrow canals of Amsterdam on a hot, airless, summer day sometimes involved passing through an exhaust cloud as the hundreds of boaters toured the sights.
In a bold attempt to cut down exhaust emissions to zero, a new canal cruise boat Nemo H2 has joined the fleet operated by Rederij Lovers, Amsterdam.

Designed and developed by the Dutch company Fuel Cell Boat BV the canal boat is similar to conventionally powered boats with panoramic windows but is of course, silent and produces zero emissions.

Main propulsion is provided by a single 75 kW Voith azimuth electric thruster in the stern, with an 11 kW electric bow thruster in the bow to facilitate getting round the 90 degree turns required when negotiating the narrow 16th century canals. Electric power is produced from twin 30 kW PEM fuel cells with a 70 kWh Li-phosphate battery. The fuel cells run on hydrogen stored in six cylinders at a pressure of 35 MPa with a total capacity of 24 kg of gas. Maximum speed is 8.6 kts and autonomy at a mean speed of seven kts is nine hours.

Refueling at the base station is simple with a bayonet connector, similar to automotive LPG refueling and is completed in under 10 minutes. The battery can also be charged when alongside. The gas installation is safety approved by Germanischer Lloyd.

emissions. The 22 m LOA vessel with 4,24 m beam carries 86 passengers with a crew of two.
Completing the target of zero emissions, the hydrogen fuel is produced by electrolysis, using electricity generated from a wind farm in the North Sea.