A first-of-its-kind fuel cell powered yacht will soon move from the drawing board and into the open waters for initial testing. The 55-foot concept sailing vessel will be powered by Voller’s Emerald fuel cell system and designed to efficiently take advantage of both space and energy. From the article,
“Stephen Voller, chief executive of Voller Energy commented: ‘It is the potential reliability and ease of maintenance of the fuel cell which are its main attributes to the boating world, due to the nature of this leisure pursuit during passages you can be a long way from a service yard and need to trust and rely on your chosen electrical supply.’”
The compact design of fuel cell systems means future boats employing the technology will have more room to focus on comforts below deck and additional “opportunities to introduce electric-powered home comforts” into the layout. It’s also environmentally-friendly as the Emerald Fuel Cell System emits only the same amount of carbon dioxide as a person breathes out in a day. It would need to run for 2000 years to emit the same amount of emissions as a typical diesel generator produces in one day.
Yacht designer Ken Freivokh envisions a future where “whole yachts will be created around a cell” and fuel cells will be “standard issue in the marine design industry.”
Who wouldn’t be on-board for a cleaner, greener boating industry?
