Hydrogen sets sail for zero-emission shipping in the Netherlands
In a major milestone for sustainable shipping, hydrogen-powered vessels have begun operations in the North Sea region, offering a glimpse into a future of truly zero-emission maritime transport.
In partnership with the European Commission
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/09/01/hydrogen-sets-sail-for-zero-emission-shipping-in-the-netherlands
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
00:04It is powered by green hydrogen that is obtained from renewable energy.
00:09It does not release CO2.
00:15The Dutch company Futureproof Shipping has launched two such vessels since 2023,
00:20a world first in inland water transport.
00:24Our barges are sailing between the Netherlands and Belgium.
00:28Approximately 100 trips a year.
00:31And they can sail for a round trip of 500 kilometers.
00:36This ensures a saving of 2,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.
00:43At the Alblassa Dam terminal near Rotterdam,
00:46the crew of the container ship H2 Barge 2 is engaged in an unconventional refueling operation.
00:53Contrary to a conventional diesel-powered vessel,
00:56our vessels have been fitted with an electric motor and fuel cells.
00:59Fuel cells are devices that convert hydrogen to electricity and water.
01:05This electricity is being used by the vessel for its propulsion.
01:08Refueling the vessel, or bankering, comes in the port container trap.
01:13It's as simple as offloading the empty container and reloading a new one.
01:17The high cost of hydrogen prevents similar initiatives from being replicated on a large scale for the time being.
01:24After Futureproof Shipping, there has been other companies that decided to invest on hydrogen technology,
01:30and their vessels are about to come into the market.
01:33It is very important that customers understand that a green solution, absolute zine solution exists, is reliable,
01:43but they are also prepared to pay for it.
01:45It is a little bit more expensive at this point in time.
01:48The conversion of the two container ships from diesel to hydrogen was also made possible by the European Union's Zero Emission Ports North Sea project,
01:59in which Futureproof Shipping is a partner.
02:02The goal? To accelerate the decarbonisation of maritime transport.
02:09The total budget of this inter-regional project was 3.6 million euro,
02:14of which 1.8 million euro was funded by the EU Cohesion Policy
02:19and 1.8 million euro by its five partners in the North Sea region.
02:26Dragos Lupu has been sailing for 18 years,
02:29but since he has been captain of H2 Barge 2, his work is more pleasant.
02:35Everything is silence and no vibration, nothing.
02:39Our life is beautiful on board, it's more nice.
02:43The vessel gets off only water vapours.
02:47This is important for our health and for the health of the next generation.
Be the first to comment