31.10.2006

Start for an Alster boat with fuel cell

A world first on the Alster

Tomorrow the starting shot will be given for a completely new technology for inland ships, completely without emissions and noise-free.

On 1st November the EU-supported ZEMSHIPS (Zero Emission Ships) project will start developing an Alster excursion ship powered by a fuel cell. It will have room for 100 passengers. It will run on hydrogen, which will be transformed into electric power using atmospheric oxygen in the fuel cell and into water vapour. A special hydrogen fuelling station will be built to fuel the ship. Following intensive tests and after receiving the green light from the ship classification society Germanischer Lloyd, the ship will begin carrying passengers across the Alster in mid-2008.

Environment Senator Dr. Michael Freytag: „Hamburg wants to become a trail-blazer for hydrogen and fuel cell technology. That also includes the research and development side. With a „Zemship“ for the Alster we will be setting a worldwide benchmark.“

Nine partners are involved in ZEMSHIPS, half of them from Hamburg: Alster Touristik GmbH, the Czech ETC Consulting Group Ltd. From Prague, Germanischer Lloyd AG, Hamburger Hochbahn AG, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Linde AG, the Czech Nuclear Research Institute from Rez near Prague and Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH. The Hamburg Ministry for Urban Development and the Environment is project leader and distributes the EU funds to the partners.

The prototype is intended to stimulate the development of further fuel cell powered ships worldwide. For this purpose the Czech partners will develop a computer model of the propulsion system, evaluate the operative data and will adapt the project results for other European cities. The ZEMSHIPS project is subsidized to the tune of 2.4 million Euros in the framework of the European Unions LIFE programme.

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