Zemships – zero emission ships

Project background

Gaseous emissions from ships are a serious concern, particulary in coastal areas and port cities. Emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide from ships are expected to exceed those from land-based sources in the EU by 2020. Sulphate and nitrate particles along with emissions of primary particles (such as soot and dust) result in fine paricles (PM10, PM2.5) which can harm human health.

The bulk of emission on inland watreways is generated by medium to large vessels. The use of fuel cells to power ships in the range of 300 to 600 kW would be a zero emission solution. However, thze fuel cell technology used in submarines is expensive and small vessels cannot be scaled up to the targeted power requirements. The task in this project is to provide a technical solution that is scalable to typical power requirements and can be fully integrated in to surface vessels of different sizes. 

The concrete idea of a project for a fuel-cell driven Alster excursion ship was born at the beginning of 2005 as part of the state initiative „Fuel cell and hydrogen technology Hamburg“, founded in December 2004.
By November 2005 a consortium consisting of nine companies (Germanischer Lloyd, Linde-Group, Proton Motor, ATG Alster-Touristik, Hamburger Hochbahn, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, hySolutions, UJV Nuclear Research Institute, Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt) had already been formed with the purpose of applying for financial support under the "EU-Life Environment Programme", with the BSU as lead partner. Following a subsequent phase of revision, the finalized application was made in May 2006. This was approved in August 2006 and the project was able to get under way in November 2006.

The fuel cell passenger ship in detail

The ATG has developed a single-hulled ship with two fuel cells of 50kW and a carrying capacity of 100 passengers. The ship will be fuelled by hydrogen, which will be stored on board at a pressure of 350 bar. It will be driven exclusively by fuel cells, which means that there are no auxiliary motors.
The ship is 25.5 metres long and has a draught of 1.2 metres. Maximum height is 2.63 metres. The roof can be lowered by 35 centimetres to a height of c. 2.3 metres to allow it to pass beneath low bridges. This construction enables the ship to travel throughout the entire network of routes, i.e. on the Alster lake and the canals feeding into it as well as in the port area. The passengers remain on board during the entire procedure, even the doors can be opened when the roof is lowered.
The ship is equipped with a traditional passenger cabin, two sliding windows in the roof as well as fresh water and waste water tanks, toilets and a pantry. There is also a MultiVoice audio-guide system which provides a commentary in German, English, French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Besides, two large-dimension screens are installed on board for presentations.