FAQ
Who are the partners collaborating on Zemships?
When will hydrogen and fuel cell technology be generally available?
How does a fuel cell work (type PEM)?
Who needs energy and who consumes it?
How does our energy consumption affect the environment?
What emissions are generated when operating fuel cells?
What is Zemships?
Zemships is a project with EU support (LIFE). The goal of the project is to test the first fuel-cell powered passenger ship over a period of two years on regular tourist services on the Alster and in the Hamburg port area. For this purpose, a hydrogen fuelling station will also be built to supply the ship with fuel. The day-to-day operation of the fuelling station and the fuelling of the ship form part of the accompanying research programme.
Who are the partners collaborating on Zemships?
9 partners from the following areas are involved in the EU-supported Zemships project:
- Local authorities: State Authority for Urban Development and the Environment (Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt)
- Industry: Germanischer Lloyd AG (GL), Linde-Group, Proton Motor Fuel Cell Gmbh (PM)
- Public transport: ATG Alster-Touristik, HOCHBAHN AG
- Consultants: hySOLUTIONS, UJV Nuclear Research Institue Rez plc
- University of Applied Sciences: Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW)
Is hydrogen safe to use?
Yes. As with any other fuel, hydrogen must be handled carefully and with sufficient knowledge of the correct way to treat it and the appropriate safety regulations must be complied with.
When will hydrogen and fuel cell technology be generally available?
The more the dwindling fossil fuel resources and climate change become the focus of political and public debate, the more urgent the demand for alternatives grows. Fuel cell drives in road vehicles are already being tested in several test programmes all over Europe, and will probably be on the market in about 10 years. This will impact on applications in the maritime sector.
Developing the propulsion technology to the point where it is competitive on the market also depends on the hydrogen fuel. Apart from the question of price, we must examine the origin of the hydrogen.
How does a fuel cell work (type PEM)?
The electrochemical process which takes place in a fuel cell produces water out of oxygen and hydrogen. This process releases energy, which is then used as electricity to drive electric motors. The only emissions given off by the vehicle are water vapour and heat.
Who needs energy and who consumes it?
17% of the population of the world consumes 60% of its energy resources.
Conversely, this means that less than half these energy resources are available to more than 80 % of humanity. More than two billion people have no access to electric power. This is all the more alarming when we consider that according to the most recent forecasts the population of the world will double in the next 100 years.
How does our energy consumption affect the environment?
Burning fossil fuels generates CO2, a greenhouse gas which contributes massively to global warming. More than 90% of global energy needs are covered by fossil sources of power.
Industrialization and the CO2 emissions which accompany it have increased the global temperature by one degree Celsius over the past 100 years. Climate researchers predict a further rise of several degrees Celsius for the coming years and decades.
The only way to counteract this is by avoiding emissions of greenhouse gases and developing alternative sources of energy.
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