Americas News
Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Reefers to Be Tested in Hawaii
Hawaiian shipping company Young Brothers Ltd. (Young Brothers) will test hydrogen fuel cells intended to replace diesel generators in cooling their refrigerated containers, local newspaper the Star Advertiser reports.
The 120-kilowatt fuel cell unit, designed by U.S. federal research facility Sandia National Laboratories, can be mounted inside a twenty-foot shipping container and loaded into a barge to provide electricity.
The fuel cell units are in the design phase now and will be brought to Hawaii in early 2015.
Young Brothers, which offers inter-island shipping services, will test the units for six months, looking at their ability to reduce fuel costs and emissions.
"Environmental stewardship is an important aspect of Young Brothers' business, so we're pleased to be part of this clean-energy initiative," said Roy Catalani, the company's vice president of strategic planning and government affairs.
A preliminary study of the fuel cells' potential by Sandia National Laboratories found that they could provide electricity for both ships at berth and reefer units on barges, potentially saving money.
