EMEA News
Hydrogen-Fuelled Rhine Barge Launches in Netherlands
A hydrogen-fuelled barge planned to operate on the Rhine has been launched in the Netherlands.
Netherlands-based Future Proof Shipping and the ZEM Ports Project launched the H2 Barge 2 on Thursday, the companies said in an emailed statement.
The barge will operate on the Rhine between Rotterdam and Duisburg. The ship was retrofitted at a Holland Shipyards Group facility last year to take on PEM fuel cells, hydrogen storage, battery packs and an electric drive train.
"Inland waterways are important for freight transport in Europe, we are thrilled to see a high-power container vessel being converted to zero-emission," Mirela Atanasiu, interim executive director of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, said in the statement.
"The H2 Barge 2 will bring knowledge on how to retrofit vessels from diesel combustion to zero-emission alternatives, by using batteries in combination with green hydrogen in a fuel cell.
"I am proud to see that our funding contributes to the decarbonization of freight transport in the European Union."
A second ship in the project, the Zulu 06, is set to be deployed in Paris later this year.
