The Scottish archipelago of Orkney is to be the setting for an ambitious seven-month project demonstrating technologies to enable maritime decarbonisation, UK-based research body European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) said in a press release last week.
The £2.2 million (US$3 million) Hydrogen in an Integrated Maritime Energy Transition (HIMET) project will explore solutions for decarbonising ferries as well as shore-side activities in ports.
It is one of 55 projects selected for funding under the UK Department for Transport's flagship Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
Led by EMEC Hydrogen in Orkney, HIMET will encompass a programme of activities centred on the decarbonisation of ferry services and cruise terminal operations. To decarbonise ferries, various solutions will be designed and demonstrated including hydrogen storage specifically intended for use on board a vessel, and the supply of on-board auxiliary power using a hydrogen fuel cell.
A conventional ferry propulsion engine will also be tested running on pure hydrogen.
To develop resilient shore-side power for the maritime sector, a hydrogen engine will be deployed at Hatston to power crew welfare facilities at the cruise terminal, and microgrid solutions will be explored to consider future power requirements for ferry terminals.