Last week I blogged about a Dutch hydrogen ferryboat being built called the Fuel Cell Boat BV. Now, I wish to report that there are several other hydrogen ferryboats in the planning stages as well.
Besides the Duffy hydrogen ferryboat prototype that was demonstrated in Newport Beach, California in 2003, there are plans to build other hydrogen ferryboats in Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom as well.
Hamburg, Germany will host a 100-passenger hydrogen fuel cell ferryboat that will begin operations in 2008. The ferry will carry passengers across Lake Alster in the heart of Hamburg. The ferry is part of the $6.7 million Zemships project.
Norsk Hydro has started work on building a hydrogen ferry for Norway. The fuel cell ferry is being built in cooperation with Marintec at NTNU in Trondheim and is part of the Nordic H2 Energy Foresight Action plan.
The United Kingdom is also planning a 50-seat ferryboat in the Wales region of Cardiff Bay. The demonstration project is part of the University of Glamorgan Hydrogen Research Unit with the backing of the Welsh Development Agency, which already operates vessels in Cardiff Bay.
Many see ferryboats as a natural fit for hydrogen fuel cell technology. This is because they are a publicly visible way to promote green technology and use the same fueling station time and again so minimal infrastructure will need to be built to support these vessels.
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