Bristol City Council plans on trialling a hydrogen fuel cell powered ferry this Autumn, and has appealed for companies to take part in the project.
The council believes using hydrogen instead of diesel will cut CO2 output and make for quieter and fume-free ferry journeys. Then, if the six-month trial is successful, more hydrogen ferries could be introduced to the city docks permanently.
While we’ve often heard of hydrogen propulsion in cars, none have ever made it into production for public use. Ferries are a real possibility however. They’re are easier to monitor, and recall if need be, as they are limited in their use. They’re already in use in Hamburg and will are planned to be used in the Netherlands very soon.
Bristol’s six ferry operators, including the Bristol Ferry Boat Company, the Bristol Packet Ltd and Number Seven Boat Trips, had all been invited to bid to take part in the trial.
Battery electric or diesel-electric hybrid models have not been allowed to take place in this ferry trial, with a consortium setting aside funding only for ferry operators, hydrogen fuel cell specialists and hydrogen suppliers.
Jon Rogers, council member for transport and sustainability said: “We are looking at alternative environmentally friendly technologies for all Bristol transport.”
He continued that “Bristol has a long history of maritime innovation and this is hopefully the next step. We want to show that Bristol is a place to try out new environmental technologies, creating new jobs while combating climate change, peak oil and other environmental concerns.”
He said the trial could involve a brand new hydrogen-powered vessel or an existing ferry modified to take hydrogen as its fuel.
However the co-owner of the Bristol Ferry Boat Company, Rob Salvidge, said he was not convinced by hydrogen as a fuel for boats, saying “I don’t think the technology works. It sounds fantastic but the problem is the production, transport and storage of the hydrogen. It takes energy to produce and that blows out the advantages. There are more viable forms of energy such as water-powered turbines.”
Time will be the main decider if the hydrogen fuel cell ferry model is a realistic, ecological and economical solution – this last point often being overlooked when it comes to hydrogen propulsion.
