Hamburg (Germany) will soon boast new hydrogen fuel cell ready hybrid ferries.
The 3 new ships are on order for the ferry operator for the city, HADAG.
HADAG announced that all 3 hybrid vessels were being designed to be hydrogen fuel cell ready and the goal was to ensure that they would be ready for future zero-emissions operations.
The fuel cell-ready vessels are on order at the SET (Schiffbau- u. Entwicklungsgesellschaft Tangermund) shipyard in Tangermunde, Germany. They will feature Danfoss Power Solutions drivetrain systems from the Editron division.
Hamburg's passenger ferry service is a core component of the city's overall public transportation system. It has 8 routes that make stops along 20 different piers. ~9 million passengers use the ferries annually.
As Hamburg is seeking to decarbonize the transportation sector, its ferry fleet will play a major role in that effort. According to 2018 city estimates, its transportation sector produced ~29% of its total emissions. Hamburg is among the cities in the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance aiming to achieve a 55% carbon emissions reduction by 2030. It must achieve a minimum 95% reduction in those emissions by 2050.
The hydrogen fuel cell-ready ferries are expected to help ensure that public transport is already reducing emissions.
All 3 of the hydrogen fuel cell-ready ferries are to be equipped with serial hybrid propulsion systems including drivetrains the Editron division of Danfoss has designed and manufactured. The drivetrain brings together battery storage, shore connection, and AC network feeding power module propulsion. The connection is established via a compact DC link using patented selectivity to ensure high safety.
Flensburg-based naval architect firm naValue, specializing in ferry design & consultancy, created the concept design upon which the new ferries are being built.