Exeter Port Authority trials hydrogen electric boat

Exeter Port Authority has taken delivery of MV Dirac, a new hydrogen electric boat for a trial period.

Hydrogen electric boat trial

Dirac has been designed and built by Ecomar Propulsion and will be based on the estuary for a limited time to assist with the trials and testing of the vessel. She was launched into Exmouth harbor and is in the final stages of fitting out. A team from Ecomar Propulsion is installing the last items on a new power system while the vessel is afloat.

The vessel is based on a NATO combat-ready boat but has been redesigned internally. She is powered by two 250kW Ecomar Kairos motors and holds 180kWh of Li-ion batteries supplemented by a hydrogen fuel cell that extends the range of the vessel considerably. The hydrogen is supplied in hand-portable BOC Genie bottles, which are easily replaced and stored onboard. This means it is possible to recharge the vessel whenever and wherever necessary.

Over the next few months, the Ecomar team will continue to upgrade and modify the systems as Dirac enters regular service with the port. By the time the trial is complete, she should be able to cope with the level of work done by combustion-powered boats. Once Dirac is fully commissioned, she will be seen all along the River Exe.

MV Dirac

The boat is named after one of the UK’s greatest science minds, Paul Dirac, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in quantum physics.

“We called her Dirac because we think that she represents the best of British engineering and innovation,” said Eugene Bari, CEO of Ecomar Propulsion. “It is fitting that she starts her working life in the South West, where there is a centuries-old tradition of seafaring and groundbreaking innovation.”

“The beauty of the hydrogen refueling is that the port doesn’t need to install expensive equipment,” said Grahame Forshaw, Exeter Port Authority’s harbor master. “We can carry the bottles to the boat and they weigh about the same as a regular barbecue bottle. We can easily charge the batteries directly from the pontoon as well, so it makes the move to clean energy really easy.”

Exeter University’s Centre for Clean Future Mobility research

Working alongside the port and Ecomar, Exeter University’s Centre for Clean Future Mobility will be gathering data from the vessel as she enters an extended period of trials over the next few months.

“We hope to be able to prove to the communities around the River Exe that the transition to clean maritime is easy and safe and, above all, sensible,” said Bari.

“We understand that people have reservations about range and safety but the reality is very different from perception. We hope to be able to demonstrate that with the cooperation of forward-thinking ports like Exeter, Britain can lead the world in decarbonizing our waterways.”

He continued, “Ecomar aims to set up a series of discussion sessions around the River Exe over the next few months. Change requires a two-way dialog. We want to provide answers where we can and also to see what we can learn to make things better for everyone.”

Prof. Chris Smith from the Centre for Future Clean Mobility said, “We have worked with the Ecomar team for a number of years on projects funded by the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstrator Call, and helped them get their groundbreaking hydrogen-battery hybrid propulsion system designed and working. So we’re delighted to see the fruits of all this hard work, which is the boat Dirac. We will be taking data from her on the River Exe that will help us improve propulsion systems in other new clean boats.”

Cllr. Ruth Williams, Exeter City Council’s lead councillor for city management, said, “We’re delighted to be trialing this boat and using green technology on the Exe Estuary. It’s great to be working closely with the university on groundbreaking initiatives like this, and it certainly is a step in the right direction as we move toward becoming zero carbon by 2030.”

Forshaw added, “The harbor team are excited about working with Dirac and putting the boat through its paces. The Exe is an excellent proving ground for this type of work due to the many different and varied tidal and weather conditions that we operate in, so Dirac will certainly be working hard and proving the concept of clean energy propulsion for the time she is with us.”

In related news, DNV recently awarded approval in principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its electric propulsion liquid hydrogen (LH2) carrier design concept that could enable 80,000m3 of LH2 storage and transportation. Click here to read the full story.