Watersportverbond to present H2C Boat hydrogen-powered training vessel

Dutch sailing organization Watersportverbond has revealed that it will introduce its hydrogen-powered coach boat – the H2C Boat – at the 2023 World Sailing Championships in The Hague, the Netherlands. The zero-emission vessel features a Torqeedo Deep Blue 50R outboard electric motor, a 40kWh lithium-ion Deep Blue Battery and a 51kWh hydrogen capacity.

Developed by Dutch startup H2 Marine Solutions, the H2C boat uses a hydrogen fuel cell as a range extender to deliver a minimum operating time of five hours. Dutch Olympic sailing coach Jaap Zielhuis came up with the original idea, with several companies involved in seeing the project to fruition, including the Sailing Innovation Centre, Watersportverbond, Torqeedo, De Stille Boot, the Delft University of Technology, Intelligent Energy, Hyfly, Koedood Marine Group and Habbeké Shipyard.

The vessel is 6m long and capable of a top speed of 24kts, with near-silent operation and zero emissions. The development of the H2C Boat forms part of the Zephyr project, which seeks to demonstrate the technical viability of a green hydrogen chain in the maritime sector in the Netherlands.

“The presence of hundreds of coach boats at the World Championships showcases the potential of this project in reducing the carbon footprint of sailing events,” said Marcel Schaap, founder and managing director of De Stille Boot.

“Fuel cell technology in the maritime sector is still evolving,” said Fabian Bez, CEO, Torqeedo. “As pioneers in electrification, we have designed our electric drive systems to leverage sustainable energy, from solar and wind power to fuel cells powered by hydrogen or other carbon-neutral liquid fuels.”