Photo: CMB.TECH/Port of Antwerp-Bruges
The Belgian port that aims to become one of the greenest in Europe and worldwide is ending the year on a high note. It's ready to start operating a trailblazing tugboat that runs on hydrogen.
The Hydrotug 1 is a truly pioneering vessel in maritime transportation. It's not only the first hydrogen-powered tugboat in the world but also the largest vessel powered by hydrogen right now. It was developed by CMB.TECH, a shipping and clean-tech company, recently made its official debut at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, where it will demonstrate its green prowess.
The new tugboat is a double-hulled, 30-meter-long (98.4 feet) boat with a 65-ton bollard pull. Its main innovation is the integration of combustion engines that burn hydrogen together with conventional fuel. These are the V12 dual-fuel mediums-speed engines made by BeHydro, a joint venture between CMB.TECH and ABC. The two 2MW engines come with an EU Stage V-compliant after treatment (a SCR and particulate filter).
As a result, the Hydrotug 1 promises a 65% reduction in fuel consumption and the elimination of emission levels equivalent to that of 350 cars per year. This large vessel can store 450 kg (992 lbs) of compressed hydrogen on its deck. The hydrogen is stored in 54 Type 3 cylinders that are installed in six stillages.
By using both conventional fuel and hydrogen, the Hydrotug 1 is a great transition option that can start making a change today on the path to zero-emission operations. It's the first commercial application for the innovative BeHydro engines and most likely won't be the only one.
Various green tugboat projects have been developed over the past few years in an effort to lower emission levels linked to maritime transport. Most of them rely on all-electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems, which is why the Hydrotug 1 is so unique, as it runs on hydrogen.
It's part of an international "club" of green tugboats, which includes boats like the Japanese Taiga, the American Zeeboat, and the Sparky tugboat in New Zealand. Crowley Maritime Corporation is another US-based manufacturer that has developed an all-electric tugboat named the eWolf. And this is just the beginning – over the next years, we'll hear of more and more new-generation vessels hitting the shoreline.
Green tugboats may not seem as important as larger cargo ships, but every step toward zero-emission maritime operations counts. The newly launched Hydrotug 1 will be instrumental in helping the Port of Antwerp-Bruges become climate-neutral by 2050. By then, most, if not all, tugboats operating all over the world will either be electric, hybrid, or powered by hydrogen.
The Belgian port is one of the most avid supporters of hydrogen, which it considers to be one of the fuels and energy sources of the future.
The new tugboat is a double-hulled, 30-meter-long (98.4 feet) boat with a 65-ton bollard pull. Its main innovation is the integration of combustion engines that burn hydrogen together with conventional fuel. These are the V12 dual-fuel mediums-speed engines made by BeHydro, a joint venture between CMB.TECH and ABC. The two 2MW engines come with an EU Stage V-compliant after treatment (a SCR and particulate filter).
As a result, the Hydrotug 1 promises a 65% reduction in fuel consumption and the elimination of emission levels equivalent to that of 350 cars per year. This large vessel can store 450 kg (992 lbs) of compressed hydrogen on its deck. The hydrogen is stored in 54 Type 3 cylinders that are installed in six stillages.
By using both conventional fuel and hydrogen, the Hydrotug 1 is a great transition option that can start making a change today on the path to zero-emission operations. It's the first commercial application for the innovative BeHydro engines and most likely won't be the only one.
Various green tugboat projects have been developed over the past few years in an effort to lower emission levels linked to maritime transport. Most of them rely on all-electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems, which is why the Hydrotug 1 is so unique, as it runs on hydrogen.
It's part of an international "club" of green tugboats, which includes boats like the Japanese Taiga, the American Zeeboat, and the Sparky tugboat in New Zealand. Crowley Maritime Corporation is another US-based manufacturer that has developed an all-electric tugboat named the eWolf. And this is just the beginning – over the next years, we'll hear of more and more new-generation vessels hitting the shoreline.
Green tugboats may not seem as important as larger cargo ships, but every step toward zero-emission maritime operations counts. The newly launched Hydrotug 1 will be instrumental in helping the Port of Antwerp-Bruges become climate-neutral by 2050. By then, most, if not all, tugboats operating all over the world will either be electric, hybrid, or powered by hydrogen.
The Belgian port is one of the most avid supporters of hydrogen, which it considers to be one of the fuels and energy sources of the future.
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