The first liquid hydrogen refueling of a yacht is for the Feadship Breakthrough
The 118-metre superyacht was refuelled using a tanker with the alternative fuel to power its 3,2mW fuel cell
The Port of Amsterdam has announced the successful completion of the first liquid hydrogen bunkering in the Netherlands. The vessel received the delivery of the 118,8-meter Feadship Breakthrough, a superyacht equipped with a 3,2 MW hydrogen fuel cell. According to Superyacht Times, the operation involved an initial delivery of liquid hydrogen, followed by subsequent refueling sessions. The bunkering was conducted using the truck-to-ship method, using a dedicated tanker operated by Air Products.
One of the biggest challenges the shipyard faced in building Breakthrough was developing a reasonable way to store compressed liquid hydrogen below deck at -253°C. To store it safely, the yacht requires a double-walled cryogenic tank, which serves as a well-insulated cooling chamber in a dedicated compartment. Overall, the space required to store hydrogen is eight to ten times greater than the energy equivalent of diesel fuel. In total, the cryogenic tank aboard Breakthrough can hold 92 square meters of hydrogen. Combined with the DC grid connection and vents for water vapor (the fuel cell's only output besides electricity), this added another four meters to the yacht's original specifications. The yacht's fuel cells can also use methanol, a liquid fuel that is easier to store: the vapor converts the methanol into hydrogen before the electrochemical reaction in the fuel cell. While Breakthrough cannot carry enough liquid hydrogen to power a crossing, it can generate enough electricity for hotel services. For longer voyages or when pure hydrogen is unavailable, the electricity powering the 3.200 kW ABB pods comes from MTU generators running on HVO fuel. In terms of energy storage, Breakthrough stores just 543 kWh of energy, while its technology can provide a full week of silent operation at anchor or under emission-free cruising at 10 knots.
Milembe Mateyo, Director of CNB and the North Sea Canal Port Authority, said: "We expect several alternative marine fuels to coexist in the future. This requires flexibility and foresight on both our part and that of the port area's companies. We are proud that the first liquid hydrogen bunkering took place in our port. This demonstrates that hydrogen is a viable solution for zero-emission shipping. This is an important step towards more sustainable maritime transport and our goal of facilitating the use of sustainable fuels as a multi-fuel port."
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