Hydrogen fuel cells ordered for €5.85Bn European transportation project

Netherlands-headquartered Chemgas Shipping has partnered with Austrian engineering group AVL and technology company TECO 2030 to install hydrogen fuel cells on river tugs.

This is part of the €5.85Bn (US$6.7Bn) Blue Danube hydrogen project that involves mass river transportation of this liquefied fuel into central Europe.

Chemgas Shipping and AVL will use TECO 2030 hydrogen fuel cells for power and propulsion on pusher tugs involved in this transportation project.

TECO 2030 said: “Testing is planned for the turn of the year 2021-2022, and we are looking to launch a new design as early as 2023.”

TECO 2030 is planning to list shares on Merkur Market in a initial public offering worth up to NKr100M (US$10.3M).

These pusher tugs will be driving up to 40 barges along the Danube River from Romania to Germany. They will be transporting hydrogen produced in south east Europe from renewable sources – solar and wind – of up to 80,000 tons per year.

The overall project will set up the necessary hydrogen infrastructure in the participating member states along TEN-T core corridors.

More than 2,000 MW of off-grid wind and solar energy will be produced.

Around 1,800 MW of electrolysis will be used to produce hydrogen.

Danube sea and inland ports will be used for storage and intermodal transport of green hydrogen fuel.

It is anticipated this project will reduce Europe’s CO2 emissions by 3.2M tonnes per year.

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Alternative marine fuels and electric propulsion will be discussed during Maritime Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Europe Virtual Conference from 26 October - use this link for more details and to register for this event