Last week the inland vessel ‘Maas’ arrived at our yard in Werkendam. Having completed months of preparation, it is now time to actually start the execution phase of our first hydrogen project: the retrofit of Future Proof Shipping’s ‘Maas’.
Retrofitting means replacing the internal combustion technology with hydrogen technology, removing both main engine and gearbox, and installing a new modular propulsion system. This will consist of electric motors, hydrogen tanks, a PEM fuel cell system (necessary for converting hydrogen into electricity) and a battery system. The compressed hydrogen tanks, the fuel cells and the battery system are separate units that can be removed for maintenance or replacement purposes.
The hydrogen and fuel cell system will be installed in the cargo space of the vessel, with the hydrogen being placed above the fuel cell system in two 40ft containers (approximately 1000kg at 300 bar).
The fuel cell system will be triple redundant with 825 kW capacity (to supply propulsion and auxiliary power) and a 504 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack for peak shaving, secondary and bridging power. The system will contain a 750V DC bus bar and an e-motor for propulsion.