France Welcomes Its First-Ever Hydrogen Powered River Vessel

The Sogestran Group has launched the first hydrogen-powered river vessel in France, the Zulu 06. The 55-meter vessel was christened on the Seine River in Paris on December 3, 2024.

The Zulu 06 is capable of carrying up to 400 tons of cargo. Hydrogen-powered fuel cells make the vessel a cleaner, greener alternative to traditional river transport.

The vessel uses two 200 kW hydrogen fuel cells provided by Ballard and carries 300 kg of compressed hydrogen, which powers the vessel for up to seven days without needing a refill.

This vessel, developed by LMG Marin with a power system supplied by ABB Marine & Ports, is a first for France.

François Durovray, France’s Minister of Transport, graced the launch ceremony and described the Zulu 06 as a “major breakthrough” for river transport and energy transition in the country.

He discussed the importance of this project as a successful collaboration between the public and private sectors to push forward green mobility in France. Durovray also said the Zulu 06 represents France’s ongoing commitment to sustainable and innovative transport solutions.

Video Credits: Sogestran Group/YouTube

Valérie Bouillon-Delporte, Executive Director of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, discussed the technical achievement of integrating hydrogen fuel cells into the river vessel.

Delporte says that the Zulu 06 will not only help improve air quality and reduce noise pollution in Paris but will also greatly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of waterborne transport.

Pascal Girardet, Chairman and CEO of Sogestran, acknowledged that while the hydrogen industry is still evolving, each new innovation, like the Zulu 06, helps accelerate the transition toward wider adoption.

The Zulu 06 is part of the EU-funded FLAGSHIPS project, which has spent six years advancing zero-emission waterborne transport. The project brings together 11 European partners working towards decarbonizing the water transport industry.

Ada Jakobsen, CEO of Maritime CleanTech, discussed the importance of inland waterways for Europe’s green freight system and said that the Zulu 06 is a prime example of how EU partnerships and advanced technologies are helping to meet ambitious climate targets. She added that the launch of the Zulu 06 is helping speed up the shift toward cleaner energy solutions in transport.

Reference: hydrogen-central

Source: Maritime Shipping News