Action and pragmatism were the focus for the 6th Hydrogen & Alternative Fuels Conference, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Energy Transition Mission and Yacht Club de Monaco, with maritime stakeholders squaring up their ambitions to the technical and regulatory realities.
In his opening remarks, YCM General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri reiterated the urgent need to move from intentions to actions: “We talk a lot; now we need to act”. A sentiment echoed by Virginie Hache-Vincenot, Director of the Energy Transition Mission who stressed the importance of cooperation: “It is by bringing stakeholders together that we will find concrete solutions”. For the Prince Albert II Foundation’s Salomé Mormentyn, Polar Initiative Manager, a positive shift is underway: “Innovation is no longer an abstract concept. It’s here. We must now adopt, adapt and accelerate it”. All the discussions are available in replay on:
Pierre Ceccaldi, Capenergies Engineer set the scene. Maritime transport currently accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that could double by 2050 without tough measures. Faced with this scenario, the response must be technology and regulations. Pierre Ceccaldi detailed the drivers, from the International Maritime Organization and European Union requirements to the rise in alternative fuels like hydrogen, methanol and ammonia. Having said that, he stressed a key point: “The best energy is the one we don’t consume”. Fuel efficiency, optimised design and reasoned operations must go hand in hand with innovations to have any hope of reaching decarbonization targets.
Co-CEO of INOCEL, Charles Boulanger reminded everyone that hydrogen and high-performance are no longer incompatible. After two years in development, his team has launched an 8m boat powered by a 490hp hydrogen fuel cell capable of speeds up to 90km/h, equivalent to speeds with its thermal equivalent and a range only 25% less. “The boat is here, it works and you can even take it for a spin,” he told delegates. Simplicity of integration guided the project: compact architecture, 700-bar compressed gas tanks, a fuel cell developed in France and a propulsion system comparable to that of a classic internal combustion engine. But for these technologies to become more widespread, he says stakeholders need to be involved and committed, particularly shipyards, regulators and refuelling players: “Safety, regulations, refuelling – all are linked. If we want to move this forward, we must move it forward together”.
Air pollutant emissions remain an underestimated issue in yachting, even though their effects on air quality in ports and coastal areas are well documented. For Engel-Jan de Boer, Global Yacht Segment Director at Lloyd’s Register, the conclusion is obvious: while the sector is making progress on CO2 emissions, it must now tackle the issue of local pollutants head-on. “Regulations will become stricter and we need to anticipate this,” he said, highlighting the gradual introduction of low emission zones in the Mediterranean.
In terms of solutions, there are many initiatives. Exequiel Cano Lanza, CEO of HyNaval, detailed the work his company is doing on alternative fuels, particularly hydrogen, which drastically reduces local pollutant emissions while also contributing to decarbonization.
But reducing emissions is not just about greenhouse gases. Natalie Quévert, General Secretary of the SEA Index®, took the opportunity to formalize a major announcement on the extension to the scope of the SEA Index®. In a collaboration with AtmoSud, the Superyacht Eco Association’s SEA Index® and AtmoSud have integrated fine particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions into the SEA Index® environmental assessment system targeted at superyachts over 24m. It’s the first time greenhouse gas emissions, which affect the climate, and pollutants that affect health will be measured together in a single, third-party certified system. Until now, the SEA Index® focused on CO2 emissions, a key baseline indicator to understanding a yacht’s impact. PMs and NOx are major contributors to local air pollution in ports and coastal areas. By combining global climate impact and regional air quality, the SEA Index® and AtmoSud intend to offer owners, shipbuilders and superyacht operators a more comprehensive approach to assess and help them reduce their environmental impact. The partnership is a decisive step to preparing for future regulations, and further reinforces Yacht Club de Monaco’s leadership role in the global effort for cleaner oceans and air.
For Pierre-Charles Maria, President of AtmoSud, it sends a strong signal to the whole sector: “It’s not just about anticipating regulations, but improving air quality in coastal areas to the benefit of inhabitants, seafarers and ecosystems”.
Finally, Carlo Bertoglio, Sales and Project Director at Hug Engineering, reviewed technologies available to meet these challenges: particulate filters, SCR catalysts for NOx, hybrid solutions and others. He also reiterated the need for a comprehensive and integrated vision, or these technologies will remain under-utilized. He pointed out that the maritime sector could do so much better, the regulations imposed on the sector being significantly less restrictive than those applicable to the automotive industry, for example. “The key is a systematic approach from boat design to day-to day operations,” he concluded.
Wrapping up, Exequiel Cano Lanza, CEO of HyNaval, recalled an observation shared by all the speakers that use of drastic reduction solutions, that exist, for these toxic emissions will never be as good as switching to clean solutions, and that includes refits.
Six years after the first hydrogen round table was organised by Yacht Club de Monaco and the fact remains that without a reliable refuelling network it is difficult to imagine a move to hydrogen in the yachting sector. Yet on stage several key players showed how things are moving forward slowly but surely. In 2021, President of Ephyra and boat captain Chloé Zaied and her team launched the first certified hydrogen powered pleasure boat. As she explained: “It is impossible to sell hydrogen powered boats without a refuelling station”, so she set up Ephyra and in 2023 the first complete ecosystem with boat and station was launched in Marseille. A pioneering project, it took two and a half years working with the port authorities and users to come to fruition. With the growing demand from ports and communities, Ephyra came up with the standardised Pump’hy station concept, the aim being to establish a network, first in the Mediterranean then in Europe. “We don’t dream, we build,” she said.
For Erik Malterud, CEO of Hyrex, the challenge is also technological. His company develops hydrogen systems for maritime applications combining performance and safety. With its demonstrator at sea for the last four years, Hyrex is proving that this approach has reached maturity. “We know how to make these systems intrinsically safe and simple to integrate on board,” he explained. But like others, there is an obstacle: “Without strong incentives or a clear economic advantage, why switch to hydrogen?”
Philippe Lavagna, New Energies Terminals – Product Account at SBM Offshore, pointed out that port infrastructure is following a similar path to that of oil 65 years ago: produce on land, transport by sea, store and transfer offshore via floating solutions. But while he recognises that this cannot be envisaged today for hydrogen, he hopes technical developments will help improve refuelling conditions.
On ports, Andrea Minerdo, President of NatPower H, announced the launch of the world’s first network of hydrogen stations in marinas. “In Italy we have already signed with 40 ports,” he said. The goal is to make refuelling simple and accessible, also integrating methanol which is increasingly popular. “We need to connect the whole ecosystem from port to owners via a digital platform,” he explained, convinced that supply precedes demand to resolve the “chicken and egg” equation, mentioning in passing that 98% of 500 owners with whom he was able to speak would be ready to take the plunge if they were certain that the logistical problems had been resolved.
Finally, Alessio Cogliati, Engineer at Linde Gas Maritime, outlined the group’s expertise as a world leader in industrial gases. Production, transport and storage means they control the whole chain and have built more than 200 hydrogen refuelling stations for land and maritime mobility. Again, it all depends on demand. “The real obstacle isn’t technical but economic and regulatory,” he said. Regarding cost: “In Europe, a kilo of grey hydrogen sells for around €10-12, green hydrogen can be up to five times more”. The challenge remains a balance between incentives, regulatory changes and gradually rolling out infrastructure. “We shouldn’t dream about having a network in two years, it takes time, just as it did for oil,” concluded Chloé Zaied.
Eva Louvel, a trainee engineer on the catamaran Energy Observer shared her experiences on this floating laboratory. The first vessel to be self-sufficient thanks to a power mix of solar, wind, hydro, tidal and hydrogen produced on board the Energy Observer is ideal for testing different technological components under real-life conditions at sea.
Hydrogen is at the heart of the system. Solar energy powers the batteries which can be supplemented by hydrogen produced on board through desalinated seawater electrolysis. Stored at 350 bars, it extends the range when the batteries run down. “The equivalent range would require 12 tonnes of batteries against two tonnes of technologies linked to hydrogen,” she explained. Hydrogen is not the only avenue being explored. Energy Observer 2 is a pilot cargo ship being developed powered by liquid hydrogen and offering 14 days of autonomy on intra-European trips. Supported by €40 million of European funds, the project is still waiting on a shipping operator partner. Next up, Energy Observer 3 will test a new alternative, ammonia which will be used as fuel for a combustion engine and, when converted via cracking, as a hydrogen carrier. “Ammonia has storage advantages and already benefits from well-developed global logistics,” explained Eva Louvel, while also mentioning the issues of toxicity and NOx emissions.
A symbol of the transition underway, the Energy Observer is playing a central role in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. Moored in the YCM Marina for the week the public have been able to visit the vessel. The catamaran is a bridge between research, innovation and the young generation of students who experience first-hand the technologies they are experimenting with in the paddocks.
Hydrogen storage solutions are a crucial issue for carbon-free maritime transport. Pierre Tipner, Director Cryogenic Hydrogen Storage Division at Forvia opened the discussion with a review of his group’s progress: “We’ve already delivered over 70,000 hydrogen tanks and accumulated the equivalent of 34 million kilometres travelled”. It is working on storage solutions for the maritime sector adapted to integration constraints: “There’s no single solution, but choices adapted to each usage”.
Martin Kalecky, Product Manager for marine systems at Chart Industries confirmed the maturity of liquid hydrogen storage: “We’ve been delivering tanks since the 1960s, first to the space industry and now to the maritime sector”. He described the European SHIPES project developed with Viking Ocean Cruises, namely mobile containers transporting liquid hydrogen on board, without the need for bunkering: “These technologies are for real, prototypes are being manufactured”.
Regarding solid-state storage, Spencer Ashley, Innovation Director at PlusZero, presented their solutions already on the market in Scotland: “These solid-state hydrogen packs are easy to handle by hand, rechargeable at low pressure and more dense than lithium batteries,” he said, an approach that is particularly appealing to universities, festivals and building sites.
Axelle Chatain-Gigou, Sales Director at Mincatec Energy, confirmed the potential for solid-state storage for maritime usage: “No high pressure, no cryogenics, easy to integrate, particularly in retrofits and for passenger boats with a real gain in social acceptability”. She points out that these technologies make it possible to imagine safer vessels with compact modular storage under the deck.
Concrete feedback came from Olivier Poelman, Team Manager of TU Delft Hydromotion Team. This Dutch student team, which has been participating in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge since 2014, designed a liquid hydrogen boat in a year: “If 25 students can do it in a year, the sector can too. The technology is there”. He did point out the regulatory constraints: “For small boats, it is almost impossible to obtain homologation”. All agree on one point: liquid or solid-state, storage is no longer a gamble but a reality that is already available. The challenge now lies in adapting to uses, training and above all cooperation between all stakeholders: “No-one can progress alone. Sharing knowledge and benchmark projects are essential,” concluded Spencer Ashley.
Faced with the challenges of decarbonizing the sector, methanol is gradually carving out a niche. During this panel discussion the topic was addressed head on: is it really a good bet for superyachts?
For Giangiacomo Zino, Director of T. Mariotti / GIN Superyachts, the time for theoretical experimentation is over. His yard is currently building one of the fist luxury boats equipped with a dual-fuel diesel-methanol engine. A project initiated at the request of the owners to anticipate the end of the hydrocarbon era. “We had to start from scratch, adapt the engine space, work closely with classification societies, and so on. This project is the result of technical and commercial compromises,” he explained.
Dr. Bernhard Urban, Head of Development & Innovation at Lürssen Werft GmbH gave a methodical analysis of the alternatives; hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels, nuclear etc. All have limitations, particularly in terms of storage, safety and availability. “Ultimately, methanol ticks the most boxes when it comes to meeting the environmental and operational requirements of superyachts,” he concluded. In his view, it also has the advantage of being adaptable, both for internal combustion engines and for fuel cells via reforming processes.
Simone Bruckner, Chief R&D Officer at Sanlorenzo spa said his shipyard had already reached a milestone: “Last year we launched a yacht equipped with a methanol-powered fuel cell to meet hospitality energy needs”. A second European project called Life Mystic is focusing on propulsion. But he warned that while the technology is there the infrastructure is still lacking, particularly supplies of green methanol: “Today we have to import the fuel from Germany to test prototypes in Italy”.
Giedo Loeff, Head of R&D at Feadship, was pragmatic. While their shipyard is exploring a number of avenues (liquid hydrogen in particular with the Breakthrough project), he cited the physical and economic constraints: “Storing liquid hydrogen takes up three times more space than diesel. It’s not feasible on a luxury yacht”. In his view the transition is via hybridization and flexibility: electric propulsion, methanol-diesel dual-fuel, gradual addition of fuel cells, etc. “We will move forward in stages, following the major maritime transport and energy industry dynamic,” he argued. All agree technology alone is not enough: training crew, regulations and developing infrastructure alongside will be crucial to the transition.
The final highlight on the agenda was the panel on dual-fuel engines when industry representatives shared their expertise on technology that many see as essential for a successful energy transition. Francesco Concetto Pesce, Technical Specialist at Dumarey, opened the discussion with a presentation on several projects including a prototype pleasure boat with a diesel and hydrogen engine.
With a hydrogen utilization rate up to 90% at low load, this system significantly reduces local emissions, particularly in marinas. “By combining hydrogen with type HVO renewable fuels, we can aim for close on carbon neutrality across the entire life cycle,” he said, while drawing attention to the stringent safety requirements. He also presented work done on methanol that he believes can achieve up to 98% utilization rates in duel-fuel engines, with promising performance. “Methanol offers an attractive compromise in terms of energy density and compatibility with yachting,” he explained.
Stefano Reggente, CEO of Meccano Engineering, drew attention to yachting’s specificities that are very different to commercial or cruise ships. “On a yacht, 75% of the power is used solely on the navigation phases which is only 10% of the operating time,” he said. In his view, methanol is emerging as a realistic solution for yachts over 50m, but the challenge remains to adapt engines to more compact formats suitable for yachts of 60-65m.
From the engine manufacturers point of view, Daniel Chatterjee, Director of Technology Strategy and Sustainability at Rolls-Royce MTU, stressed the importance of offering owners flexibility given the uncertainty over fuel availability. ”Methanol is a credible option but production volumes remain insufficient in the short-term. Dual-fuel engines offer a pragmatic solution as they switch from one fuel to another as required,” he said.
The same observation was made by Everlence. Its VP Europe and Americas, Lex Nijsen, highlighted the technical challenges associated with methanol, particularly in terms of corrosion, but estimates that dual-fuel engines are an essential transitional solution: “They avoid the issue of stranded assets and enable fleets to be gradually adapted”.
Giulio Pacini, Business Development Manager Project Services at Wärtsilä, concluded the session with a presentation on the “fuel-agnostic” approach taken by the group which is investing in the development of engines adapted to different fuels (hydrogen, methanol, ammonia) while already working on 100% hydrogen combustion prototypes. “The transition won’t happen overnight, we need to support the pioneers and remain realistic about the stages,” he concluded.
All stakeholders agree that dual-fuel engines are not a definitive solution but an indispensable accelerator to kick-start the transition in the maritime sector, provided the integration constraints, regulatory requirements and crew training are anticipated today; because retrofits using these solutions, particularly with methanol, remain a possibility that is not always easy to implement – whereas integrating flexible engine solutions at the design stage of yachts should be the obvious way to go.
Throughout the discussions, one thing became clear: the maritime sector’s energy transition will not be driven by one solution or just declarations of intent. Be it hydrogen, methanol, dual-fuel engines, fuel optimisation, etc., all these solutions must be integrated into a comprehensive pragmatic progressive approach. But for them to succeed the focus must be on suitable infrastructure, crew training, regulations and cooperation between all stakeholders, particularly with regards to the acquisition and sharing of data and information, including with owners. It is precisely this collective approach that Monaco intends to encourage by ensuring the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge continues to evolve its role as a laboratory of innovation and catalyst for the transition.
