Going green full steam ahead!

Development of CO2-neutral drive systems

Climate-friendly fuels and alternative drive systems are being used in more and more vehicles. But what about environmentally friendly systems for sports yachts? So far, there are only few market-ready concepts for this. In order to advance the development of a CO2-neutral propulsion system for yachts, HanseYachts AG is participating in the Campfire Alliance, a basic research project that is to contribute to the development of the world's first yacht powered by a fuel cell. The system is to work with ammonia and the hydrogen bound there in nitrogen. To this end, a refuelling system, an emission-free engine and a system for on-board power supply must be developed using ammonia as the energy source.

International research institutions are participating in the project, which is funded with 48 million euros by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. These include the Center for Fuel Cell Technology, various Fraunhofer Institutes and the Colorado Fuel Cell Center. Ships would then sail the sea “carbon-free”, says Angela Kruth from the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Research in Greifswald, Germany.

At the end of the project, there will be a functioning CO2-neutral alternative to the classic diesel drive, which is available in series production for sports yachts. With the Hanse e-Motion Rudder Drive, a fully electric drive system, this entry has already been achieved on Hanse sailing yachts. By participating in the Campfire project, the foundation has now been laid for further climate-friendly solutions for sailing.