The German yacht builder Fa. Lürssen Werft is a driving force in making the yacht industry more sustainable, through a strategy of collaboration and innovation. The company’s goal, having built the world’s first motorboat in 1886, now to be the first to build a yacht with fuel cells instead of combustion engines. Freudenberg e-Power Systems has partnered with Lürssen to revolutionize the yacht industry with carbon-neutral fuel cell systems.
Together with Lürssen, we are industrializing fuel cell systems for the yacht industry, with propulsion driven by hydrogen continuously reformed from methanol. As a fuel produced from renewable sources, methanol has a higher volumetric energy density than hydrogen, is easier to handle, and is more readily available worldwide. Importantly, methanol can be stored in structural tanks in the double bottom of a yacht, while pressurized or liquified hydrogen requires extensive tank structures and takes up valuable space on board.
Fuel cell systems significantly reduce disturbance through noise and vibrations compared to combustion engines or generators, ensuring more comfort and enjoyment for everyone on board. The first milestone for this long-term partnership between Freudenberg e-Power Systems and Lürssen is to install 1MW fuel cell power in a yacht of a technology-driven client of Lürssen. In our first collaboration project, Freudenberg’s innovative technology is helping Lürssen to achieve silent operation with a yacht that can also anchor carbon-neutral for 15 days or cruise more than 1,000 nautical miles (nm) at slow speeds.
We are ready to answer your questions and offer advice on the most suitable e-power solutions for your heavy-duty fuel cell applications.
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