AqualisBraemar LOC Group has been awarded an innovative R&D project to develop a green hydrogen production barge under the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).

ABL Group, including group company Longitude Engineering, will work in a consortium with Green Hydrogen Solutions and Poole Harbour Commissioners on the concept development and feasibility study for a moored barge to generate, store and provide hydrogen to vessels bunkering at the same port. The port will store hydrogen produced via electrolysis using onshore renewables. Poole harbour will be used as a case study for demonstrating the environmental and commercial viability of the concept. 

The work will make a techno-economic analysis of the feasibility of green hydrogen as an alternative fuel to power ships, as well as establishing the commercial viability for such an application and its potential for expansion to other ports.

"This project is aimed at providing rapid infrastructure for hydrogen production at the point of requirement. Providing ready availability of hydrogen will support its adoption as a viable alternative marine fuel and contribute to the reduction of the sectors’ emissions," said Dean Goves, Longitude Engineering’s managing director for marine vessel design, defense and small craft.

This award follows the appointment of ABL operations in Aberdeen, Scotland this year to a project with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL) to design and emission-free fuel-cell sea-going passenger and car ferry.