World’s first hydrogen-powered CTV to be tested

The CTV is powered by a dual-fuel solution, capable of being powered by hydrogen in a combination with marine gas oil. Hydrogen fuel contains no carbon, signalling the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions while maintaining the same power output. The solution will be tested as part of a pilot program at the Norther Wind Farm in Belgium, and is planned to launch on 15 July. The program will offer the chance for Vestas to explore the most scalable approaches to incorporate hydrogen into its operational setup. The goal of the trial will be to collect insights into the opportunities and limitations of hydrogen-powered vessels in daily operations.

“Hard to abate sectors, such as shipping, will be the final frontier in our global journey towards decarbonisation. Hydrogen is a crucial technology to advance this journey, which is why Vestas is eager to test its potential to reduce emissions from our service operations,” says Christian Venderby, Executive Vice President, Service, Vestas.

The new CTV holds the potential to generate a CO2 saving of 158 tonnes, an estimated saving of 37 percent less carbon emissions in comparison to a traditional vessel.

“This vessel, developed with our sister company CMB.TECH, offers the industry a cost-effective solution to significantly reduce emissions from service vessels, which can be applied to any wind farm today. By using dual fuel combustion engines, we can make hydrogen technology operational in the industry and kick-start further development of the technology, regulation, supply chain, etc. Collaborations like these are what is needed to be able to scale this technology further and we thank Vestas for taking this first step," says Willem van der Wel, Managing Director of Windcat Workboats.