Funding Secured for U.K.’s First Hydrogen Injection System on a Ferry

Innovate UK has granted £430,332 ($565,000) in funding to design and integrate a hydrogen diesel dual fuel injection system on board a commercial ferry. 

The hydrogen to be used in the project will be produced by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, from clean renewable energy sources available on the islands and will power a ferry operating between the main town of Kirkwall and the island of Shapinsay. 

The 12-month HyDIME (Hydrogen Diesel Injection in a Marine Environment) project is being led by Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited. The project will be executed by a consortium consisting of Orkney Islands Council, High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute (HSSMI), EMEC and Lloyds Register. The project will apply, with Ultra Low Emission Mileage Company, a globally unique technology in hydrogen dual fuel.      
 
Hydrogen as a fuel is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to fossil fuels, and hydrogen/diesel injection technology is already being demonstrated in the automotive industry. 

Orkney offers the infrastructure to produce completely green hydrogen. On the Island of Eday, there is often a surplus of renewable electricity which, instead of being wasted, is fed into an electrolyser sited at EMEC’s tidal test facility. The electrolyser splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, the former of which can then be stored and transported.
 
As part of the project, HSSMI will conduct a scale-up analysis and carry out a techno-economic assessment of the current system and of potential future scenarios. The aim is to determine if there are any other regions of the U.K. where similar hydrogen infrastructure could be implemented.