Yanmar starts navigation tests of its hydrogen fuel cell
Announced in June 2020, engine manufacturer Yanmar's strategy on developing a hydrogen fuel cell solution for recreational and commercial vessels is moving forward. Since then, the Japanese brand's design offices have been working on adapting and marinizing the land-based fuel cell technology designed by Toyota for its Mirai cars, for which it had signed a collaboration agreement. The Japanese manufacturer is now moving on to the next phase. It conducted its first sea tests in March 2021 in Kunisaki, Japan.
1st configuration on a pleasure boat
To start its developments, Yanmar used a pleasure boat from its range, the Yanmar EX38A FC. With a length of 12.4 meters and a width of 3.4 meters, it has a displacement of 7.9 T. It has been equipped with two polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and eight tanks at 70 MPa pressure. The power installed on board is 250 kW.
By connecting multiple cells, Yanmar hopes to deploy its hydrogen fuel cells on larger ships by 2025.
At this stage, no information has been communicated on a marketing schedule for boaters. The interest of the major players in the industry in hydrogen should not make us forget two imperatives for the technology to become ripe for the yachting market: recharging infrastructures on land should be developed in marinas and a so-called green hydrogen industry accessible to the general public should be created.
