First Hydrogen fuel cell ferry

• India’s first indigenously developed hydrogen fuel cell ferry was launched recently.
• The vessel, manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), will be deployed for service at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• The Hydrogen fuel cell vessel is a 24-meter-long catamaran, which can carry 50 people in its air-conditioned passenger area.
• This boat has five hydrogen cylinders that can carry 40kg of hydrogen and support eight hours of operations.
• This vessel uses a 50-kW PEM (proton-exchange membrane) fuel cell, with Lithium-Ion Phosphate batteries.
  • The advantage is that the cells can quickly change their output depending upon the power demand.
  • PEM fuel cells are popular in automotive applications because they operate at a lower temperature, and are lighter and more compact.
• The vessel is also fitted with a 3-kW solar panel.
• The hydrogen fuel cell-powered vessel has zero emission, zero noise and is energy-efficient, which makes it more environment-friendly.

ABOUT HYDROGEN FUEL CELL

• Hydrogen fuel cell vessels do not use conventional batteries as the primary storage house of electrical energy.
• A hydrogen fuel cell generates electricity by utilising the chemical energy contained in hydrogen.
• It releases only pure water, not discharging pollutants.
  • Hydrogen is loaded into cells.
  • The energy within the hydrogen is converted into electricity and heat, which is then used to power the vessel’s propulsion mechanism.

HARIT NAUKA GUIDELINES

• The ‘Harit Nauka’(green boat) initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways envisages a green transition of inland vessels.
• In January 2024, the shipping ministry unveiled the Harit Nauka guidelines for inland vessels.
• As per the guidelines, all states have to make efforts to use green fuels for 50 per cent of inland waterways-based passenger fleets in the next one decade, and 100 per cent by 2045.
• This is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as per the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.