Japan-based Yanmar Power Technology (YPT) claims to have carried out the world’s first 70MPa high-pressure hydrogen refueling of a ship.
The demonstration test boat was equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell system and the 70MPa high-pressure refueling was carried out in cooperation with the Toyota Tsusho Corporation. For the test, a specially licensed high-pressure facility was leveraged, along with a newly developed prototype long hydrogen refueling hose.
By utilizing high-pressure hydrogen refueling, the test vessel achieved a cruising time that was three times longer than when a traditional refueling process was used.
Yanmar will use the results of the test to further the market deployment of hydrogen fuel cell systems. It will also use the results to study hydrogen refueling infrastructure for ships.
The marine company is currently developing a 300kW-class maritime fuel cell system that incorporates fuel cell modules supplied by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Yanmar will then seek a type approval from classification societies so the latest system can be installed on different types of ships, as the company works toward a planned market launch in 2023.