Researchers at Brunel University of London and Genuine H2 will split seawater into hydrogen, store it, and then burn it to power engines.
As the product of hydrogen combustion is H2O (that’s water to me and you), the only emission will be steam.
Led by Brunel’s Centre for Powertrain and Fuels and start-up Genuine H2, the demonstration system will store hydrogen at standard temperature and pressure, thereby dispensing with the need for pressurised tanks or super-cold systems.
Professor Xinyan Wang, Brunel University of London, commented that the hydrogen is stored onboard as a “molecular solid”.
The new hydrogen engine system has two key innovations. The first is an electrode system that can split hydrogen straight out of seawater, thereby cutting out the need for costly desalination. The second is a thinner-than-paper ‘nano film’ that locks the hydrogen away safely in an unpressurised solid form at room temperature.
Codenamed GH2DEM, the project will be the first test of Brunel’s heavy-duty hydrogen combustion engine, soon to be installed on campus. It will be powered entirely by Genuine H2’s electrolyser and storage system, creating a full hydrogen chain—from seawater, to storage, to propulsion.
Hydrogen market-maker company, HxGroup, commented: “For the shipping industry, this breakthrough fits perfectly with the global goal to cut emissions from vessels. A steady supply of seawater based hydrogen could make it possible for ferries, cargo ships, and fishing fleets to move away from diesel much faster”.
Testing of the new demonstration system has just begun on land, with the demonstrator running until March 2026.
Backed by £1.44 million from the Department for Transport’s UK SHORE initiative and Innovate UK, the project is part of a £30 million push to decarbonise British shipping and sea travel. The UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition kicked off back in March 2021 and has completed its sixth competition.
