Torqeedo integrates hydrogen fuel cell charging
Torqeedo has announced a collaboration with Proton Motor to integrate hydrogen fuel cell charging into Torqeedo’s electric boat propulsion systems.
The two Bavaria-based companies will work together on a marine hydrogen hybrid building kit that integrates Torqeedo’s existing Deep Blue battery-electric drive systems with Proton Motor’s advanced fuel cell technology.
“The hydrogen-electric Deep Blue Hybrid system will provide a practical and cost-effective solution that will allow for fast fuelling, overcome speed and range limitations, and will meet the most restrictive emission requirements on environmentally sensitive waterways or in urban areas,” says Jochen Czabke, senior vice president product development and global service for Torqeedo.
The project received funding from the Bavarian federal government for 2021 to 2024.
The system will be designed to provide propulsion power ranges from 50 to 200kW and fuel cell power of 30 to 120 kW. It will also have flexible options for hydrogen storage, says Torqeedo. A prototype system will be tested and validated at Torqeedo’s engineering centre near Munich and the companies say they expect to undertake collaborative marketing and industrialisation of the system following the successful end of the development project.
Torqeedo recently announced distribution expansion in the USA and Sweden and has been at the forefront of several eco-boating innovations.
“Integrating alternative fuels like hydrogen gives us yet another tool in the Deep Blue toolkit,” says Czabke. “We look forward to delivering a zero-emission hybrid-electric propulsion system that will enhance the range and performance of our battery-powered drives without the use of fossil fuels.”
