Bonn Climate Project, a clean energy outfit based in the former West German capital, is making efforts to become a pioneer in the energy transformation of ship propulsion. The project now offers entire hydrogen fuel cell boat and ship concepts and solutions.
Heinz Sturm, founder of the Bonn Climate Project, has been investing in green tech since the year 2000. He acquired the Hydra, the world’s first civilian, electric hydrogen fuel cell boat as well as all patents and methodologies.
“In order to provide solutions for emerging countries, who are in urgent need for clean and affordable energy, decentralised and holistic gas-electric energy systems based on renewable and sustainable energies need to be available,” Sturm says.
Sturm believes hydrogen as an energy carrier is the immediate future and essential for clean, electric mobility and climate and environmental protection.
According to Sturm, the advantage of hydrogen/fuel cells is that the refilling of the ship can be completed within minutes at a filling station. Boats and ships can be refuelled by green hydrogen gas, self-produced by means of different sources and technologies.
In addition, the same hydrogen fuel cell energy system can be deployed on big ships for any onboard electrification without propulsion, while the ships are in port or even out at sea.
Talking about LNG propulsion on ships, Sturm reckons the existing combustion engines and propulsion systems can continuously be used on ships, however they must be upgraded and/or modified, and the transition to the use of LNG might be an economically-attractive option.
In Sturm’s opinion, new big markets are about to open for investors, and hydrogen fuel cell boats and ships will revolutionise shipping, which can be measured in terms of billions of dollars, and a global hydrogen economy is in the offing.
“Due to the drastic climate change and its already perceptible consequences which cascade over us daily somewhere in the world, large-scale climate protection combined with development work, is urgently needed and must start immediately, in many poor countries, which are plagued by extreme heat, droughts, water shortages, crop failures, diseases and warfare,” Sturm says.
“For almost all problems, there is a solution. We have them and provide important foundations for this task,” Sturm maintains.
Bonn Climate Project aims to make the German city of Bonn as the global center of renewable energy production, applications, exhibition and the location for hosting climate protection in the martime and shipping sector. The project will also provide training and procurement of technologies made in Germany.
