Tuco Marine teams with Blue World Technologies to develop methanol fuel cell-powered workboats
Danish shipbuilder Tuco Marine and methanol fuel cell maker Blue World Technologies have teamed up to develop methanol fuel cell-powered workboats.
The partnership will combine Blue World’s methanol fuel cell technology and Tuco’s ProZero workboats. The methanol fuel cell system can be used for auxiliary power or propulsion, depending on the vessel type, and is said to provide low maintenance, has zero SOx, NOx, and particle emission and also reduces CO2 emissions by up to 100 % from the well-to-wheel perspective.
The collaboration between Blue World Technologies and Tuco has been established through the BlueDolphin project, in which Aalborg University is also a partner. The BlueDolphin is a development project for smaller vessels, such as workboats, that will be powered by a fuel cell system running on liquid methanol. The project funding has been granted by EUPD.
“Blue World Technologies’ methanol fuel cell system provides several benefits for the maritime industry, and with the focus on alternative power solutions, this collaboration between Tuco and Blue World is a great match. Our hope for the future is that the industry will start to change its old ways of doing things, and pursue environmentally friendly solutions like the ones that we offer,” stated Mads Friis Jensen, co-founder of Blue World Technologies.
The interest in using methanol as a marine fuel is increasing, with Denmark particularly invested. Maersk leads the way by ordering twelve 16,000 teu containerships that will run on green methanol already from 2024.