Water flows back into the sea

Three tanks in the stern store up to 22 kilograms of hydrogen on the Hynova 42, which is consistently converted into electricity while driving. The water that is also produced in the process flows back into the sea – the only emission! A hydrogen boat also needs batteries: They serve as buffer storage because the fuel cell is not suitable for sudden power calls. This has the pleasant side effect that a Hynova can always be recharged at a socket. This takes a little longer than refueling. Fuel cell drive is therefore a hybrid drive.

The Hynova’s lithium-ion batteries weigh around 1.5 tons. Including the 116-kilo tanks and the small power plant weighing a total of 400 kilos, the entire system weighs about 2.5 tons. „If we were to equip the Hynova 42 with battery propulsion only, it would weigh another four to five tons more,“ says Laurent Perignon. Fuel cell propulsion on the water is thus recognizably more efficient.

Durability no longer a problem

For a long time, fuel cells were considered interesting, but not marketable. In particular, the service life of the sensitive units has been tightly limited up to now. EODev assumes a life expectancy of 13,000 operating hours. Every 5,000 hours, the fan must be renewed, the company says in response to a float inquiry. Filters are not maintenance-free either. „We record data on this in order to be able to carry out maintenance as a precaution,“ Perignon tells float. By comparison, an internal combustion engine in a car is considered very robust if it can handle more than 10,000 hours of operation.

Hynova already presented a prototype at the Cannes Yachting Festival © Kerstin Zillmer

The leak tightness of hydrogen tanks, once a technical problem, can also be managed, according to EODev. „The loss is now negligible, it has no impact on the operability of the boat,“ says Laurent Perignon. It is still too early to give a precise figure for hydrogen consumption. But EODev is already working on a forecast for the production version.

The two Borg-Warner electric motors have sufficient scope to allow short thrills of speed. 200 kilowatts each allow brute acceleration at the expense of range. EoDev is already turning the scaling screw. The company is working on linking six fuel cells together, which will then generate up to 400 kW of power.

Toyota and Accor invest

One of EODev’s investors is automaker Toyota. The Japanese launched the first mass-produced fuel cell-powered car, the Mirai, in 2014. They provide essential technical support. „The collaboration started in 2020 with the installation of a fuel cell in the Energy Observer catamaran,“ says Laurent Perignon.

Another shareholder is the Accor hotel group, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world with brands such as Novotel, Mercure and Ibis. For the hospitality industry, the use of stationary generators to produce electricity is attractive. Large-scale fuel cells have already been in use on cruise ships for several years to supply the hotel industry with electricity on board.

Laurent Perignon and Chloé Zaied at their presentation in Cannes © Kerstin Zillmer

Chloé Zaied created her company Hynova from scratch. At least, that’s how it looks. Her investors are private, she tells float. The startup also won over the jury in a public tender: at an environmental symposium at the Monaco Yacht Club, Chloé was awarded a yard space. In the Yachting Village of La Ciotat near Marseille, she will be allowed to operate her company at an incentive rate for three years. During this time, Hynova plans to build eight boats – at least.

The criteria evaluated were feasibility, the prospect of jobs and the environmental footprint. The jury was right on the money with the young skipper. Because sustainability should already be a priority during construction. „Not only do I want to design boats that have as little impact on the environment as possible, but I also want to inform, promote and advance the role of green hydrogen in the maritime world,“ says Chloé. This will require going to market, she mentions to float. It will be interesting to see how the market will react.