Hydrogen fuel cells for decarbonizing inland waterway shipping

This RH2IWER (Renewable Hydrogen for Inland Waterway Emission Reduction) Horizon European Project, launched on 1st March 2023 and coordinated by VTT [1], aims at creating a solid basis for the acceleration of hydrogen fuel cell powered vessels in inland waterway shipping by demonstrating six commercially operated vessels. The demonstrative vessels include container, bulk and tanker vessels with installed power in the range 0.6 – 2 MW. The project also includes the study of replication potential in different EU scenarios, considering passenger ferries operating in Italian lakes. This paper aims to present the RH2IWER Project, focusing on a preliminary study for the feasibility on a lake passenger ferry operating in Italy.