News item | 25-05-2023 | 3:00 PM
On Thursday, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers awarded the first A0 emission label to an inland vessel that runs on hydrogen. The company Future Proof Shipping (FPS) had the ship MAAS, which was running on diesel, converted into a ship with hydrogen propulsion, the H2BARGE1.
The ship made its maiden voyage on Thursday, from Alblasserdam to Rotterdam. In the coming years it will be chartered by Nike, which will transport hundreds of climate-neutral and emission-free containers between Rotterdam and Meerhout every week.
Hydrogen is converted into electricity in fuel cells on board the H2BARGE1. In addition to the fuel cells, the ship also has batteries on board. FPS bought two more ships last year, which will be converted into hydrogen ships.
“It is my pleasure to present the first A0 emission label today. The fact that the H2BARGE1 has completed its ‘maiden voyage’ today is an absolute milestone for inland shipping!” said Minister Mark Harbers.
“Our goal is to have at least 150 emission-free inland vessels by 2030, and alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, are indispensable in that task. I would therefore like to congratulate the owner of this special ship, Future Proof Shipping, on this scoop.”
The government wants to support the sector to stimulate the transition to hydrogen ships in the coming years. 178 million euros is available from the climate fund to introduce hydrogen in inland shipping and heavy road transport.
The emission label for inland vessels was developed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Expertise and Innovation Center for Inland Shipping. Skippers can use this to show how well they perform in terms of CO2 emissions and air quality. This summer, the ministry expects to conclude a covenant with a number of stakeholders from the inland shipping sector on the broad application of the emission label. The label can provide benefits for skippers in the future, for example in terms of access to ports or financing.
There are no rules yet for sailing on hydrogen, which is why the H2BARGE1 has been given an exemption to be able to sail for the next five years. The aim is to have the rules for sailing on hydrogen in place by 2026.