The Hynova 40, which is billed as the first production electric-hydrogen powerboat, will make its debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, starting Sept 8. Built by Hynova Yachts, a French startup, the boat can be used as a dayboat or a superyacht tender.
The boat is powered by batteries and hydrogen fuel cell technology developed for the auto industry. Energy Observer Development created a hydrogen fuel cell module for boating, and it partnered with Hynova for the 40. The new boat can run on batteries or its hydrogen fuel cells.
The advantages of an electric hydrogen boat are that there are no carbon emissions, no smoke, no noise, and no vibration. Hydrogen is a natural element, the most present element on earth, so the supply is inexhaustible. It’s light, clean, and quiet, and it recharges quickly. The basic problem is that there are few stations supplying hydrogen, although the French government is trying to sponsor their development.
One version of the Hynova 40 has two 150kW motors, producing a cruising speed of 15 knots and a top speed of 25 knots. Another version has two 210kW motors, powered by three batteries and two fuel cells, with a cruising speed of 20 knots and a top speed of 30 knots. The prototype at the Cannes show will have the twin 150kW motors and 30 kilograms of hydrogen fuel.
Hynova Yachts was founded earlier this year and is located in La Ciotat, near Marseille on France’s Mediterranean coast. Read more:
