First Dutch port approves H2 bunkering
Windcat Workboats will make use of the first hydrogen bunkering licence to be granted in the Netherlands.
A licence for hydrogen bunkering has been granted at the Port of Ijmuiden, which means Windcat Workboats will be able to bunker its Hydrocat 48 crew transfer vessels (CTVs) with hydrogen.
The licence was granted by the Ijmond Environmental Service on behalf of Velsen Municipality.
Windcat, which was bought by CMB in January 2021, is one of the leading offshore wind support vessel providers in Europe.
Three months ago it announced it had completed sea trials of its Hydrocat 48, its first hydrogen-powered CTV.
The vessel has dual-fuel engines supplied by MAN Engines that were retrofitted by CMB with a hydrogen injection system.
Upon its unveiling, Windcat Workboats managing director Willem Van der Wel said the solution could be seen as a stepping stone to fully hydrogen-powered CTVs.
”By starting with dual-fuel combustion engines, we can make hydrogen technology operational in the industry and kick-start further development of the technology, regulation, supply chain, etc,” he said.
The company is working on another three vessels with hydrogen technology, the company says.
”This license represents a major step in the possibility to use hydrogen as a fuel for vessels and increasing the sustainability of the sector,” said Van der Wel.
”As bunkering hydrogen for shipping is a new development, the licensing process was quite complex. With the first license now approved we expect the use of hydrogen as a green fuel to accelerate.”
While the pilot bunkering took place at the Port of Ijmuiden, the Hydrocat 48 will actually operate from the Port of Oostende, where a hydrogen bunkering station is planned to come online at the end of 2023.
