During an information session at the quay, around 100 industry colleagues took a close look at the vessel and its energy installation. The Prins ZEs has 2 MWh of battery capacity in its side bows, enough for a full working day. Its batteries are charged by a compact 10-foot “zepp.generator” hydrogen generator with a daily capacity of 3,600 kWh.
“As a family business, we believe it is important to invest in new technologies for the future, both for ourselves and for future generations. We want to show that sustainability is possible, even in a sector that traditionally uses a lot of energy,” says Isolde Struijk, director of Van den Herik-Sliedrecht. ‘Innovation requires courage. If you want to be a leader, you have to stick your neck out and face obstacles. We are pleased that Rijkswaterstaat is supporting us in this.’
The hydrogen powerhouse behind the Prins ZEs
Because there is no large-scale charging infrastructure available along the waterways yet, Van den Herik developed a 10-foot hydrogen generator with zepp.solutions that is located on shore. A trailer with hydrogen feeds the generator set containing fuel cells, which supply electricity to the on-board batteries. The zepp.generator can deliver up to 150 kW continuously and 240 kW peak power, with an integrated battery as a buffer. By way of comparison, this container, with a battery, could supply 400 households with energy. Because the system fits into a 10-foot container, it is easy to move to the various locations where the Prins ZE will need charging infrastructure.
Leader in emission-free navigation channel maintenance
Rijkswaterstaat uses pioneering projects to implement sustainable innovations in practice, in collaboration with market parties. The Prins ZEs demonstrates that emission-free working is feasible, even with high power ratings and a large working area.
‘Leading projects such as the Prins ZEs demonstrate that sustainability in hydraulic engineering is achievable if the government and the market work together. Together with the market, we are not only maintaining our infrastructure, but also making it future-proof,’ says Roger Mol, Chief Engineer-Director of Sustainability and Living Environment and Chief Procurement Officer at Rijkswaterstaat.
In addition, Rijkswaterstaat offers scope for innovation within contracts and the use of SEB (Clean and Emission-Free Construction) resources, making sustainable choices financially feasible. This allows parties to experiment, learn and scale up. The insights are shared widely with clients and contractors. In this way, frontrunners help the entire sector move towards emission-free working.
Twice Platinum
The Prins ZEs has been objectively assessed by Green Award and certified with a Green Award Gold certificate, including the Green Award Platinum Label Propulsion and Green Award Platinum Label Operations. It is the first ship to receive a platinum label for both propulsion and operation.
