From the start of the design in 2018, STC considered it important to familiarize the professionals of the future with technology of the future. The inclusion of modern and sustainable technologies has been of the highest importance for the STC group. The ship contains an electric powertrain and the deck is covered with over 200 square meters of solar panels. Knowing hydrogen will play an important role in the shipping industry, the STC board decided to also implement hydrogen technology on the ship in late 2021. After a convincing proposition, zepp.solutions was given the green light March 31st to supply the hydrogen fuel cell system and hydrogen storage system as a complete solution.
Jan Kweekel, member of the Executive Board of STC Group: “We are extremely happy and grateful for the support of the various parties that enable the application of green hydrogen on the new training vessel. We give our pupils and students the opportunity to become proficient in working with green hydrogen during their training. This knowledge and experience can come in handy during a career in the maritime transport sector that is constantly developing” Jonas Brendelberger, one of the co-founders of zepp.solutions chips in: “We are proud and grateful to contribute to the development of the Ab Initio. The cooperation with STC Group and Concordia Damen has so far been fantastic and we are looking forward to working with such a motivated team and driven yard. This project is a testament to zepp.solutions establishing itself as a trusted name in the hydrogen industry.”
Maritime fuel cell system
Zepp.solutions will supply a 45kW maritime fuel cell system that will charge the battery system of the Ab Initio as a range extender. The module is extremely compact and features a fully integrated system design to reduce integration complexity and cost. Critical interfaces are minimised and the module includes all required fuel cell subsystems, making it an ideal drop-in solution.
The fuel cell system will be supplied with hydrogen gas by a 350 bar hydrogen storage system with a hydrogen capacity of 35kg. This combined solution is able to double the zero-emission sailing range of the vessel.
Action-packed year
The casco is outfitted by Concordia Damen in Werkendam, the Netherlands, which is also where the zepp.solutions fuel cell system will be implemented. The current planning aims at setting sail in September 2022, when the ship will be used to educate a new generation of maritime personnel on the future of inland shipping.
