As Ship-aH2oy moves into its second year, partners from across Europe came together in Erlangen, Germany, to discuss the progress made so far and plan the next steps. They also got to see for themselves how LOHC is made and how it works.

The hosts of the second in-person consortium meeting, Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, invited the participants for a guided tour of their production facilities and hydrogen refuelling station. Participants also got to visit the laboratories at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, where cutting-edge research into LOHC technology is being conducted.

LOHC, in its current form, was invented in Erlangen more than a decade ago, and new refinements and applications are still being actively developed. Ship-aH2oy is at the spearhead of one such development, which involves the use of LOHC to deliver clean power to ships by combining an onboard hydrogen release unit with hydrogen fuel cells.

Since the kick-off of Ship-aH2oy in early 2023, research and industry partners have worked hard to lay the foundations for this pathbreaking innovation. Among other things, the initial work involved gathering data on the operational profile and power needs of the ship type where the proposed LOHC-SOFC system is to be installed, as well as defining the concept and design philosophy of the power system itself.

In addition to the technological innovation, partners have also been actively communicating the aims of Ship-aH2oy to relevant stakeholders and audiences, presenting the project at conferences in Norway, Greece, Spain, and Brazil, among other places.

2024 will see significant developments in Ship-aH2oy, including further technological tests and system pre-engineering. Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to get the news about the latest developments when they happen!