OSAKA -- Yanmar Holdings Co. has successfully demonstrated the viability of a hydrogen fuel cell system for small boats, the company said Wednesday.
Yanmar's demonstration boat is powered by electricity generated by hydrogen, so it emits no carbon dioxide. It sailed for about three hours on a single hydrogen fill, which is a significant technical feat, according to the company.
Yanmar plans to promote the fuel cell system so that it can be used in boats sailing around Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka City, which will be the venue for the Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo 2025, as a public demonstration of the decarbonization technology.
The company showed to the press a Yanmar-made small boat -- about 12 meters long and weighing about 8 tons -- modified to be equipped with the fuel cell system that the company has developed. Using two fuel cell units developed by Toyota Motor Corp., the system generates electricity through reactions between stored hydrogen and oxygen in the air, and emits only water.
Yanmar said it confirmed through the test conducted around Yumeshima in Osaka Bay that the boat can sail for a maximum of about three hours by filling the fuel tank with hydrogen at a high pressure of 70 megapascals.
Yanmar aims to see the fuel cell system used in ships of around 500 tons, such as sightseeing boats and short-distance ferries. It will continue to verify the system's ability to cope with constant sea rocking and salt corrosion to ensure its safety, aiming to put it to practical use in 2023.
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