Everllence advances hydrogen propulsion

The milestone was achieved under the ‘HydroPoLEn’ project, a collaboration between Everllence and industry and academic partners, supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy through the Maritime Research Programme.

“We are still at an early stage in terms of developing a complete propulsion solution for the market, but this news augurs well for the future,” said Dr Cornelius Wagner, HydroPoLEn project manager.

“With these key challenges now addressed, hydrogen is moving closer to becoming a long-term solution for the defossilisation of passenger ships.”

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HydroPoLEn aims to develop sustainable propulsion technologies for the maritime sector. As part of the project, engineers have designed and successfully tested a dedicated hydrogen combustion process, alongside mechanical components tailored specifically for hydrogen operation.

Alongside the engine development, dedicated hydrogen infrastructure has been installed in Augsburg, positioning the site as a hub for future propulsion research.

Dr Matthias Auer, head of performance & emissions, Four-Stroke R&D at Everllence, said: “Hydrogen has a decisive role to play alongside ammonia and methanol. Since no single technology will likely prove optimal for all applications, companies must remain flexible.”

Dr Alexander Knafl, senior vice president R&D Four-Stroke, said the hydrogen engine demonstrates how ‘ingenious engineering’ can underpin climate-neutral maritime transport.