H2DanubeDelta

Danube Delta, part of the UNESCO World Heritage, is the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas, hosting >300 species of birds and 45 freshwater fish species.

The tourism here is growing constantly, consequently the number of boat trips and privately owned boats. The majority of the ships are old and fueled by conventional fuels, with all the consequences on the environment (emissions, leakages, noise, etc.) 

Green hydrogen is considered the most compatible option to meet the climate neutrality in the long term. Used as a fuel for FCEVs, the only emission is pure water while the noise pollution is drastically reduced. The refurbishment of the existing fleet with hydrogen engines is a great opportunity. 

The greenH2 has a huge potential for decarbonisation of the maritime sector, also reducing its ecological footprint. There are still technical challenges ahead therefore starting with prototypes at a smaller scale is the right approach.

According to World Heritage Outlook IUCN (https://worldheritageoutlook.i...) the highest threats in the Danube Delta are water pollution, illegal fishing, changes of the hydrological regime, infrastructure development and disturbance by unsuitable tourism activities, as well as associated intensification of navigation routes. They might be exacerbated by additional potential threats, in particular by climate change.Moreover, the area subject to our proposal is economically underdeveloped, with the fleet of ships old, inefficient and pollutant. 

The problem above is impacting (1) the environment - the flora and fauna of great diversity and uniqueness is in danger; (2) the area is strongly relying economically on tourism and, without these attractions, or in case of imposing restrictions on tourism due to endangering the environment, an area anyway poor will suffer even more. The chart [1] below shows the no. of tourists, which, triples the population of the Delta (~15,000 inhabitants)  (3) besides tourism, the local economy is dependent on fishing; the existing ships present a real the danger to the local population of fish; (4) the pollution is affecting the human health.

[1] SustainableTransport&TourismalongtheDanube - Ivan Patzaichin Mila23 Association

The end goal of our proposal is to reconvert the existing ships into hydrogen fueled ships. 

Our solution is to develop a prototype of (i) a refurbished ship running on conventional fuel into a FCEV ship running on green hydrogen; (ii) small size hydrogen refueling station for ships; (iii) identify the technical, legal and market challenges and develop an overall business model that can be further implement here but also in other similar areas. 

While there are already available hydrogen ships on the market and the technology is available, we want to refurbish existing ships, creating also a circular economy around them. 

Briefly, they will use electrical engines while the electricity will be produced by the fuel cell using the gaseous hydrogen stored in a reservoir. The electrical engines are silent, avoiding the noise pollution and the only by-product when using the hydrogen to produce the electricity through the fuel cell is water of high purity.

For hydrogen refueling, we want to develop a prototype of floating HRS, similar to the diesel ones but adapted to the gaseous hydrogen. It will comprise of (i) hydrogen storage tank at ~200bar placed on the ground; (ii) central station (compressor, heat exchange and automation) placed on the ground; (iii) hydrogen dispenser placed on a floating platform.

Our solution is serving both (1) the environment (flora and fauna of a high diversity and uniqueness) and (2) the population of the Danube Delta.

The increased tourism, intensification of navigation routes and consequently the water and noise pollution, represent real dangers for the environment in the Danube Delta but not only. Provided the means of transport are old, highly inefficient and not in line with the environmental standards, the concerns are even higher.

Reconverting the existing ships into ships using green hydrogen will drastically reduce the impact on the environment as the oil leakages, the CO2 emissions, the noise pollution will be eliminated. Moreover, in the light of the circular economy, we are aiming not to purchase new ships but to reconvert the existing ones. The measures above will significantly the negative impact on the environment and health of the human population. 

Moreover, while the labor market in the Delta is in its majority unskilled, relying mainly in fishing and tourism, the initiative above have the potential to open a new economical activity and create a labor market requiring high qualification and added value. Our project will be developed involving local transport companies and their personnel, with the aim to get them familiar with the technology and its advantages.

Another equally important making this initiative suitable for the Danube Delta is the proximity of the sources of green hydrogen. Dobrogea is the area in Romania with the highest potential in Romania and one of the highest in Europe for renewable energy production. The green hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity. Having the green hydrogen in the close proximity is a huge opportunity both economically and environmentally.

Using green hydrogen as fuel for shipping is reducing significantly the impact on the environment and biodiversity of the Danube Delta. While the green hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity and the only emission when used as a fuel is pure water, there is no carbon molecule in the mix.

Protecting the environment and bio-diversity, the tourism in the area and the fishing will also not be affected helping economically the population in the area.

Moreover, a new industry requiring highly skilled laborers can be created in an area which is now underdeveloped economically.   

Our organisation is working on a Feasibility Study concerning the adoption of the H2 within the shipping transportation in Danube Delta. Nevertheless, we are highly confident on the positive impact of this solution and we want to continue beyond this study and to start the implementation of a prototype in this regard. There are already available hydrogen ships on the market and the technology is available. However, having in mind also the concept of circular economy, we want to develop a prototype by (i) refurbishing an existing ship by making it suitable to run using green hydrogen as a fuel; (ii) implementing a floating HRS of small dimensions; (iii) identify the technical, legal and market challenges and encompass in a prototype business model. 

While there are existing prototypes of brand new hydrogen fueled ships, we want to refurbish existing ships into green hydrogen fueled ones, as well as creating a floating hydrogen refueling station. Through this, we support the circular economy and also make the current operators/owners knowledgeable about the technology and get them qualified into an industry which is now at the very beginning. Additionally, by reusing a great part of the existing ship, it will make the adoption of this technology more cost effective and consequently ore appealing to the potential adopters.