HPC prepares study for a hydrogen bunker station on Heligoland

Driven by international sustainability goals and efforts to significantly reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions caused by shipping, ship owners are looking to power their vessels using alternative fuels. While the use of LNG-powered container ships has already become standard, the market is looking for renewable alternatives with long-term potential. Current research focuses on methanol, ammonia and hydrogen drives to replace conventional marine diesel fuels.

So that alternatively-powered ships can be employed on a large-scale, corresponding bunker infrastructure must be available in ports. The island of Helgoland is frequented in particular by crew transfer vessels (CTVs), passenger and research ships and recreational craft. At the same time, green hydrogen from the AquaPrimus project will be available on Heligoland in the future.

"Taking into account the good availability of green hydrogen in the area of the island, we would like to examine the extent to which Heligoland can also reliably provide a supply for ships calling there in the future," says Christoph Tewis, Project ,anager for AquaCore and the TransHyDE project Heligoland.

The concept study carried out by HPC includes, on the one hand, evaluating the market potential of alternative fuels for island shipping with the aim of estimating the potential demand. Taking the local framework conditions into consideration, various refuelling concepts for hydrogen are then examined. Another focus is to investigate the conditions and prerequisites for the possible location of a hydrogen bunkering station with reference to suitable plans to ensure the logistics of supplying the fuel. In addition to evaluating and recommending such plans, the study will include initial estimates of the necessary investments.

"The results of the study will better enable the municipality of Heligoland and its partners to make an investment decision based on realistic costs," says Patrick Specht, Head of Sustainability at HPC.

HPC is already credited with carrying out various national and international innovative energy projects for ship technologies and port infrastructure, including the preparation of a test centre for fuel cell vehicles in the port context for a Hamburg terminal operator.

The concept study for a hydrogen bunker station on Heligoland is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the hydrogen lead project, TransHyDe. One of three hydrogen lead projects of the Ministry, TransHyDE, supports the goals of the National Hydrogen Strategy, which was adopted by the Federal Government in 2020. The hydrogen-lead projects involve the research and development of new technologies and application solutions for the production, storage and transport of green hydrogen.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/07022023/hpc-prepares-study-for-a-hydrogen-bunker-station-on-heligoland/