MOSCOW, OCT 7 – Russia’s first hydrogen-powered ship, named Ecobalt, is scheduled to undergo sea trials this month, local media reported today.
The vessel, designed as a 12-passenger recreational boat, is equipped with an electrochemical generator powered by hydrogen fuel, said Oleg Savchenko, director general of the Krylov State Research Center (KSRC).
“This will be Russia’s first ship with a locally made electrochemical hydrogen generator,” RIA Novosti quoted Savchenko as saying.
KSRC, a leading developer of ship design, materials and technology for the Russian Navy, is leading the project. The ship was built at the Gorky Zelenodolsk Shipyard by Ak Bars, based on a design by the Baltsudoproekt Central Design Bureau of the KSRC.
Renat Mistakhov, general director of Ak Bars, said that the ship is a prototype for refining hydrogen-based technology and developing a universal power module using fuel cells. – Xinhua
