May 16, 2023
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The keel-laying event of Neo Orbis, a pilot vessel for the H2Ships assignment, has been conducted at Dutch shipbuilding firm Next Generation Shipyards, earmarking the start of the vessel construction.
H2Ships is the Interreg North-West Europe assignment that will demonstrate the economic and technical feasibility of hydrogen bunkering and propulsion needed in shipping, identifying conditions for a market entry for technology.
Per project partners, the Neo Orbis will be the first vessel in the world to sail electrically. It will be operated on hydrogen (solid form) as an advanced energy carrier – sodium borohydride – and will be emission-free.
Next Generation Shipyards was reportedly contracted over last summer to construct the ship, and, as informed, the development is set to be completed toward the end of 2023’s second quarter.
Following that, the Neo Orbis is expected to serve as the flagship for Amsterdam port, with trial sailing set to get started by June 2023.
The vessel’s design comes from Wijk Yacht Creations, the Dutch engineering consultant, while hydrogen installation is reportedly a design of H2 CIF.
The Neo Orbis stands for New World. It is expected to enter service in 2024 and will serve as a scale-up for short sea, dredging, inland shipping, offshore, and patrol and naval vessels.
The Port of Amsterdam mentioned that the first studies on this are
underway.
References: Offshore Energy Biz, Energy News Biz
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