Bluenergy Revolution has completed the first hydrogen refuelling operation from a mobile dockside vehicle to a vessel at the Baglietto Shipyard in La Spezia – the first in an Italian port.
The transfer was authorised by the Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Authority’s director of the energy and environment department, engineer Mirko Leonardi.
The technology used allows hydrogen to be stored and transferred safely without complex temperature or flow controls.
The operation itself consisted followed strict approved safety protocols demonstrating a fully controlled and compliant marine fuel handling procedure.
The steps involved the initial preparation of the vehicles and the work area and a safety briefing with all personnel.
Hydrogen transfers at low pressures
Preparation activities for the hydrogen transfer followed and then the hydrogen transfer itself and closure of the transfer before the area was cleared.
During the operation, all the indicated requirements were met and the refuelling procedure presented by Bluenergy Revolution during a prior conference was followed.
“The operation went as expected, demonstrating the feasibility of safely carrying out hydrogen transfers at low pressures (30 bar) thanks to the use of onboard storage systems based on metal hydride technology,” explained a spokesperson from the port authority.
And the port authority explained that this is the same technology as that used and proven in naval operations including by the Italian Navy’s U212 submarines, which have been carrying out refuelling operations at the Arsenal in the port of La Spezia for decades.
Intrinsically safe
In addition, it is the same technology implemented in Baglietto’s experimental BZero plant.
“Metal hydride technology allows the use of low-pressure hydrogen sources and does not require advanced temperature or flow controls, as the absorption of hydrogen is automatically regulated by the pressure and temperature of the hydrides themselves, therefore, the refuelling is intrinsically safe,” added the spokesperson.
The same technology is expected to be deployed in future hydrogen-powered yachts and eco-friendly vessels.
