Green hydrogen is produced by fleets of mobile shadow ships

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This one falls under N for “now we’ve seen it all.” A British startup plans to launch a fleet of futuristic sailboats equipped with electrolysis systems to produce green hydrogen on the go. If that sounds a bit crazy, consider that the target markets are superyachts, which need clean fuel, as well as islands, coastal communities and port facilities, where land for industrial development is scarce and conventional fuels are expensive.

Green hydrogen from yachts: Not so crazy after all

The startup behind the green hydrogen project is DRIFT Energy. As strange as it sounds, the basic pieces of the puzzle are in place. Green hydrogen is a new but fast-growing industry. The idea is to dissolve hydrogen from water in an electrolysis system, rather than extracting it from natural gas or coal. Hydrogen can be burned in an internal combustion engine or used to power zero-emission fuel cells, which are already making inroads into the high-tech world of yacht racing.

Electrolysis systems are scalable and transportable, so installing them on a ship is not a big problem. DRIFT plans to run its electrolysis systems on electricity generated by underwater hydrogenerators. Turbines of this type are now used to generate electricity on board yachts and other vessels, instead of relying on diesel generators.

Water is the final piece of the puzzle, and water is everywhere on a sailing vessel. Traditional electrolysis systems rely on purified water, but water treatment systems are commonplace on board ships at sea. In addition, researchers are working on new electrolysis systems that can produce green hydrogen from seawater without the cost of pre-treatment (read more background on clean H2 here).

£4.65 million for offshore green hydrogen production

Some leading investors have seen enough to be convinced that DRIFT’s seagoing green hydrogen plan is viable. Last week, the company announced a £4.65 million seed funding round led by UK firm Octopus Ventures, an arm of Octopus Investments.

Octopus Ventures describes itself as “one of Europe’s largest and most active venture capitalists.” Healthcare is a key focus of Octopus Ventures, and sustainability is also a major concern. The company is looking for changemakers. “The entrepreneurs we support are rethinking the behavior of entire industries,” Octopus explains.

“By 2030, we aim to have invested £10 billion in the industries that are driving positive change,” they add.

The seed round is also supported by Blue Ocean Accelerator, which has developed ocean-focused pre-seed and seed impact startup support centers in the Bahamas. It is also developing a presence here in the U.S. in Miami-Dade County in Florida, the Port of San Diego, and the AltaSea Innovation Campus in the Port of Los Angeles in California, where a wave energy pilot is taking place.

“Our offering is deliberately designed to dramatically increase the chances of success for companies in the earliest stages,” explains Blue Ocean. “We offer an investment of $150,000, as well as a four-month expert support program and access to a global network of investors, corporate partners, technologists, and public and private markets.”

DRIFT also notes that it has received funding from Innovate UK. The company expects the funding will help streamline the design process of its first ship, which it calls the “MVY.” The acronym stands for Most Valuable Ship and refers to the value of producing green hydrogen using renewable energy from the sea.

Green hydrogen at sea: From drawing board to delivery

It won’t be long before we figure out how all the pieces fit together. DRIFT expects to lay its first keel sometime next year. While the company’s website doesn’t provide many details, it does note that the electrolyzer will be a megawatt system capable of producing green hydrogen at a gigawatt scale.

The company also relies on an AI-powered routing system to make the most of wind and weather conditions at sea and plan the return trip to port with refilled hydrogen tanks.

According to the artist’s renderings, the vessel is a catamaran powered by four sails. DRIFT calls it a “shadow ship.” That can mean many things, but in this context it refers to the specialty vessels that support large yachts. In theory, an MVY could follow a superyacht around the world, supplying it with green hydrogen anytime, anywhere. “DRIFT Energy MVY yachts are available as bespoke shadow ships, enabling a bold owner to achieve true net zero and become fuel independent in a unique way,” the company emphasizes.

The connection to ocean energy

Whether the MVY can become commercially viable remains to be seen. In the meantime, DRIFT and its “Oceans of Energy” concept represent an interesting collaboration between wind energy, ocean energy and green hydrogen production.

Marine energy is another new industry that is on the verge of widespread use. These are specifically devices that harvest energy from the movement of waves, tides and currents on oceans and inland waters. Most of these devices are anchored to the sea floor or another fixed point, but there is a startup called Magallenes Renovables that deploys its tidal turbines from a vessel that resembles a cargo ship (you can find more background on marine energy here).

As for the green hydrogen industry, it has had its ups and downs. On the dark side is global mining company Fortescue, a representative of the green hydrogen players that entered the market with ambitious plans in recent years, only to shift back a gear in recent months.

Despite these challenges, new green hydrogen hotspots continue to emerge. Ukraine, for example, expects its vast renewable energy resources to help support government policies in Europe that promote fuel cell vehicles and other hydrogen-based systems.

Here in the U.S., the Biden administration is pushing forward the $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub program, which uses water electrolysis in addition to other hydrogen supply chains such as biomass and fossil fuels.

Keep an eye on Texas. Federal agencies have tried in vain to attract offshore wind players to the Texas portion of the Gulf Coast of Mexico, but last month an unsolicited bidder emerged with a proposal to develop a designated offshore wind lease area off the coast of Corpus Christi. Hydrogen players at the Port of Corpus Christi did not make it into the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs funding, but the availability of offshore wind could still help spur a green hydrogen industry in the busy seaport.

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Image (cropped): A UK startup plans to launch a mobile fleet of state-of-the-art sailing vessels that will use wind power and underwater turbines to produce green hydrogen on the go (courtesy of DRIFT Energy).