Commercial harbor craft and marine vessels are a transportation segment that has historically been difficult to decarbonize. To advance the commercialization of zero-emission harbor craft, the California Energy Commission funded the Hydrogen Zero-Emission Tugboat Project. The project team developed a design for a hydrogen fuel cell tugboat that is rated to provide up to 90 tons of bollard pull (the pulling or towing power of a vessel, usually defined in tonnes). The vessel is designed to provide assist service and to use fuel cells, batteries, and liquid hydrogen storage tanks. The project team investigated the economic viability of the vessel, as well as the technical, safety, and regulatory requirements that this vessel must meet. The project team also investigated pathways for supplying hydrogen to the vessel and liquid hydrogen bunkering technologies. The project team found that the tugboat is technologically feasible.
