Energy: Futura, the eco-friendly sailboat that also runs on hydrogen, sets sail

FUTURA is an innovative prototype of an eco-friendly sailboat which can also use hydrogen-powered electric propulsion. 6 meters long, it weighs 600 kilograms, it can accommodate up to 3 passengers (plus the skipper) and it has 5 hours of autonomy at a cruising speed of 2.5 knots (approximately 4 km / h).

Developed by ENEA jointly with the Italian Naval League (LNI), the companies Arco-FC and Linde Gas Italia and the logistical support of the Nautica "Il Gabbiano" in Vigna di Valle, on Lake Bracciano (Rome). Equipped with a 1 kW fuel cell, which converts the hydrogen contained in a ready-to-use cylinder into zero-emission electricity, FUTURA also has a battery chargeable with two photovoltaic panels, which allows extending its autonomy up to to 2 hours.

"The goal of the project is to promote the decarbonisation of the nautical sector by replacing conventional models powered with fossil fuels, with green boats. This technology has manifold potential and it allows you to explore green and eco-friendly alternatives for navigation ", pointed out Giulia Monteleone, head of the ENEA Division of Production, Storage and Use of Energy.

“The demand for zero-emission boats is increasing; also for this reason we hope to replicate the prototype to different and larger sizes of vessels, and planning to install micro-wind and hydro-generation systems, new storage devices and electrolysers", said Viviana Cigolotti, head of the ENEA Laboratory of Energy Storage, Batteries and Technologies for the Production and Use of Hydrogen. "In addition - continued Cigolotti - the use of hydrogen and fuel cells guarantees autonomy (combined with storage devices), low refueling times and zero emissions".

A multidisciplinary team at the ENEA Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources Department managed the selection, acquisition and installation of the fuel cell, and the hydrogen supply, integration of on-board electrical components and safety, in collaboration with Linde Gas Italy. The company also supplied the user-friendly, “returnable” cylinder, while the fuel cell was provided by Arco-FC, an Italian company specializing in the sector.

FUTURA was also the subject of a thesis in Mechanical Engineering - by a student of the "Sapienza" University of Rome - on the characterization of the propulsion system of the prototype in the various navigation profiles and the evaluation of the components on board the vessel, the monitoring of operating conditions, the experimental analyses of hydrogen and energy consumption, both in the laboratory and in navigation, and possible future implementations.

Viviana Cigolotti, ENEA – Laboratory of Energy Storage, Batteries and Technologies for the Production and Use of Hydrogen, 

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