A team of students from TU Delft designed, built and navigated a hydrogen-powered boat from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. This is the first time a fully hydrogen-powered boat has crossed the North Sea.

TU Delft Hydro Motion Team successfully cross North Sea

In a boat 8 metres long and 2,65 metres wide, Dutch students sailed almost 170 kilometres through the rough water of the North Sea, with just 12,3 kilograms of hydrogen. Cruising at a speed of 40 kilometres per hour, the Team was able to finish their journey from Breskens in Zeeland to Ramsgate in England in just 12,5 hours. 

Some technical issues with a cooling pump meant that the team had to make a quick stop at the harbour of Zeebrugge in Belgium to replace the part before continuing with their mission. This pit stop added to their journey time and dashed their goal of reaching their destination in eight hours. However, the team couldn’t be too upset when making history for having the first fully hydrogen-powered boat to successfully cross the North Sea.

Video: YouTube / TU Delft Hydro Motion Team

Hydrogen boat is step towards sustainable future

After already proving that solar power can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels in 2019, TU Delft students set out to prove that another green fuel option exists: hydrogen. The Hydro Motion project started in 2020 and ended in success with the journey across the North Sea in 2024.

The mission of the Hydro Motion Team at the Dutch university is to encourage maritime and energy industries towards a more sustainable future. By proving that hydrogen-powered boats can travel long distances, the team hopes that the government and companies will start using hydrogen power in their vessels and develop infrastructure that aids the transition to green energy.

Thumb image credit: TU Delft Hydro Motion Team