Seattle naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten and Germany-based Siemens Energy have tapped British Columbia-based Ballard Power Systems and Georgia-headquartered Chart Industries as the main equipment vendors for the design of what could be the world’s first hydrogen-hybrid research vessel.
Glosten announced the news Nov. 14.
Last year, Glosten secured a contract to develop a “concept-through-production-level design package” for the CCRV, a vessel that would belong to and run by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Ballard Power Systems is developing the fuel cells while Chart Industries is providing the cryogenic tank and fuel gas system for a hydrogen-fuel-cell propulsion system that would go into the vessel.
“Ballard Power Systems and Chart Industries are known for their expertise in hydrogen technologies, so we felt like they were a natural choice for a hydrogen propulsion system this unique,” Tim Leach, the principal Glosten naval architect overseeing the design of the CCRV, explained.
“Their experience will be invaluable to this project and integrate well with the engineering team as they move forward with developing the details of this design,” he added.
Glosten has provided its engineering and design work to Scripps for more than six decades, including for the midlife refit of the r/v Roger Revelle, modifications to the r/v Sally Ride, Melville and New Horizon and the design of the retired FLoating Instrument Platform (FLIP), according to the company.
