SEA-KIT wins funding for hydrogen Uncrewed Surface Vessel

SEA-KIT International has won funding from the Zero Emissions

hydrogen-fuelled Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV).

As part of the initiative, the vessel manufacturer will collaborate with

Marine2o to create land-based infrastructure to manufacture green hydrogen using

renewable energy and water electrolysis.

The Zero Emissions Ports Hydrogen Refilling Survey Vessel (ZEPHR) project

aims to extend vessel operation for port operators and stakeholders by

transferring all energy from readily available green electricity to 100 per cent

green hydrogen production, compression, storage, and dispensing.

A consortium partner, the Port of London Authority (PLA), will host the

hydrogen refuelling station on the River Thames in London and will later run the

ZEPHR USV.

SEA-KIT’s remotely controlled USVs, many of which are active on offshore

projects across the world, increase safety by having personnel based onshore in

Remote Operations Centres.

According to the company, their reduced size results in substantial cost

savings when compared to bigger, traditional survey vessels.

The ZEPHR USV platform’s primary payload will be a high resolution

multi-beam echo-sounder, with the possibility to deploy other sensors such as

LiDAR, cameras, and environmental monitoring and sampling equipment.

The vessel will also be capable of launching and recovering flying drones

for surveying, surveillance, and search and rescue missions. For redundancy,

ZEPHR will employ two hydrogen fuel cell systems.

To fulfil regulatory and compliance standards and receive permissions for

continuous operations, the vessel’s design will be assessed by Lloyd’s Register

and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

ZEPHR is set to be built at SEA-KIT’s recently expanded production facility

in Tollesbury, Essex in the UK.

In July 2023, RightShip announced a collaboration with PLA to facilitate

the Thames’s transformation to Net Zero.