Dutch students first to cross North Sea in foiling hydrogen boat

Dutch Technical University Delft students have accomplished their mission to create the first foiling hydrogen-powered boat to cross some 160 km of rough water of the North Sea between the Netherlands and England.

To set their record, they took a ‘ride’ of 12.5 hours hovering above the waves between Breskens (Netherlands) and Ramsgate (UK), normally 80 nautical miles (148 km) due to a forced stop in Zeebrugge (Belgium) for repairs to a broken pump.

World Champions

After becoming world champion at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in July 2023, the TU Delft Hydro Motion Team set a new goal of being the first to do the crossing in a fuel-cell powered foiling speedboat.

The new boat, 8 meters in length by 2.65 meters in width, was built as light as possible with a modified deep-V-shaped monohull.

This monohull provides a sharp bow, allowing it to cut through the waves. Speed is necessary to lift the boat from the water on its foils underneath and fly a meter above the waves, similar to an airplane.

Stabilizing with sensors

To stabilize the boat, each foil can independently tilt up and down. Multiple sensors measure the boat’s position above the water. By quickly adjusting the foil angles based on the vessel’s position, the pilots can sail smoothly, maintaining a stable height and positioning.

This way, a speed of 21 knots (40 km/h) can be maintained, allowing, in theory, to cover the crossing between Zeebrugge and Ramsgate with 66 nautical miles (122 km) of direct crossing in some four hours.

Fuel cell systems and battery

The boat is propelled by a fuel cell system fed by three high-pressure hydrogen tanks and a backup battery of seven modules, each with 32 small batteries.

These are essential to boost the boat’s energy to lift out of the water and start’ hydro foiling, drastically reducing drag. Fuel cells can’t deliver such an electricity boost themselves.