Published on 1st October 2025
In Lorient, the Hydrogen Support Vessel (HSV) developed by K-Challenge Racing & Lab was successfully refuelled with hydrogen gas using a mobile station during a demonstration open to industrial and institutional players, port managers and safety teams.
This operation marks a key step towards the operational implementation of maritime hydrogen refuelling in a real port environment.
Hydrogen systems integration and operational coordination
Kinell, carried out refuelling operations using the mobile station supplied by Argo-Anleg GmbH.
This operation demonstrated:
- The interface between the mobile hydrogen station and the on-board system,
- Compatibility of the refuelling equipment,
- The safety measures of the refuelling sequences,
- The technical coordination of the operation on site.
A hydrogen-powered vessel representative of future uses
During the demonstration, HSV presented a configuration that can be integrated into future maritime hydrogen applications:
- Two 80 kW EODev REXH2 fuel cells;
- 32 kg of hydrogen stored at 350 bar, distributed across four Type IV tanks.
Simultaneous refuelling on both sides of the vessel was validated, demonstrating the technical maturity of the procedures and equipment.
A second demonstration during BritanHy Day
A second refueling demonstration was then carried out during BrittanHY Day, a key hydrogen ecosystem event for the hydrogen sector in Brittany.
This demonstration, conducted in front of industrial and institutional stakeholders, journalists and safety teams, provided an opportunity to share the technical lessons learned from the first phase and to demonstrate the reproducibility of hydrogen refueling operations.
A concrete demonstration towards the industrialisation of maritime hydrogen
These two successive demonstrations illustrate the ability of the parties involved to:
- integrate complete hydrogen chains,
- secure bunkering operations,
- prepare for the industrial deployment of hydrogen solutions for vessels and port infrastructure.
As an integrator of decarbonised energy and propulsion systems, Kinell supports these projects from the engineering stage through to the testing and commissioning phases, in line with the regulatory requirements of the maritime sector.
About Kinell
Kinell is the FÉTIS Group brand dedicated to decarbonizations, electrification, automation and software development for off-highway machinery, specialized vehicles, professional and recreational marine applications, and energy production.
Structured around several specialized activities (Mobility, Engineering and soon Marine), Kinell offers comprehensive solutions and technological building blocks. Kinell supports OEMs in the design, integration and development of high-performance, reliable machines in their energy transition. Its offering covers the entire innovation cycle: design of low-carbon propulsion systems, development of embedded software, connected services, etc.
About FÉTIS Group
FÉTIS Group is a privately owned international engineering group focusing on the industries of heavy mobility, marine and on-site power. From it’s base in Nantes, France, it has growth to over 700 employees in 9 countries.
Press contact
Béatrice Nguyen
bnguyen@fetis.group
+33 (0)6 99 62 60 28
