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Maritime decarbonisation and new engines
Reducing the carbon footprint of existing fleets
The maritime industry faces a dual challenge: reducing its CO₂ emissions and offering reliable alternatives to traditional combustion engines. However, the adoption of hydrogen in transport vessels remains complex, particularly due to constraints relating to hydrogen safety on board, weight and range.
Operational challenge: integrating hydrogen on a passenger vessel
It is in response to these challenges that Green Navy, a company committed to maritime energy transition, has launched the PROMETEO project: an electric-hydrogen catamaran less than 24 metres long. The aim is to prove that hydrogen can be safely and efficiently integrated into a passenger vessel capable of meeting operators’ needs.
Kinell's role: integrator of maritime energy systems
To bring this vision to life, Green Navy drew on the expertise of Kinell, a FÉTIS Group company, as an energy systems integrator. Kinell contributed its know-how in the architecture, integration and security of hydrogen and electrical systems, ensuring the feasibility and compliance of the project.
Architecture and integration: hydrogen propulsion and multi-energy platform
Innovative architecture for a hydrogen-powered vessel
PROMETEO is a multi-energy catamaran designed as a platform that can be adapted to market needs: passenger transport, freight or mixed use. Its aluminium hull combines lightness, robustness and great stability at sea.
The key innovation lies in the semi-confined storage of hydrogen. The tanks are located on the upper deck next to the passengers, but thanks to our Approval in Principle (AIP), it is possible to maintain space for passenger boarding. These tanks are isolated in a secure enclosure, allowing passengers and the energy system to coexist safely while optimising the available space.
A hybrid electro-hydrogen propulsion system
PROMETEO’s propulsion system is based on a hybrid electro-hydrogen architecture incorporating several complementary technologies: fuel cells for electricity generation, batteries to absorb power peaks and optimise consumption, electric motors for propulsion, and an Energy Management System (EMS) developed by Kinell to control the entire system in real time.
This configuration allows for continuous adjustment of the balance between power, range and consumption, while ensuring quiet, low-emission navigation.
Hydrogen safety on board and hydrogen vessel certification
The integration of hydrogen on board requires a high level of safety. Kinell has applied a risk analysis methodology based on international standards such as Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) and Explosion Risk Analysis. This approach, which is firmly rooted in its engineering practices, enables it to anticipate and address all scenarios related to the use of maritime hydrogen.
This approach led to the granting of Approval in Principle (AIP) by Bureau Veritas. This international certification is decisive: it validates the concept’s compliance with maritime safety requirements and confirms the technical viability of hydrogen propulsion on a catamaran less than 24 metres long. For Green Navy, it paves the way for the reproducible industrialisation of the solution.
Collaborative project: an ecosystem supporting the naval energy transition
PROMETEO is the result of close collaboration between several players in the maritime and hydrogen sectors: Green Navy, project owner (naval architecture and engineering), Eodev, fuel cell supplier, and Kinell, responsible for energy systems integration, certification management and technical coordination.
As a maritime systems integrator, Kinell ensured technical consistency, supplier selection, certification management and overall project management. Its central role enables it to offer an integrated solution that is validated and adaptable to other maritime applications.
Deployment and replicability
PROMETEO is part of a broader deployment strategy: AIP certification and the chosen architecture pave the way for reproducible industrialisation and other projects, capitalising on structured and certifiable maritime hydrogen integration.
Results and outlook
PROMETEO provides a concrete response to the challenges of maritime decarbonisation:
- for operators, a certified vessel that reduces operating costs and improves energy performance;
- for passengers, comfort on board, enhanced safety and quiet navigation;
- for the maritime sector, the first integration in France of semi-confined hydrogen storage on a catamaran, paving the way for other replicable projects.
Key figures
Propulsion:
electro-hydrogen hybrid with batteries and electric motors
Vessel size
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0
m
Storage capacity
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kg
Certification:
Approval in Principle obtained from Bureau Veritas
Maximum speed
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kts
Electric range
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h
PROMETEO demonstrates that maritime hydrogen integration on a passenger ship can be structured around a hybrid architecture (fuel cell, batteries, electric propulsion, EMS) and a safety approach based on risk analysis, with a hydrogen vessel certification pathway that secures the transition to industrialisation.