Swiss lake ferry to undergo hydrogen power retrofit

Swiss energy company Axpo has acquired a stake in compatriot firm H2Uri, which will develop a hydrogen fuel cell system for installation on a passenger ferry operating in Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne.

Local shipbuilder Shiptec will be responsible for the planning, authorisation, and conversion of the ferry Saphir, which is operated by Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees; SGV). Installation of the hydrogen fuel cell system will be completed by the autumn of 2025.

The hydrogen that will be used in the fuel cells will be supplied by a hydropower plant to be built in Bürglen. Production at this facility is scheduled to commence in 2025.