LR awards approval in principle for two Shiptec zero-emission hydrogen passenger ferries
Shiptec, a leading Swiss passenger shipbuilder, has been awarded approval in principle (AiP) by Lloyd’s Register (LR), for the compressed hydrogen fuel-cell ferries Saphir and Quinten Lebt, which will operate on Lake Lucerne and Lake Walen respectively, according to the company's release.
The 300-passenger capacity Saphir will be retrofitted with a hydrogen (H2) fuel-cell propulsion system and currently sails a round trip from the Lucerne basin to the cross funnel of Lake Lucerne and back again.
The 12-person hybrid hydrogen catamaran Quinten Lebt will be built by Shiptec to serve the Murg West, Unterterzen, Quinten and Quinten Au piers on Lake Walen.
Both designs have been certified using LR’s Risk-based Certification (RBC-2) process which forms part of LR’s prescriptive rules of the use of hydrogen as a marine fuel, the first issued by a classification society back in 2023. This approval demonstrates the safe design of the H2 fuel cell system onboard the two ferries.
