H2ICE Development

Achieving Net Zero and decarbonising the UK's roads, rails, air space, and waterways is potentially the greatest challenge of our generation. The marine sector contributes to 940 million tonnes of CO2 per year, equating to roughly 2.5% of global greenhouse gasses.

Hydrogen is one of the most promising fuels for decarbonising the marine sector because its combustion produces zero carbon emissions and it also has the potential for domestic off grid production. Currently Diesel Internal Combustion Engines are the most commonly used engines in the marine industry. Hence the quickest and most economical way to switch to hydrogen as a marine fuel would be to convert existing diesel engines to run on hydrogen. The aim of this project is to test the feasibility of converting diesel engines used in the internal waterways. This project brings together four strong UK based organisations renowned for innovation, supported by an impressive list of suppliers. The consortium will be led by E.P.Barrus, a leading UK marine engine supplier with a well-established route to market, who have partnered up with Brunel University London, a university well known for its applied engineering research. Barrus, have innovatively developed their own range of engines for the inland waterways, the Shire range, which includes a number of electric outboards as well as more conventional Diesel inboards. The final designs from this project will focus on Barrus's best seller on the Inland Waterways, the Shire 50, a four-cylinder diesel inboard engine, which is built at Barrus's facility in the UK. Barrus is capable of immediately scaling into production as well as offering modification kits to convert Diesel engines already in use.

Barrus's partnership with Brunel University will enable concept testing using single cylinder engines on one of Brunel's fully equipped and purpose-built test cells. Also supporting the project will be General Engine Management Systems (GEMS), a UK based performance electronic specialist who have been producing high quality electronic systems for the Autosport industry for over 30 years, and Borg Warner, a multinational giant who have been producing components for the Automotive industry since the 1920's.