Recently, at an exhibition in Miami, “Yamaha” showed the world's first motor boat with an outboard internal combustion engine powered by hydrogen. This is not just a boat with a new engine but this is a test facility designed from the outset to be an integration facility for new carbon-free technologies. Field tests of the boat and motor will begin in the summer to identify strong and especially weak points in the project.

The Japanese developer created a prototype of a motor boat with an outboard combustion engine running on hydrogen together with the companies “Roush” and “Regulator Marine”. Roush, as a specialist in power, propulsion and transportation systems from automotive to aerospace, has developed a storage, flow, fueling and safety package for compressed hydrogen. In fact, “Roush” proposed the design of the hydrogen cylinders and the fuel supply system for the engine.

The developer and manufacturer of motor boats, the “Regulator Marine” company, had to take into account the “balloon” feature of hydrogen internal combustion engines and design the boat taking into account the optimal placement of the cylinders. Cylinders with compressed hydrogen were placed in the center of the boat, removing a number of parts from there - boxes for fishing tackle and more. In the future, it is likely that hydrogen ICE powerboats will have to be designed with more efficient cylinder placement in mind, which could lead to interesting design options.

At the exhibition, “Yamaha” did not talk about the characteristics of the hydrogen engine. It is known that the presented modification was created on the basis of the standard “Offshore V8” gasoline engine with a power of 425 and 450 hp. - senior in the company's line of outboard motors. It will be interesting to hear about the prototype testing. The partners are confident that such engines are the future. The main thing is that their operation is safe.