Agreement to further alternative transportation fuel solution?
VENTURA HARBOR, Calif. – HaveBlue LLC announced last week that it has reached an agreement with and for Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems (TOHS) to provide the developmental metal hydride storage system for HaveBlue’s X/V-1 marine hydrogen fuel technology demonstration vessel.
The demo vessel, a Catalina 42 mk II provided by Catalina Yachts, will utilize hydrogen energy produced through renewable resources to deliver all required power and propulsion economically. The X/V-1 program is said by the company to be commonly considered the first example of a critical early adaptor market in the practical application of hydrogen as a transportation fuel.
“We are thrilled to have a world class leader, like Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems, join the X/V-1 program,” said Craig Schmitman, President of HaveBlue LLC. “Sailing yachts are the perfect early adopter of hydrogen as a fuel, and we believe that the vast majority will be ideal for application of metal hydride hydrogen storage technology like the systems produced by Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems.”
“Our advanced proprietary hydrogen storage technology opens the door to new applications like the innovative marine fuel technology being developed by HaveBlue’s technology team,” said Mark Schiller, Manager of Sales and Marketing for TOHS. “We’re excited about the commercial opportunities HaveBlue’s renewable self-contained onboard systems could create within the sailing industry and look forward to collaborating on this initiative,”
HaveBlue’s patented propulsion and power generation system is said to produce renewable hydrogen from purified sea water using clean energy power sources such as solar panels, wind generators and regenerative electric drive motors. Other benefits of the self-contained systems, the company says, include the reduction or elimination of emissions, noise and odor associated with conventional internal combustion engines.
The companies expect to complete testing and demonstrations through this year with the goal of having it available at retail in 2005.
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