Toyota Motor Corp. has developed a fuel cell system for maritime applications and plans to install it in the Energy Observer, an electrically propelled vessel on a six-year odyssey around the world.

The Energy Observer is the first energy-autonomous hydrogen vessel in the world using a mix of renewable energies and an on-board system that produces carbon-free hydrogen from seawater. The mission of the vessel is to visit 50 countries and 101 ports during the voyage, showing that cleaner transportation methods are viable and demonstrating the innovations of future energy networks.

The Toyota fuel system was first introduced in the Toyota Mirai, billed as the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle. The company has been exploring the use of its fuel cell system in other applications such as buses and trucks.

The maritime-specific fuel cell system was develop by Toyota Technical Center Europe where the fuel cell was redesigned and then installed into a compact fuel cell module. Components that were first introduced in the Toyota Mirai where fitted into the compact model where it could be used for maritime applications. The goal of the project is to show how the technology can be used in a variety of applications including those outside of land-based vehicles.

The fuel cell module was tested with the Energy Observer while the boat was docked at the end of 2019. The system is currently undergoing its final full power testing at sea prior to setting sail from Saint-Malo Port as it begins its 2020 tour.