REGULATOR MARINE COLLABORATES WITH YAMAHA AND ROUSH TO EXPLORE HYDROGEN POWER Ge t t i n g E l eme n t a l One of the buzziest displays at this February’s Miami International Boat Show was the Yamaha booth, where the company showcased the world’s first hydrogen-powered outboard designed for recreational use. On their quest to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Yamaha Motor Corporation is investing in multiple technology solutions, including hydrogen fuel. On this project, they collaborated with Roush and Regulator Marine to develop a prototype fuel system and center console designed for a hydrogenpowered outboard. Make no mistake, this is strictly a concept boat—an innovative project undertaken to demonstrate what may be possible. Hydrogen is not yet an alternative fuel solution that is ready for the U.S. consumer market, but the team does plan to take their prototype from the showroom to onthe-water testing in the summer of 2024. Matt Van Benschoten, Vice President of Advance Engineering at Roush, summarized the project, “Yamaha is trying to determine if hydrogen can successfully be used in this market, and I think we will find out the answer is ‘yes.’” Their efforts will also begin to inform the marine industry on safety and manufacturing standards that will likely need to be developed around hydrogen use in vessels. The engine itself isn’t a radical departure from the norm. Modern combustion engines all use the same general mechanical principles to harness energy from gasoline, diesel, liquid natural gas, or hydrogen fuels. The devil is in the details: building the vehicles around the power source and fuel supply and determining if it can all come together into a practical solution. Ultimately, each fuel’s processing, storage, handling, and distribution are major factors that impact their viability in the marketplace. “If we don’t look for a new source, we won’t find a new source. Innovation starts by asking questions,” says Joan Maxwell, President of Regulator Marine. Leveraging themost basic element on Earth, hydrogen fuel (H2) lacks carbon entirely, making it one of the cleanest alternative fuel sources, in theory. The only emissions byproduct is water—a small amount of oxygen becomes fused with hydrogen in the combustion chamber, forming H2O. 48 BLUEWATER
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