Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : How composites helped launch France’s first zero-emission cargo vessel

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

How composites helped launch France’s first zero-emission cargo vessel

Late 2024, Paris witnessed a milestone in the history of sustainable transport: the baptism of the Zulu 06, a 55-meter-long river cargo vessel capable of carrying 400 tonnes of goods while operating entirely on hydrogen fuel cells. Developed by Sogestran Group under the European Flagships program, the Zulu 06 is more than just a ship; it is a demonstrator of what zero-emission inland transport can achieve.

Pascal Girardet, Chairman and CEO of Sogestran, emphasized the importance of this step: “If the hydrogen sector is still under construction, every stone in the building plays a role in its democratization and will ultimately allow a complete value chain to be structured. With the Zulu 06, we are taking a key step for river transport. This vessel embodies not only technological excellence but also Sogestran’s commitment to sustainable and efficient mobility.

Equipped with two 200 kW PEM fuel cells, the vessel runs on 300 kg of compressed green hydrogen at 300 bar, granting it an operational autonomy of about 500 kilometers—perfectly suited for urban distribution between Gennevilliers and Bonneuil-sur-Marne on the Seine. By drastically reducing emissions, noise, and particulate pollution, the Zulu 06 offers a vision of a cleaner logistics network embedded in metropolitan centers.

From road to river, composites at the core

Hydrogen is notoriously difficult to store and transport due to its low density and high-pressure requirements. This is where the expertise of Hexagon Purus came into play. In 2021, Sogestran selected Hexagon Purus as supplier of a 20ft Multiple-Element Gas Container (MEGC) with Type 4 composite cylinders. The choice was no coincidence. Hexagon Purus had decades of experience in hydrogen storage for road transport. As Stefan Wedowski, Product Manager Hexagon Purus, explains “in 2021, Sogestran chose Hexagon Purus as supplier for a 20ft MEGC with Type 4 composite cylinders. due to its long experience in manufacturing Multiple-Element Gas Container (MEGC) for hydrogen transportation and storage.

Meeting safety and regulatory challenges

Introducing hydrogen to inland waterways meant meeting stringent safety requirements. The collaboration between Sogestran, shipbuilders, and classification societies led to design modifications. As Wedowski recalls, “already during pre-order discussions between customer and technical sales department, the first Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) was agreed on. During the course of the project, the design was discussed by the shipbuilder with the classification society of the vessel. In comparison to the original, additional pressure relief devices, which are no standard safety features for MEGC, were introduced.

Why composites matter

At the heart of the Zulu 06’s hydrogen storage system are Type 4 high-pressure cylinders. “The cylinders are so-called Type 4 high-pressure cylinders. They consist of an inner plastic liner, which is fully wrapped with carbon fibre. The advantages of the composite design are the low weight to payload ratio of this type of cylinders, and corrosion- and fatigue-resistant properties of the material combination,” describes Wedowski.

The composite wrapping-carbon fiber wound around the liner provides the structural resilience needed to withstand pressures up to 950 bar, while accommodating geometric changes in the liner under varying load conditions. In this respect, the Zulu 06 benefits from more than four decades of R&D in composite cylinder manufacturing, making hydrogen storage lighter, safer, and longer lasting compared to steel alternatives.

While the materials were proven, certification remained a hurdle. “As mentioned, the cylinders itself were not developed specifically for Zulu. However, the approval for the vessel included a thorough discussion of cylinder specifications and tests which were carried out during development of the cylinders,

source :JEC Composites/ Sogestran @MIGNOT Gauthier / Hexagon Purus