Baleària to incorporate first on-board power production from e-methanol in Europe

In Spain, Baleària will incorporate the first autonomous electricity generation container from e-methanol in Europe, manufactured by the Catalan company specializing in sustainable energy solutions, Methanol Reformer, to the electric ferry Cap de Barbaria. The eNomad system will be available in the coming weeks and will turn the Cap de Barbaria into an experimental hydrogen laboratory, being the first ferry in Europe to use methanol as an energy vector to produce hydrogen. The use of this system will be a new milestone in decarbonization solutions applicable to short sea shipping.
The Cap de Barbaria, which operates between Ibiza and Formentera since 2023, was designed to integrate a hydrogen system capable of supplying some of the energy required by the vessel. The Methanol Reformer eNomad system combines the generation of hydrogen-produced from e-methanol reforming with a modular, compact and autonomous design, capable of operating efficiently in port and maritime environments. The use of the system on the electric ferry will allow to validate its behavior in real operating conditions.
The hydrogen generated by this system will be used to power a fuel cell and produce auxiliary electricity. This electricity will support the recharge of batteries and reduce the use of conventional generators, thus reducing fuel consumption and emissions. In addition, Baleària will take advantage of this compact hydrogen production equipment to test different combinations between batteries and fuel cell in the electric engine of the ship.