ICELAND: Filling Up on Hydrogen

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The hydrogen generator replaces an oil-based generator. It is particularly appropriate for the whale-watching ship as the generator is silent, which means that when whales are spotted and the ship's main engines are switched off, there is no background rumble of a diesel generator.

REYKJAVIK, Aug 28 (IPS) - Earlier this year, the Icelandic whale-watching boat Elding was fitted with a hydrogen-powered generator that fuels its lighting system, electric equipment and navigation machinery. It is the first of its kind in the world.

The hydrogen generator replaces an oil-based generator. It is particularly appropriate for the whale-watching ship as the generator is silent, which means that when whales are spotted and the ship's main engines are switched off, there is no background rumble of a diesel generator.

The project is part of Sustainable Marine and Road Transport -- Hydrogen in Iceland, or SMART-H2, as it is more commonly called. SMART-H2, which was started in March 2007, is run by the company Icelandic New Energy and the University of Iceland, and will run for three years.