NatPower H and Hydrocell sign their first agreement for the supply of 4.5 tons of hydrogen over 3 years

Milan, 11 June 2024 – NatPower H, part of the NatPower Group, the leading global developer of innovative infrastructure for the production, storage and refueling of green hydrogen for pleasure boating, and Hydrocell, an innovator in the field of renewable energy which produces control units for hydrogen-powered and electric propulsion systems, have signed an agreement for the supply of hydrogen to be used as a propellant for zero-emission boats.

The contract covers the supply of approximately 4.5 tons of hydrogen over 3 years from one of the stations to be installed by NatPower H or in mobile mode. The hydrogen will be used for the propulsion of Hydrocell’s light passenger transport vessel “Nobody’s Perfect”, a retrofitted 17-meter fishing vessel built in Bordeaux in 1978, which will host the first hydrogen engine (its 10kg-capacity fuel tank allowing for 30 hours of sailing) managed by a control unit designed by Hydrocell. Refueling operations will begin during the testing phase of the craft and continue into the operational phase.

“This is an important contract for the boating industry and for NatPower H, consolidating our commitment and knowledge as a vital player in the decarbonization of boating,” says Andrea Minerdo, CEO of NatPower H, “Today hydrogen strengthens its position as a fuel of the future, as it begins the transition from an experimental propellant to one that is commercially-available to all”.

“The agreement with NatPower H is a concrete sign of the desire to push towards the use of renewable, easily-accessible energy sources like hydrogen in order to build a better future for everyone,” explains Karl Manfredi, CEO of Hydrocell, “For us, hydrogen is one of the keys to a more sustainable planet: we have therefore combined our wealth of varied experience in the sector in order to make our contribution. Thanks to NatPower H we are able to add another piece to a project of crucial importance to us – the retrofitting of “Nobody’s Perfect”.

NatPower H

NatPower H is the first global developer of innovative infrastructure for green hydrogen production, storage and refueling. NatPower H is part of the NatPower Group, an independent developer of clean energy infrastructure projects supporting businesses, utilities and investors globally. With one of the largest pipelines of renewables projects in the world – over 30GW – the company is an accelerator of the energy transition process, covering all of the major technologies: solar, wind, storage and hydrogen. In just a few years, NatPower has established itself as one of the leading independent developers and now operates in 7 different countries: Italy, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, the United States, Canada, Tunisia and Chile. With offices in Milan, London and Washington DC, the company has over 70 employees on 3 different continents.

Press contacts

NatPower

Maria Grazia Tiballi – mg.tiballi@natpower.com – Tel. +39 344 0336620
Marco Vassallo – m.vassallo@natpower.com – Tel. +39 338 7130378

NatPower press office – Havas PR

Carola Beretta – carola.beretta@havaspr.com – Tel. +39 345 4532564
Yael Norsa – yael.norsa@havaspr.com –  Tel. +39 3489349773

Hydrocell

Hailing from South Tyrol, Hydrocell is an innovative company founded by experts with twenty years of know-how in the field of renewable energy whose aim is to promote the widespread use and economic diffusion of hydrogen. Hydrocell’s CEO is Karl Manfredi, an expert in management, telecommunications, IT and cloud computing who spent several years as CEO of Brennercom. The company’s president is Federico Giudiceandrea, electronic engineer, founder of TTControl and co-owner of Microtec and Classic Boat Venice, an expert in industrial electronics and former president of Assoimprenditori Alto Adige. CTO and third founder of the company Walter Huber is a chemical engineer who founded the IIT Hydrogen Center in Bolzano, and an internationally-recognized hydrogen expert. In 2023 Hydrocell won the “Innovation in application” category for maritime transport at the Italian Hydrogen Technology Awards (IHTA), while last March the company placed third in the Water Mobility category of the IoMOBILITYAwards.