Two Scottish student teams will feature at this year’s Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in a great showcase of the Scottish hydrogen community’s collaborative spirit. This has been brought together by Forth Ports Limited and HS members, PlusZero Ltd and Waterwhelm, along with support from government agencies and universities working together to showcase the best in Scottish hydrogen technology.

The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge involves designing and building boats with new technologies, innovative materials, and alternative propulsion systems that reduce environmental impact while maintaining nautical performance. 

Team 1: Presenting the Vital Spark Hydrogen Hydrofoil is a Scottish team led by PlusZero in collaboration with Forth Ports, Hydrogen Scotland, and Waterwhelm, with additional support from students at the University of Glasgow’s UG Hydrogen Fuel Racing. Green hydrogen being produced at the Port of Leith is being used to fuel a PlusZero Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (HICE) battery hybrid generator, which powers the groundbreaking drivetrain of the Vital Spark Hydrogen Hydrofoil.

Team 2: Designed by Paul Sparrow, the trimaran ‘The Experiment of Leith H2’ involves a student team led by Dominic Chapman, President of Engineers Without Borders at Heriot-Watt University, working closely with the iNetZ+ research institute. Central to the project is its use of solid-state hydrogen storage and recharging technology, developed through Heriot-Watt’s Decarlog project. This advanced system offers higher energy density and safety compared to traditional lithium batteries, operating at low pressures (less than 1 bar) to minimise fire risks and eliminate energy losses over time. The project aims to demonstrate the practicality of hydride technology while challenging conventional hydrogen solutions, paving the way for safer, greener, and more efficient energy use in transportation.

Learn more about the teams and their entries here: https://energyboatchallenge.com/challenge/participants/sea-lab-class-participants-2025/