PRINTSTART-UP OF “VISION”, THE FIRST ENVIROMENTALLY FRIENDLY WATERBUS
22 December 2008
Today, at the headquarters of Confindustria Venice, there was the presentation of the Vision project - Venetian waterbus Innovated with hybrid hydrogen, photovoltaic and accumulation fuel cell System of energy generation, azimuth electric propulSION, for reduced environmental impact and improved passenger comfort. The project sets out to build a prototype of an environmentally friendly waterbus.
Promoted and co-ordinated by Confindustria Venice, the initiative involves Fincantieri as project leader and coordinator, together with Actv which will trial the prototype and use the new generation waterbus. A further 12 firms and research centres, 8 of which from the Veneto region - 6 from Venice and 2 from Vicenza – will take part in the construction of the waterbus, alongside other professionals.
Presented in September 2008 to the Ministry for Economic Development within the framework of the programme “Industria 2015” which fosters innovative projects regarding sustainable mobility, Vision will benefit from funding amounting to approximately 5 million out of a total investment of approximately 12 million euros.
The three-year project, which is scheduled to start up at the beginning of February 2009, comprises the study of a number of aspects leading up until the prototype waterbus is launched. There may be industrial return for the participants with an order to build a mini-fleet of 16 waterbuses which may enter into service as of 2013, also with funding from the Veneto Regional Authority.
The “Vision” project sets out to improve the quality of passenger transport by water and promote the use of boats in historic cities of great environmental importance. This objective is not only relevant to the Venetian lagoon and the project can be extended to a range of environmentally sensitive environments both in Italy and the EU. Indeed, the City Authority of Milan has expressed its intention to recover the Navigli for the purposes of navigation with a view to preparing for the internationally important event, Expo 2015.
The waterbuses of the future will be conceived to reduce, and even eliminate, the various forma of pollution in water and air thanks to technologically advanced, economically competitive solutions, by exploiting photovoltaic energy and using hydrogen, which is widely available in the Venice area.
Environmentally friendly energy will be generated by means of fuel cells powered by a hydrogen accumulation plant. The new system will be of a hybrid nature in that it will also have a solar energy component of limited power.
Moreover, in order to have a greater level of safety and faster response for manoeuvrability, enhanced levels of passenger comfort and “the silence of a gondola”, the waterbus will be equipped with new generation electric engines which use azimuth type systems. Distance control of these engines will be the same as on board the large cruise ships with cross the lagoon perfectly safely.
Piercipriano Rollo, Director of Studies and Strategies, Fincantieri, commented: «We are pleased to be the co-ordinator of such an important, innovative project for which we can transfer the know-how we have gained over many years building vessels with a high technological content and ever-constant attention to research, process and product innovation and pursuit of solutions with the lowest level of environmental impact possible. The new technologies which may be applied are in some cases at the cutting edge, indeed modifications will have to be made to the regulations for the sector. ».
«The recognition of the importance of the Vision project – underlined Fabrizio Bettiol, Vice President of Confindustria Venice – is a milestone in the development of the energy sector and sustainable mobility, which have found here in Veneto Region a fertile, receptive field of application, starting from the construction of the hydrogen plant in Fusina and a series of related projects of international importance».
Venice, 22 December 2008
Promoted and co-ordinated by Confindustria Venice, the initiative involves Fincantieri as project leader and coordinator, together with Actv which will trial the prototype and use the new generation waterbus. A further 12 firms and research centres, 8 of which from the Veneto region - 6 from Venice and 2 from Vicenza – will take part in the construction of the waterbus, alongside other professionals.
Presented in September 2008 to the Ministry for Economic Development within the framework of the programme “Industria 2015” which fosters innovative projects regarding sustainable mobility, Vision will benefit from funding amounting to approximately 5 million out of a total investment of approximately 12 million euros.
The three-year project, which is scheduled to start up at the beginning of February 2009, comprises the study of a number of aspects leading up until the prototype waterbus is launched. There may be industrial return for the participants with an order to build a mini-fleet of 16 waterbuses which may enter into service as of 2013, also with funding from the Veneto Regional Authority.
The “Vision” project sets out to improve the quality of passenger transport by water and promote the use of boats in historic cities of great environmental importance. This objective is not only relevant to the Venetian lagoon and the project can be extended to a range of environmentally sensitive environments both in Italy and the EU. Indeed, the City Authority of Milan has expressed its intention to recover the Navigli for the purposes of navigation with a view to preparing for the internationally important event, Expo 2015.
The waterbuses of the future will be conceived to reduce, and even eliminate, the various forma of pollution in water and air thanks to technologically advanced, economically competitive solutions, by exploiting photovoltaic energy and using hydrogen, which is widely available in the Venice area.
Environmentally friendly energy will be generated by means of fuel cells powered by a hydrogen accumulation plant. The new system will be of a hybrid nature in that it will also have a solar energy component of limited power.
Moreover, in order to have a greater level of safety and faster response for manoeuvrability, enhanced levels of passenger comfort and “the silence of a gondola”, the waterbus will be equipped with new generation electric engines which use azimuth type systems. Distance control of these engines will be the same as on board the large cruise ships with cross the lagoon perfectly safely.
Piercipriano Rollo, Director of Studies and Strategies, Fincantieri, commented: «We are pleased to be the co-ordinator of such an important, innovative project for which we can transfer the know-how we have gained over many years building vessels with a high technological content and ever-constant attention to research, process and product innovation and pursuit of solutions with the lowest level of environmental impact possible. The new technologies which may be applied are in some cases at the cutting edge, indeed modifications will have to be made to the regulations for the sector. ».
«The recognition of the importance of the Vision project – underlined Fabrizio Bettiol, Vice President of Confindustria Venice – is a milestone in the development of the energy sector and sustainable mobility, which have found here in Veneto Region a fertile, receptive field of application, starting from the construction of the hydrogen plant in Fusina and a series of related projects of international importance».
Venice, 22 December 2008