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13 min ago 2 min read
Canada-based marine technology firm Cellula Robotics has completed over 2,000km of submerged operation of its hydrogen fuel cell-powered autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
At 8.5 metres and 3.7 tonnes, the AUV – named Envoy – can operate at up to 2,000 metres depth, powered by a 1.2MW hydrogen fuel cell developed with Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen.
In a 385-hour test mission, it performed over 4,000 manoeuvres, tracing a profile simulating real-world operation.
Cellula said that Envoy exceeded specification performance in the demonstration, with potential for deployments in geophysical surveying, underwater infrastructure inspection, and various defence uses.
William Smith, CEO of Infinity, said the result underscores the potential role of fuel cells in long-range autonomous subsea operations.
Hydrogen has recently garnered interest around deployment in unmanned defence applications due to its ability to offer long ranges and reduced acoustic and thermal signatures.
In January, Ukrainian aerospace company deployed a fuel cell-powered unmanned aerial vehicle, the Raybird UAS, for reconnaissance purposes in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
UK developer Acua Ocean is also targeting defence uses for its fuel cell-powered uncrewed service vessel, which has been since last year.
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