Loading ...Japan and the United States are looking to develop a submarine to be powered by a fuel-cell. The joint venture will be able to see the vessel be submerged for up to a month without the need for recharging.
The boat will be unmanned and 10 meters (33 feet) in length, according to AFP, which cited the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun. The submarine would be used for patrolling the seas around Japan looking for any potential threats. It is set to be a purely reconnaissance sub, with no torpedoes or other weapons on board.
The advantages of a fuel-cell powered submarine are numerous. Firstly they can stay underwater for large amounts of time, without having to refuel, while they are environmentally friendly, unlike a nuclear sub, from which toxic waste has to be disposed of.
The project will cost Japan around $25 million over the next five years, to try and develop the fuel cell, according to Yomiuri. Fuel cells cleanly and efficiently convert chemical energy from hydrogen-rich fuels into electrical power and usable high quality heat in an electrochemical process that is virtually absent of pollutants.