Boating is all about getting out on the open water, enjoying fresh air and taking some time to relish in the refreshing atmosphere. Yet, all too often, boats and yachts are among the worst when it comes the kinds of pollutants they push out into the air and the water. However, a new kind of boat, which debuted this month on the canals in Amsterdam, seeks to change all of that.

The Nemo H2

The boat, which emits only water vapor, runs on fuel cell technology. This boat, named the “Nemo H2,” is the first fuel cell canal boat in existence. This boat’s fuel cells mix hydrogen and oxygen in order to create the electricity that powers the boat. The water vapor emitted by the boat is a byproduct of the reaction that creates electricity.

The Nemo H2 emits no air-polluting gases. This is a significant step in the right direction. Amsterdam’s centuries old canal network is a popular tourist attraction, and on any given day there are around 125 or more canal trips. A typical boat trip travels around the concentric semi-circles in Amsterdam, and creates a significant amount of pollution.

The Cost of Clean Boating

This new technology comes at a price, of course. The new type of boat costs as much as twice to build as a regular canal boat. A typical canal boat runs on a diesel engine, and requires the use of petroleum to keep it going. The Nemo H2 needs to be filled up daily at a hydrogen refill dispensing station, while a typical boat only has to be refueled about once a week, too. Boat insurance on this type of boat could be more costly, as well, given the fact that there is so much more capital involved in their construction.

Some of those costs are passed on to the consumers. Visitors can take a “CO2 Zero Canal Cruise,” in which the price includes a surcharge of .50 euro. This surcharge goes toward advancing research into technologies that will reduce carbon emissions, particularly on these canal boats.

Development of this project ran around 3 million euro. In part, the project was funded by the government. As more and more boats adapt the fuel cell technology, and as more advanced systems and infrastructure for the distribution of hydrogen grow, costs will naturally decline.

While the project is very new and extremely limited in its scope, the results are promising. You can’t help but think about what this kind of clean technology could do in a city like Venice, where canal boat trips far dwarf those in Amsterdam, or on inland lakes featuring pleasure watercraft around the globe