Vigo is strengthening its position as one of Europe’s leading hubs for sustainable fisheries innovation through its participation in the HY2FISH project, an initiative focused on reducing emissions and improving the energy efficiency of fishing vessels.

The project, supported by the European Union, aims to develop and test new technologies capable of transforming the fishing sector towards cleaner and more sustainable operations. Among the proposed solutions are hydrogen-based propulsion systems, marine batteries, flexible solar panels and advanced digital energy-management systems.

One of the key milestones of the initiative will be the retrofit of a traditional fishing vessel that will operate under Atlantic conditions on the Galician coast. The demonstrator vessel will integrate hybrid propulsion technologies combining hydrogen fuel cells and electric systems designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

HY2FISH also seeks to improve vessel hydrodynamics, reduce underwater noise and introduce smart monitoring technologies that optimise onboard energy use in real time. According to the project consortium, the technologies under development could reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 40%, while paving the way for near-zero-emission fishing operations in the future.

The initiative forms part of a broader strategy led by Vigo and European maritime institutions to accelerate the energy transition of the fishing industry and reinforce the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the sector.

Read the original article published by Faro de Vigo.