Riga Technical University (RTU) will lead a consortium of partners from France, Lithuania, and Estonia to build the 12-metre coastal vessel at the AtoZ shipyard in Riga.

France’s Genevos will supply the 40kW fuel cell, while the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and the Tallinn Centre of the Stockholm Environmental Institute will also support the €3.38m ($3.9m) project.

Backed with €2.8m ($3.2m) from the EU, through its Mission Ocean programme, the project is set to run until October 31, 2026.

RTU’s Maria Indrikova said the aim is to create “a sustainable technological solution,” which can be “practical, reliable, and contribute to a cleaner marine environment.”

Andrejs Zvaigzne, a leading researcher at RTU, highlighted that while big cargo ships often get blamed for ocean pollution, small coastal fishing boats also contribute.

They said since there are over 70,000 of these fishing vessels in the EU, taking action with them “could help reduce pollution along the coasts.”

Latvia has ambitious goals to become a hub for hydrogen technology.

However, for hydrogen production, the nation faces several challenges, including high production costs, limited renewable energy capacity, insufficient infrastructure, and a small industrial base.