Isotta Fraschini Motori, a company of the Fincantieri group, has successfully completed the first firing of a single-cylinder engine powered 100% by hydrogen. The result was achieved within the Wave2theFuture project, funded through the European IPCEI Hy2Tech programme, and marks a significant step forward in the development of next-generation propulsion solutions for the maritime industry, confirming the potential of hydrogen as a concrete lever to cut emissions and support the transition towards cleaner shipping.
The experimental single-cylinder test was carried out in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with the British engineering firm Ricardo, and focuses on optimising the engine architecture and improving combustion performance. It is a preparatory test: its results will be used to size the facilities at the Bari plant, so that they are ready for validation once the engine becomes available in its complete, multi-cylinder configuration. The knowledge gained in this phase will indeed support the next stage — the testing of the multi-cylinder engine — bringing the industrial application of hydrogen-powered marine propulsion closer.
This milestone is part of the broader path along which Isotta Fraschini Motori is developing its hydrogen technologies, structured around two complementary streams: hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines and fuel cell systems for electric power generation. It is precisely at Bari that the results of the experimental campaign will feed into the sizing of the test infrastructure, and it is on this front that the contribution of Control Sistem comes into play, engaged as technology partner for the facilities dedicated to the validation of hydrogen systems.
At the Apulian site, Control Sistem designed and built the 3 MW test hall for the validation of fuel cell systems, integrating automation, energy management and safety logic for the use of hydrogen. The test facilities represent the link that carries these technologies from research to industrial application, enabling their validation and qualification before deployment on board.
Milestones such as the first firing of the hydrogen engine confirm the value of a fully Italian technology supply chain, in which Control Sistem plays an active role as a partner for test infrastructure. A result that strengthens the company’s commitment to developing advanced and sustainable energy solutions and to making a concrete contribution to the transition towards low-emission marine mobility.
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