Dhamma, not drama. Hydrogen is a real option
The Spanish company Dhamma Blue is betting on hydrogen for recreational boating. We saw it at the Venice Boat Show and the Cannes Yachting Festival
Hydrogen is probably the fuel of the future, for long-haul trucks, in stationary applications, and is also being explored for pleasure and commercial boating, in competition with ammonia and methanol. The Spanish company Dhamma Blue, on the other hand, is thinking about the present.
We wrote about Nat Power, and in this article we summarize the Dhamma experience at the Cannes Yachting Festival. We spotted them at the Venice Boat Show. In that context, Philippe Esposito and Robert Imaz, co-founders of Dhamma Blue, commented: “Dhamma Blue is not just a boat. It’s a manifesto.“
Spain is a pioneer in the development of green hydrogen in the European Union. The presence of the giant Iberdrola, a leader in wind energy, is certainly an accelerating factor. For our part, we suggest two links: one concerning Accelera by Cummins, the other Lhyfe.
Dhramma Blue believes on Hydrogen Technology
Dhamma Blue is the first hydrogen-powered pleasure boat designed and built in Spain. The boat has an electric motor powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. The boat can travel around 65 nautical miles at 12 knots with a top speed of 28 knots.
The hydrogen is stored in a tank and combined with oxygen in a fuel cell to generate electricity for the motor. The only byproduct of this process is water vapor. According to a co-founder, the use of green hydrogen would complete the sustainability loop.
The boat design
The 7.9-meter boat features a swimming platform, a sun deck, a natural cork deck, a bow cabin, and swivel seats. It’s also equipped with modern comforts like a hi-fi system and a refrigerator. The quiet, vibration-free operation makes it ideal for sensitive marine environments.
And the winner is…
Dhamma Blue has received multiple awards, including the Innovation in Sustainable Mobility award at the Green Gas Mobility Summit 2025 and the “Coup de Cœur” prize at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2025. It also received a certificate for maritime decarbonization in 2024 from the Spanish National Association of Electric Boats (ANBE).
