With 48 meters in length, 11.5 meters in width, and a capacity for up to 20 people, the floating laboratory from Germany will test hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, batteries, drones, and autonomous systems.

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 23/05/2026 at 19:13

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MODULARIS Platform, from the German Aerospace Center, will be used to test hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, batteries, automation, and drones on trips of up to seven days, creating a real development environment for future ship technologies.

Germany has taken a new step to test low-emission ships with MODULARIS, DLR’s floating laboratory whose keel was launched in Flensburg, with 48 meters in length, 11.5 meters in width, and a focus on hydrogen.

Ships will have tests in real conditions

The maritime platform will be used to integrate, evaluate, and prepare future technologies in an operational environment. The goal is to accelerate the development of energy, navigation, and communication systems before certification.

The German Aerospace Center reported that MODULARIS will bring together research on climate-compatible propulsion, autonomous technologies, and applications aimed at safety and defense. The proposal involves government, industry, companies, and startups.

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Hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia enter the center of research

The ship will have an experimental engine room to test alternative fuels, including methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. Fuel cells, batteries, sensors, and automation systems will also be evaluated.

The structure will feature redundant safety and control systems, allowing experiments with equipment not yet certified. This configuration should enhance test safety and reduce steps between laboratory, operation, and certification.

A digital twin, a virtual model of the vessel, will be used for simulations and analyses. The tool will serve to prepare sea trials and complement the development done on board.

Platform will support drones and infrastructure in Kiel

MODULARIS will support unmanned systems, such as drones. The test trips are mainly planned for the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and Mediterranean, with missions of up to seven days.

DLR is expanding its structure in Kiel, at the MaK Campus, with offices, research, and laboratories with direct access to the water. The institution states that the complex reinforces Schleswig-Holstein as a German innovation center.

The keel ceremony included a coin under the first prefabricated steel module, then positioned with millimeter precision.

With 48 meters in length, 11.5 meters in width, and a capacity for up to 20 people, the floating laboratory from Germany will test hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, batteries, drones, and autonomous systems.

MODULARIS Platform, from the German Aerospace Center, will be used to test hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, batteries, automation, and drones on trips of up to seven days, creating a real development environment for future ship technologies.

Ships will have tests in real conditions

Hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia enter the center of research

Platform will support drones and infrastructure in Kiel

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With 48 meters in length, 11.5 meters in width, and a capacity for up to 20 people, the floating laboratory from Germany will test hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, batteries, drones, and autonomous systems.

MODULARIS Platform, from the German Aerospace Center, will be used to test hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, batteries, automation, and drones on trips of up to seven days, creating a real development environment for future ship technologies.

Ships will have tests in real conditions

Hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia enter the center of research

Platform will support drones and infrastructure in Kiel

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

A 250-ton transformer traveled 1,929 km by road in India on a slow and planned journey that demonstrates how the power grid relies on giant loads, detours, and impossible routes for regular trucks.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

Portugal installs two giant underwater sockets to draw water from the Atlantic and create a €107.9 million desalination plant in the Algarve capable of producing 43.2 million liters of potable water per day with ocean intake 2 km from the coast.

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