Solar Boat Twente 2026

Solar Boat Twente transitions to Green Methanol!

We are the 9th team of Solar Boat Twente. This year, we are not building a solar boat; instead, we will be the very first student team ever to build a foiling boat powered by the sustainable fuel green methanol! With 21 motivated students from Saxion and the University of Twente, we are on the verge of a major step forward. We will apply everything we learned from developing the solar boat, but from here on, everything will be different. The boat will be bigger and more extreme. And that fits perfectly with our new, ambitious goal: participating in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge.

In the coming years, we will develop an entirely new boat powered by a methanol fuel cell. In the methanol fuel cell, methanol is converted into electricity, which powers an electric motor that propels the boat. With this innovation, we aim to demonstrate that methanol is sustainable and applicable in modern shipping and fuel infrastructure, an achievable step toward a truly sustainable maritime future.

But we are going further than that. We are conducting research into carbon-capture systems and looking at how we can combine them with methanol fuel cells. These innovations are part of a four-year multi-year plan. There is just one problem: without financial support, this is simply not feasible.

That is why we need you. A transition like this requires significant investment: a completely new boat, a new technical direction, and a renewed identity. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to our goal and to the technological breakthroughs of the coming years.

With your support, we will continue building on our motto: Innovation to Inspire. Together, we inspire the maritime sector to become more sustainable. Together, we set a course for clean shipping.

Will you join us?