Navantia’s shipyard in Cartagena has completed the installation of the Hydrogen based Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP) into a S80 class submarine, Navantia announced in November 2024.
This is the first third-generation AIP fitted into a submarine. The milestone was marked by the presence of Spanish National Armament Director, Admiral Aniceto Rosique Nieto.
This accomplishment is a fundamental milestone in the S-80 Programme, unprecedented in the history of shipbuilding in Spain. This technology will provide the Spanish Navy’s submarines with the capability to remain submerged for extended periods, compared to a few days for conventional diesel-electric submarines. This development, which has posed a top-level challenge for the national industry, allows Navantia to offer unique capabilities in international submarine construction tenders.
The AIP System, commercially named BEST (Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology) by Navantia, is an innovative energy production plant that allows the submarine’s batteries to be recharged while submerged, avoiding periodic snorkel maneuvers for recharging where the vessel is detectable and more vulnerable.
This plant is based on a bioethanol reforming process – a renewable fuel obtained from organic feedstock – to produce a Hydrogen-rich stream that is fed, together with pure Oxygen, to a fuel cell to generate electrical power stealthily.
Unlike equipment already operational in other navies, Navantia’s AIP is a third-generation system that does not require stored hydrogen on board; instead, the system generates it on demand, providing a tactical and safety advantage, increasing the strategic autonomy and deterrence capability. Along with the extensive sensorization of the vessel, it further enhances the safety of the crew and the submarine itself, minimizing the personnel required to operate it.
Participants in the event have had the opportunity to visit Section 3 of the S-83 Cosme García submarine, which houses the installed AIP equipment, liquid oxygen and bioethanol tanks, and the auxiliary systems necessary for its operation, observing the demanding work and safety procedures being carried out in the construction of the submarine.
