Germany is set to sell Israel two fuel cell-powered submarines, according to reports in Germany.

The brand new Dolphin submarines, which together cost Israel £0.68 billion, are able to remain submerged for weeks on end due to their fuel cell engines, which are capable of turning oxygen and hydrogen into power.

The two submarines follow three other, traditionally-powered vessels that have been sent to Israel from Germany since the early 1990s and will be built at the Baltic port of Kiel.

Outgoing foreign minister Joschka Fischer, a member of the Green Party, agreed to the sale of the submarines, which will give out no harmful emissions and produce little noise.

Germany recently commissioned the building of two of its own fuel cell-powered submarines, with two more to follow in the new year and has existing fuel-powered models.

The Germans' U31 craft use nine Siemens proton exchange membrane fuel cells, which produce electrical energy from oxygen and hydrogen and provide up to 50 Watts of energy each.

Experts say fuel cells make for a comparatively quiet vessel producing hardly any heat, making it difficult to detect using traditional sonar, noise or infrared systems.


Ÿ Adfero Ltd