HAV Hydrogen’s containerised hydrogen fuel cells system gets DNV nod

Classification society DNV has approved a containerised energy system made up of hydrogen-fuelled proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells in a 20-foot container and necessary power supply equipment.

PHOTO: Illustration of HAV Hydrogen's containerised hydrogen power system on a vessel. HAV Hydrogen

Norwegian hydrogen systems firm HAV Hydrogen (HAV) will begin manufacturing the hydrogen fuel cell container in the second half of this year, targeting first deliveries for next year.

HAV has developed a modular system that enables fully-loaded hydrogen containers to be installed on a vessel's deck as a power source. They can be installed on newbuilds as well as retrofits.

“The system is designed for operation in air temperatures between –20°C to 35°C and seawater temperature from 0-32°C,” the company says.

"We have been contacted by companies that operate within offshore wind, oil and gas, RoRo shipping, cargo, inland shipping and fishing,” says HAV Hydrogen’s managing director Kristian Osnes.

However, Osnes adds that "HAV Hydrogen currently considers short sea cargo, inland water cargo, and passenger transport to be the most relevant industry segments."

A containerised hydrogen PEM fuel cells systems are currently powerful enough to propel large ships on long-range transoceanic voyages. Larger vessels and longer distances would require a greater supply of hydrogen because PEM fuel cells depend on a constant supply of hydrogen to generate power. The high cost and challenges of storing hydrogen on board a vessel make PEM fuel cells expensive and impractical for long-distance voyages.

To power vessels beyond short-sea shipping, today’s PEM fuel cells will have to make way for the next generation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), said Tore Enger, chief executive of TECO 2030 in an interview with ENGINE in last year.

While PEM fuel cell systems can be suitable for short-sea vessel voyages and for larger vessels during port operations, SOFCs will likely be needed to power some of the bigger vessels over greater distances, argued Enger. Many companies, including Shell, Bloom Energy and TECO 2030, are working to develop SOFC technology further by the end of this decade.

By Konica Bhatt

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