PowerCell secures DLR order for Fuel-to-Power marine system
Swedish hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer PowerCell has secured an order from Germany’s national research centre, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), for a Fuel-to-Power system to be installed at DLR’s maritime test facility in Kiel, Germany.
IMAGE: Powercell’s fuel cell system. Powercell
A Fuel-to-Power system converts the chemical energy stored in a fuel into electrical or mechanical power.
PowerCell will deliver two marine fuel cell systems, two methanol reformers, a hydrogen buffer, a gas system and integrated controls in the fourth quarter of 2026. Commissioning is scheduled for the first half of 2027.
Under the current configuration, methanol will first be reformed into hydrogen, which will then be converted into electricity by the two marine fuel cell systems.
DLR will use the system to replicate operational profiles across different vessel types, ranging from stationary operation to dynamic cargo cycles. The tests are intended to build practical knowledge of fuel cell performance and support their wider deployment across marine applications.
The order forms part of the zero4cruise German research project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology.
By Tuhin Roy
Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online
