PowerCell to supply fuel cells for ammonia power project in Norway

The system is designed to generate 700 kW of electricity for commercial ships and will be tested in Stord ahead of commissioning in early 2028.

IMAGE: Powercell’s fuel cell system. Powercell

Spanish hydrogen technology company H2SITE, which leads the project, will use membrane reactors to split ammonia into high-purity hydrogen. Swedish manufacturer PowerCell’s fuel cells will then turn that hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen, without burning it.

PowerCell said ammonia could be a way to carry hydrogen on ships because its storage and transport properties suit longer voyages. Producing hydrogen close to where the power is needed could give shipowners more ways to electrify their vessels, it added.

"Our ambition is to make hydrogen available from ammonia where vessels need it and to develop a solution that can be deployed across different ship types," said H2SITE CEO Andrés Galnares.

Testing will take place at Energy House under conditions similar to those at sea, following development and integration work in 2027.

PowerCell’s order is worth Swedish Krona 15 million (around $1.55 million) and covers its fuel cell systems along with engineering, integration and commissioning work.

The order will run from the fourth quarter of this year to the end of 2028. Norwegian state enterprise Enova backs the project.

Last month, PowerCell won a SEK 27 million (around $3 million) follow-up order to supply fuel cell systems for two more hydrogen-electric bulk carriers being developed for Norwegian shipping company GMI Group.

By Gautamee Hazarika

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