Shipping holds on for fuel cells 'Tesla moment' as engine makers stay clear - Wilhelmsen

Ship engine manufacturers have been hesistant to develop fuel cell technologies as they might impact sales of their legacy engines, according to Wilhelmsen Holding.

PHOTO: A working diagram of liquid hydrogen fuel cells in ships. Ballard Power Systems

Fuel cells that can generate 100-1,000 kW power would initially be used to power vessels running on shorter distances, Wilhelmsen Holding’s senior vice president Espen Gjerde told a conference organised by DNV yesterday.

Gjerde thinks that fuel cells are still far off from being used on bigger ships, and that this will require tremendous effort. He thinks one of the biggest barriers to developing fuel cells for larger vessels is reluctance from engine manufacturers.

Several engine manufacturers want to keep their legacy products and technologies in fashion, and have been uninterested to develop technologies such as fuel cells and batteries, Gjerde argued.

A lack of technologiecal fuel cell maturity prevents owners of large fleets from shifting to fuel cells. Gjerde said shipping waits for a "Tesla moment".

By Nithin Chandran

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