ABB and Ballard Power Systems are progressing with their partnership to decarbonise marine transport and have received an AiP from DNV for their high-power fuel cell concept, the development of which was launched in 2018.
Tuva Flagstad-Andersen, Regional Manager North Europe, DNV Maritime, said: “We are pleased to have worked with ABB and Ballard on this AiP. Hydrogen plays an important role in the energy transition, so it is essential to establish safe technologies that the industry has confidence in. As an early phase verification for new design concepts, based on long-standing, trusted and independent standards, an AIP can help build this confidence.”
The high-power fuel cell unit is a flexible solution that will support the energy needs of a diverse range of vessels requiring multiple 3MW blocks of power. A cruise vessel operating in coastal areas could either run entirely on fuel cell power or switch to it when operating in environmentally sensitive areas or emission control zones, while a ferry with a regular schedule and frequent bunkering opportunities could operate solely on fuel cell power. For ocean going vessels, fuel cell power could support auxiliary needs. The concept of the solution also envisions the integration with an energy storage system.
Jesper Themsen, President and CEO of Ballard Power Systems Europe, said: “ABB’s industry-leading experience in marine solutions and Ballard’s expertise in development and deployment of megawatt-scale fuel cell systems for land-based use has proven to be the right combination, enabling us to take the next step in our joint efforts to make this technology available for larger vessels. Securing an AiP offers a signpost to the maritime industry regarding the potential of this truly transformative concept.”
Juha Koskela, Division President, ABB Marine & Ports, sais: “This AiP is an important milestone in making high-power fuel cells commercially available, and it underpins our commitment to bring new levels of efficiency, reliability and sustainability to the global shipping industry. As we continue to pave the way towards decarbonising shipping, we are confident that vessel electrification, including fuel cell technology, will play a pivotal role in helping the marine industry achieve its environmental targets.”
The successful development of a high-power fuel cell system concept builds on a collaboration between ABB and Ballard, a global provider of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell solutions. As part of its strategy to develop alternative emission-free technologies, ABB is already well advanced in collaborative development of fuel cell systems for ships. Considered among the most promising technologies available in terms of greenhouse gas reduction, zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells are already powering smaller vessels over short distances and the technology is on the verge of being ready for installation on larger ships.
Shipping contributes close to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) every year and pressure to transition the industry to more sustainable power sources has resulted in fixed reduction targets from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which aims to cut GHGs from ships by at least 50% by 2050 from 2008 levels.
Demand for hydrogen, which has grown more than threefold since 1975,continues to rise. ABB believes that scaling up technologies and bringing down costs of production is vital to enable hydrogen to become widely used. ABB is collaborating with customers and partners to develop and integrate technology that will make hydrogen an accessible, affordable component of the world’s low carbon energy mix.
