PowerCell, a Swedish supplier of fuel cells for the marine market, has joined the European GAMMA (Green Ammonia and Bio-methanol fuel MAritime vessels) project, a €17m Horizon Europe funded initiative aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of deep-sea shipping through climate-neutral fuels and fuel cell-based power generation.
The GAMMA project brings together 16 European partners to retrofit a 60,000 dwt bulk carrier from the Topic fleet. The vessel will serve as a full-scale demonstration of how hydrogen-based fuel cell systems can replace fossil fuel auxiliary generators, enabling zero-emission power generation onboard large ocean-going vessels.
PowerCell will contribute a 1MW class fuel cell power system to the project, enabling the demonstration of hydrogen produced onboard from green methanol and ammonia as a reliable source of electrical power for maritime applications. The system will be integrated into the vessel as part of the auxiliary power architecture and operated under real-world conditions, validating performance, safety, durability and system integration in a demanding deep-sea environment.
Richard Berkling, PowerCell Group CEO, said: “This project represents exactly the type of industrial learning that the maritime sector needs right now. GAMMA allows us to move beyond theoretical studies and demonstrate how fuel cells, hydrogen carriers and onboard reforming can work together in a commercial vessel. That operational experience is what will ultimately de-risk adoption and unlock large-scale deployment.”
While batteries can address certain maritime applications, they cannot meet the full energy and endurance requirements of deep-sea shipping. Hydrogen and hydrogen carriers such as methanol and ammonia, combined with fuel cell power systems, offer a scalable pathway toward zero-emission auxiliary and eventually main propulsion power. The GAMMA project will generate critical operational data on efficiency, reliability, safety, maintenance and integration, supporting future regulatory frameworks and commercial investment decisions.
Berkling added: “Shipping is a conservative industry for good reason. Vessels are built to operate for decades. Demonstration projects like GAMMA are essential because they allow shipowners, yards and regulators to see real systems operating under real conditions. That is what builds confidence and accelerates adoption.”
The five-year GAMMA project is supported by €13m in EU funding and is led by Icelandic engineering company Verkís. The consortium includes ANT Topic, Fraunhofer, Aurelia, Sea Green Engineering, Energy Cluster Denmark, Sintef, Solbian, Amethyste, Elkon Elektrik, Politecnico di Milano, ARM Engineering, RINA, Amnis Pura, Epipoli Tech, and now PowerCell.
The 60,000 dwt bulk carrier will be retrofitted with fuel cell systems, hydrogen carrier reformers and supporting technologies, creating one of Europe’s most advanced demonstrations of climate-neutral auxiliary power for ocean-going shipping.
Freyr Ingólfsson, GAMMA Project Coordinator, Verkís, said: “This project will show that methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and fuel cells can work together to decarbonise shipping in practice. The time for large-scale demonstration is now.”
Image: PowerCell CEO Richard Berkling (source: PowerCell)
