PowerCell has signed a €19.2m ($20.4m) deal to deliver hydrogen fuel cells to two ships operating on Norway’s longest ferry route.
The order, secured through a tender, represents shipping’s largest non-combustion fuel propulsion project to date, said the Swedish fuel cell supplier spun off from Volvo.
Delivery to the two new ropaxes, which will be owned and operated by Norwegian transport group Torghatten Nord, is to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The PowerCellution Marine System 200 will enable the newbuildings, each with a capacity of 599 passengers and 132 vehicles, to produce about 6 MW of power each.
Powered predominantly by green hydrogen, the ferries are expected to reduce their combined CO2 emissions by 26,500 tonnes per year when they go into operation from October 2025 as part of a replacement programme for similar-sized LNG-powered ferries.
The move is part of a government initiative that aims for all ferries crossing the Vestfjorden between Lofoten and Bodo in northern Norway to be emission-free.
Green hydrogen was deemed the most viable solution to power the vessels, which make a demanding crossing of up to four hours.
SEAM, a Norwegian systems developer and integrator of low and zero-emission shipping solutions, will be responsible for the electrical installations on the pair.
Torghatten Nord and PowerCell also intend to enter into a long-term service agreement.
Richard Berkling, chief executive of PowerCell, said the agreement is “a groundbreaking project ... for the entire marine industry”.
“Our solutions are perfectly suited for demanding applications where operational reliability, high power density and compact format are important parameters,” he said.
Berkling said Norway led the development of LNG fuel in shipping and is now taking steps to establish green hydrogen as a clean energy source. He added that its large number of ferry lines make it a candidate for great interest in hydrogen-electric solutions.
