Oslo-listed Teco 2030 has produced the world’s first fuel cell stack for vessels.
The hydrogen-ready system will be tested next year as the company moves to a mass production phase.
The stack has been made with development partner AVL in Vancouver, Canada.
It comprises “a few hundred” individual proton exchange membrane (PEM) cells, each generating electricity from electrochemical reactions based on fuels such as hydrogen.
The system provides a net output of 100 kW.
The stacks are then combined with auxiliary components into a fuel cell module.
“It’s amazing to be able to physically touch the first Teco 2030 fuel cell stack,” said Teco 2030 chief executive Tore Enger.
His company plans to assemble and test the first FCM400 (Fuel Cell Module 400 kW) next summer at AVL’s facility in Graz, Austria.
The tests will involve hydrogen, and the first ship installation is planned for the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.
Several modules can be combined to supply the megawatts of output needed for maritime applications such as propulsion, auxiliary power and other heavy-duty applications.
“It’s great to see the fuel cell stack that Teco 2030 is industrialising inching towards serial production,” said Falko Berg, manager of PEM systems at AVL.
Production to be ramped up
“Today’s milestone marks the next logical and important step towards launching the fuel cell factory in Narvik [northern Norway], its class-leading fuel cell system and finally decarbonising the marine industry.”
Enger said production will be gradually increased next year to supply fuel cell systems for pilot projects, followed by automated volume production at the “gigafactory” in Narvik from early 2024.
The company is targeting heavy-duty industries where emissions are substantial and batteries will have to be supplemented by fuel cells to provide a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
