PowerCell presents fuel cell module for ships

PowerCell Sweden has just presented the PowerCellution Marine System 200, a fuel cell module specially developed for the electrification of marine applications. The 200 kW module is said to be characterised by its low weight and compact format.

The module is based on several fuel cell systems integrated into one unit. Each module has an input power of 200 kW and can be connected in parallel to achieve a total output in the megawatt range. According to PowerCell, the solution has been “developed in close cooperation with customers and in dialogue with leading maritime classification societies”. The core component is PowerCell’s S3 fuel cell stack, which we know primarily from the development and licensing agreement it signed with Bosch in April 2019.

At that time, Bosch had secured the right to offer the new version of the S3 fuel cell stacks exclusively in cars, trucks and buses. PowerCell sells its fuel cell stacks in other areas, such as the maritime sector. Where the circle now closes is with the new PowerCellution Marine Systems 200. This has been specially developed to help customers in the marine segment to comply with stricter emissions regulations, the Swedish company says. This alludes to the stricter emission regulations of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), but also to national initiatives to decarbonise shipping, for example in Norway as well as tightening EU regulations in the maritime sector; In September last year, the EU parliament voted for the inclusion of CO2 emissions from maritime shipping in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to decarbonise maritime transport. With this in mind, PowerCell emphasises, “As marine vessels have a long operational life, the industry needs to start the transition to zero-emission solutions soon to avoid creating a fleet that does not meet the upcoming requirements.”

The manufacturer describes the PowerCellution Marine System 200 as a scalable and fully industrialised solution. The module, which is 70 centimetres wide, 90 centimetres deep and two metres high, weighs 700 kilograms. The Swedish company states that the system efficiency is 60 per cent and the consumption is 13 kg per hour at 200 kW.

Just over a year ago, PowerCell Sweden said it had signed a contract with an unnamed “leading European shipyard” for the development and delivery of a marine fuel cell system with a total output of around 3 megawatts. The system is to be developed and delivered by 2023. The contract is worth 6.9 million euros for the development, production and delivery of the system.

PowerCell was spun out of the Volvo Group in 2008. The company develops and manufactures fuel cell stacks and systems for stationary and mobile applications and is active in several research projects in parallel. For example, in INN-BALANCE, a European research project to develop a new generation of components for fuel cell vehicles, which was recently extended until October 2021.

With reporting by Cora Werwitzke, France.

powercell.se, datocms-assets.com (PDF)