EU splashes out funds on fuel cell project
A high-energy fuel cell powered by green ammonia will be developed and installed on board the dual-fuel OSV, Viking Energy (Source: Eidesvik)
The European Union has awarded EUR 10 million to the ShipFC consortium which plans to install the first ammonia-powered fuel cell on an offshore supply vessel. The project, run by a consortium of 14 European companies coordinated by Norway’s NCE Maritime CleanTech, will involve installation of a 2-MW fuel cell on board the Eidesvik-owned Viking Energy.
The dual-fuelled vessel, built in 2003 and currently on charter to Norwegian state energy company Equinor, will be capable of operating solely on the fuel cell for 3,000 hours a year. The consortium members aim to demonstrate that long-range zero-emission voyages requiring high power are possible for larger vessels.
The system is due for installation in late 2023 following the scaling up of a smaller fuel cell and then the subsequent development, construction and extensive shore-based testing of a larger unit. The ship-side ammonia system will be supplied by Wärtsilä.
