Pilot projects

The EU funded ShipFC project will demonstrate that zero emission deep-sea shipping is possible. A 2 MW ammonia operated solid oxide fuel cell module will be retrofitted onboard the offshore vessel Viking Energy (owned by Eidesvik and on contract for Equinor). The aim is that the vessel will sail solely on ammonia for up to 3,000 hours annually. The system will be installed in 2023 and it will be the world's first ammonia powered fuel cell system ever installed on a vessel.

Read more about the Ship FC project here.

The EU funded HELENUS-project will demonstrate the feasibility of using LNG powered solid oxide fuel cells to provide heat and power onboard an MSC World Class series ocean cruise vessel. Success of the project will enable upscaling of the SOFC technology in ocean cruise vessels, with the potential to cut emissions to zero and achieve significant fuel savings due to increased efficiency compared to alternative technologies.

Read more about the project here.

The CHEOP Technology Demonstrator project is performed together with Odfjell SE, Wärtsilä Norway and AkerBP, and is supported by Gassnova Climit. The aim is to develop and test a complete power system using solid oxide fuel cells with integrated carbon capture. A 1,2MW auxiliary power unit will be installed on an Odfjell chemical tanker in deep-sea operation. The 100kW test unit, designed to comply with maritime and offshore requirements and standards, shall be installed and tested at the Energy House test facility at the Sustainable Energy Catapult Centre (Stord, Norway).

The project shall demonstrate the feasibility and performance of SOFC technology using existing fuels in commercial deep-sea operation, while preparing for future zero-carbon fuels and further upscaling to full power and propulsion systems. As the name indicates (Clean Highly Efficient Offshore Power with Carbon Capture – CHEOP-CC), these systems will also be relevant for offshore installations thanks to superior efficiency and integrated carbon capture.