Sign up
Log in Sign up
Wed 16 Sep 2009, 10:28 GMT

Fuel cell project reaches 'important milestone'


Fuel cell system is installed on merchant ship for testing to be carried out at sea.

The joint industry project FellowSHIP has reached an 'important milestone' with the installation of a full scale fuel cell on board the supply vessel Viking Lady.

According to project partner DNV, the ship will be the first merchant vessel ever to test fuel cell technology for production of electricity on board.

The FellowSHIP project was initiated by DNV in 2003 with the objective of adapting fuel cell technology so that it can be used for the propulsion of vessels in the future. The fuel cell system now installed on Viking Lady has been tested onshore at Stord, Norway, for the past couple of months. Testing of the fuel cell will now be carried out at sea.

Groundbreaking fuel cell technology

After this week's installation experts will continue testing and examining whether or not fuel cell technologies have a viable future within shipping. DNV project manager Tomas Tronstad warns that there's a long way to go. "A lot of development still remains to be done, but I am convinced that fuel cells will have an important role in the future of shipping."

The project has developed a fuel cell power system rated at 320 kW. Fuel cell technology on this scale has never before been installed in merchant vessels, says DNV.

"The achievements of the project will include significantly reduced CO2 emissions, improved energy efficiency and zero emissions of harmful substances, when compared to conventional engine technology," DNV added.

Norwegian-German cooperation

The FellowSHIP project is a joint industry project managed by DNV. The fuel cell has been developed by MTU Onsite Energy GmbH. The supply vessel Viking Lady, which will be used as a test laboratory for the fuel cell is owned by Eidesvik. Wärtsilä Ship Design has designed and adapted the vessel, whilst Wärtsilä Norway has developed the necessary power electronics and control systems which connect the fuel cell to the electric grid on board the vessel.

DNV has approved the system considering all safety- and risk aspects of the installed equipment. The development of class rules for installation of fuel cells on board vessels has been an important part of the project.

The project is supported by the Norwegian Research Council, Innovation Norway and the German Federal Minestry of Economics and Technology

DNV   Milestone   Wärtsilä   Germany  Norway 
Suezmax crude oil tanker render. Guangzhou Shipyard secures Suezmax order, delivers vessels ahead of schedule  

China State Shipbuilding subsidiary reports nine vessel deliveries in the first quarter of 2026.
Clean ammonia project pipeline chart as of March 2026. Renewable ammonia pipeline grows despite Norway project freeze  

GENA Solutions tracks 325 projects totalling 146 MMT of capacity by 2034 despite execution challenges.
Antwerpen and Arlon naming ceremony. Exmar names world’s first ocean-going ammonia dual-fuel gas carriers in South Korea  

Two 46,000-cbm vessels can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% during navigation.
Fujian province map with highlighted locations. Gulf Marine expands bonded lubricant supply network in China’s Fujian province  

Company adds supply points in Putian, Ningde and Fuqing, covering 20 terminals across the region.
Excelerate Acadia naming ceremony. Bureau Veritas classifies Excelerate Energy’s new 170,000-cbm FSRU Excelerate Acadia  

Vessel built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries features dual-fuel engines and proprietary regasification system.
Osprey Energy logo. Osprey Energy seeks junior bunker trader to support Cebu trading activities from Netherlands  

Dutch marine fuel supplier targets Cebu region expansion through new training programme for Filipino candidates.
EUA prices dropping graphic. KPI OceanConnect highlights falling EUA prices as opportunity for shipowners to lock in compliance costs  

Marine fuel firm says timing carbon allowance purchases can reduce costs as EU emissions scope expands.
RINA employee in control room. RINA partners with Hanwha Group on battery-hybrid propulsion for ro-ro ferries  

Classification society to provide regulatory compliance verification for hybrid battery systems on newbuilds and retrofits.
Amadeus Titanium vessel. HGK Shipping’s Amadeus Titanium fitted with wind assistance system  

Coastal vessel equipped with VentoFoils at Dutch port to reduce fuel consumption on Covestro routes.
Sebastian Weder, Bunker One. Bunker One expands physical supply operations to Tallinn and Finland  

Marine fuel supplier extends Baltic Sea coverage with new operational presence in Estonia and Finland.




   Fuels & Propulsion

Ammonia B100 B24 B30 Bio-LNG/LBM Biofuel Biogas Biomethanol Dual-fuel E-fuel E-methane/e-NG Electric Ethanol FAME Green hydrogen Green/e-ammonia HVO Hydrogen LNG LPG Lubes Methanol MGO Nuclear UCOME ULSFO VLSFO Wind power



 Recommended