ShipFC is the project financed by the Union European program Horizon 2020 and Hydrogen Europe aiming to prove that fuel cells powered by green ammonia can meet the strict IMO standards of zero-emission Deep Sea shipping.
Currently, a 100% zero-emission solution is not available in this segment. Batteries do not last longue enough with a size that can fit a ship onboard, and Hydrogen technology has some other challenging issues to resolve. Alternative fuel solutions are promising but still need to be tested, confirmed, and approved by DNA.
The main partners for project ShipFC are Eidesvik Offshore, the owner of the vessel Viking Energy; its contractor, the oil company Equinor; Alma Clean Power, a manufacturer of power cell s, and Yara Clean Ammonia, a supplier of green ammonia.
The vessel used for the experiment is Viking Energy, an Offshore Supplier Ship built in 2003. Originally, it was built in 2016 as an LNG-fueled vessel with hybrid battery power installation added. For “the carbon free ammonia fuel cell” project, the ship could operate up to 3,000 hours annually on ammonium fuel cell.
A high-temperature solid oxide fuel cell will be powered by green ammonia onboard. Ammonia is already treated in different segments and applications, but this is the first time it’s ever been used onboard a ship. It is a zero-emission fuel when it is produced by electrolysis powered by renewable energy. It has a highly efficient energy density and is relatively easy to store. Power and heat are generated silently without vibrations. The whole process is combustion free and ensures low or zero emissions.
The heart of the project is a Solid Oxid Fuel Cell (SOFC) invented by the Norwegian company Alma Clean Power. The fuel cell can also operate with other low and zero-emission fuels such as LNG, hydrogen, or methanol. The SOFC System is adaptable to any project since it comes in models producing from 0.5 to 2 MW per unit.
The ShipFC project still is in progress, and the ammonia powered fuel cell will be installed into the vessel in late 2023. The project explores zero-emission ammonia fuel cells for efficiency and safety, as well as maritime storage solutions, markets and business models and possibilities of incentives for green ammonia production. The ship is planned to operate with this newest technology solution in 2024. PSR
Natasa Mulahalilovic is Marine Pleasure Boat Analyst-Europe, for Power Systems Research
