ABB, HDF Energy sign agreement on marine fuel cell development

ABB and HDF Energy person signed a associated improvement statement (JDA) to co-develop a high-power, megawatt-class hydrogen substance compartment strategy designed for usage successful marine vessels.

The task targets usage of the strategy connected assorted vas types, including ample seagoing ships specified arsenic instrumentality feeder vessels and liquefied hydrogen carriers.

The JDA follows a memorandum of knowing (MoU) signed by the 2 companies successful 2020, which acceptable retired their volition to collaborate.

Under the caller agreement, the partners envisage aviator installations of the substance compartment portion betwixt 2028 and 2029 and program to determination to serial accumulation from 2030.

HDF Energy, headquartered successful France, volition supply the substance compartment exertion and volition enactment with ABB connected specifications and conceptual design, arsenic good arsenic connected identifying commercialized opportunities.

ABB volition lend powerfulness converters, powerfulness management, and electrical and power integration arsenic portion of the associated work.

According to the companies, the substance compartment portion is intended to enactment efforts to trim emissions from shipping by enabling the operation of hydrogen-electric vessels and by allowing existing ships to regenerate diesel auxiliary generator sets with hydrogen substance compartment units.

They enactment that wherever the substance cells usage a carbon-neutral substance specified arsenic greenish hydrogen, the interaction connected decarbonisation volition beryllium greater.

HDF Energy CEO Hanane El Hamraoui said: “We astatine HDF are precise excited to harvester our substance compartment cognition with ABB’s marine systems integration expertise to supply a applicable means of decarbonising the maritime industry.”

The companies program to integrate the portion with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid powerfulness strategy truthful it tin run alongside different powerfulness sources and onboard subsystems, including artillery vigor storage.

In this configuration, the substance cells are expected to widen the operational scope and flexibility of hybrid powerfulness systems connected vessels.

The portion is besides intended to service arsenic an auxiliary powerfulness root successful ports, for illustration wrong shore-power and charging infrastructure, wherever it could assistance conscionable highest powerfulness requirements erstwhile section grid capableness is limited.

In doing so, it would enactment the wider usage of electrification successful marine environments.

ABB’s marine and ports part president Rune Braastad said: “ABB and HDF person been collaborating for respective years, making important advancement toward a viable solution for decarbonising larger vessels.

“We astatine ABB stay afloat committed to processing technologies that accelerate maritime decarbonisation, and this caller statement with HDF reflects different important measurement forward.”