The pilot, involving Shell International Trading and Shipping Company, Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co, DNV and Doosan Fuel Cell Co, will test the technology’s ability to cut carbon emissions from maritime transport, one of the hardest-to-abate sectors, ahead of a proposed launch in 2025.
HyAxiom will design and develop the SOFC Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) incorporating the 2 x 300kW sub-systems for long-range maritime demonstration; DFCC will manufacture, carry out factory tests and deliver the product; Shell will charter the demonstration vessel; KSOE will assist with system integration and technological deployment; and DNV will provide technical and safety expertise.
Jeff Hyungrak Chung, President & CEO of HyAxiom, said, “Fuel cells are a critical technology to cut carbon emissions and help us combat climate change at scale.”
Once launched, the vessel will operate for one year, during which the parties will collect valuable data on how to further integrate SOFC technology into current vessels and inform how future vessels can be powered by SOFC technology at scale.
Karrie Trauth, SVP Shipping & Maritime at Shell, said the consortium and technology it is pioneering could help deliver less carbon-intensive operations in the near term while unlocking a pathway to net-zero through the blending of conventional and alternative fuels until zero-carbon options are available at scale.
Sam-Hyun Ka, Vice Chair & CEO of KSOE, said SOFC is expected to be the more prominent and major power sources for the vessels due to its “excellent efficiency”.
Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager Korea & Japan, Maritime at DNV, added: “The fuel and technology mix of the future will have to be broad for the maritime sector to reach its Net Zero goal. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are a promising solution to progress on the decarbonisation pathway.”
The consortium agreement was signed during a ceremony in Seoul, South Korea. Representatives from each company included HyAxiom CEO Jeff Hyungrak Chung; DFCC COO Hooseok Che; Shell’s SVP and Global Head of Shipping and Maritime, Karrie Trauth; DNV Regional Manager Korea & Japan Vidar Dolonen; and KSOE Vice Chairman Sam-Hyun Ka.
HyAxiom, a Doosan company based in East Hartford, Connecticut, was established in 2014 as a result of Doosan Group’s acquisition of the fuel cell business of UTC Power. Its PureCell Model 400 NG – which operates on natural gas – generates 460kW of clean electricity while its PureCell Model 400 Hydrogen generates similar amounts of clean energy and water.
In addition to its core offering of phosphoric acid fuel cell units, HyAxiom is developing next-generation technologies, including electrolysers for clean hydrogen production and additional fuel cell solutions for mobile and stationary applications.
In the development of “Europe’s largest” renewable hydrogen plant, Shell recently appointed Yokogawa Electric Corporation as the main automation contractor (MAC).
Read more: Shell appoints automation contractor for ‘Europe’s largest’ renewable hydrogen plant