Alma's ammonia marine fuel cell system gets DNV nod

DNV has awarded approval in principle (AiP) to Norwegian fuel cell manufacturer Alma Clean Power for its 1-megawatt (MW) ammonia-fuelled marine solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) concept design.

PHOTO: Prototype of Alma Clean Power's marine solid-oxide fuel cell module. Alma Clean Power

“Our fuel cell systems are designed to operate on a variety of low and zero-emission fuels such as ammonia, LNG, LPG, hydrogen, methanol, synthesis gas, and liquid organic hydrogen carriers. The AiP is therefore an important verification of key safety principles relevant for all fuel types”, says Erling Johannessen, senior advisor at Alma Clean Power.

Alma will conduct a trial run of the ammonia SOFCs on the Eidesvik-owned-and-operated offshore vessel Viking Energy this year.

Two of Alma’s fuel cell modules will be retrofitted on the vessel as open-deck installations. They will be integrated with existing dual-fuel gensets and a battery pack and powered by green ammonia.

The company claims that fuel cells can achieve “more than 60% efficiency with low or zero emissions, depending on the fuel type.”

SOFCs are attracting interest in the decarbonisation of the maritime sector since they have a much higher energy efficiency than other power sources, including proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells.

Current fuel cell technology is not quite there yet to power larger ocean-going ships. For that to happen, PEM fuel cells will have to make way for the next generation SOFCs, hydrogen fuel cell maker TECO 2030's chief executive Tore Enger told Engine in an interview last year.

By Konica Bhatt

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