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37 min ago 2 min read
Swedish fuel cell maker PowerCell will supply two marine methanol-to-power systems to the German Aerospace Centre’s testing facilities in Kiel, Germany, under a new order worth around SEK 21m ($2.2m).
The 225kW units and supporting methanol reformers and hydrogen buffer storage systems will be delivered this year and used for data collection in a German—backed zero4cruise initiative, which aims to clean up the cruise ship industry.
Set for commissioning in early 2027, DLR will reproduce operating profiles for different vessel types to generate data to support future deployments across maritime applications.
Launched in 2025, zero4cruise has seen €18.7m ($21.6m) in funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
56 of PowerCell’s Marine System 225 units were also in 2024 for installation on commercial cruise ships.
While hydrogen’s direct use in decarbonising maritime has lost ground with many smaller coastal vessels opting for battery power, and larger ships looking toward derivatives like ammonia or e-methanol, cruise ships are still an area of interest.
Earlier this year, cruise operator Viking “floated out” its first cruise ship capable of 100% hydrogen fuel cell operation. Viking is due to receive a second hydrogen vessel in 2027.
European ship operators are facing growing pressures to decarbonise. Since 2024, vessels over 5,000GT have been covered by the EU emissions trading scheme requiring them to pay for greenhouse gas emissions.
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