HAV Hydrogen, a Norwegian supplier of hydrogen-based energy systems for vessels, and Norwegian Electric Systems (NES), a maritime supplier, both subsidiaries of HAV Group ASA, have successfully completed a laboratory test of a hydrogen fuel cell integrated with a maritime control system.
This breakthrough marks a significant step towards the commercialization of zero-emission hydrogen-powered ships. The test, conducted at the Energy House test facility in Stord, Norway, involved validating the system design, software, and hardware, along with testing control, safety systems, and barriers for fuel cell integration.
The hydrogen fuel cell was benchmarked against a meticulously simulated load profile, developed using advanced simulation tools from the FreeCO2ast project. This project aims to develop a high-capacity hydrogen-based energy system that can be retrofitted onto existing ships.
Kristian Osnes, Managing Director of HAV Hydrogen, emphasized the importance of this achievement: “This brings us another step closer to realizing our objective of making the first commercial delivery of a fully integrated hydrogen-based energy system for ships.”
Siv Remøy-Vangen, Managing Director of NES, highlighted the complexity of the task: “Securing a robust interface between the hydrogen fuel cell and the control system is normally a complex and challenging task. We made it work in a short space of time, which is something we are very proud of.”
The successful integration of the hydrogen fuel cell with the maritime control system demonstrates the growing maturity of hydrogen technology for maritime applications. This advancement paves the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future for the shipping industry.
The FreeCO2ast project, supported by the Norwegian Research Council and Innovation Norway, involves major partners such as Havila Kystruten, HAV Group subsidiaries HAV Design, NES, and HAV Hydrogen, as well as research institutions Sintef Ocean and Clara Venture Labs.
