TECO 2030 has passed another milestone in its quest to produce zero-emission maritime solutions.

DNV has officially granted the cleantech company a “Approval in Principle” (AiP) for its Hydrogen Fuel Cell System and three variants of the Fuel Cell Module FCM400.

DNV – one of the world’s premier classification and certification agencies – has decided that TECO 2030’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell System and three variants of its Fuel Cell Module FCM400TM meet with all applicable rules and regulations, codes, and standards.

“The Approval in Principle by DNV marks another important milestone for us in our development of zero-emission solutions for the maritime industry. By giving us the AiP, DNV clearly states that our hydrogen fuel cell system and fuel cell modules are safe to use,” says Tore Enger, CEO of TECO 2030 ASA.

Hydrogen fuel cells are the engines of the future since they convert hydrogen to power with no emissions other than water vapour and warm air.

Ships can transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen and achieve zero emissions by replacing one or more of their engines with a TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell. They can then sail emissions-free for the whole of the journey or for shorter segments, such as entering and exiting ports.

Hydrogen fuel cells can also be used during port stays, loading and unloading, enabling zero-emission operation at berth without the need for a ship-to-shore power connection.

The TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell is the world’s first fuel cell system purpose-built for use onboard ships and other heavy-duty applications.

The fuel cell module is planned to produce 400 kW of net electricity. Numerous modules can be simply combined in containers, enabling multi-megawatt system configurations. A 40-foot ISO fuel cell container from TECO 2030 will generate 6.4 megawatts of electricity.

The TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Module FCM400TM encloses a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell system with a low operating temperature. TECO 2030 created the system in collaboration with Austrian powertrain technology company AVL, while the modules were developed in-house.

TECO 2030 has begun the process of obtaining DNV’s “Type Approval” (TA). Type Approval is the process by which a classification organization certifies that a particular product complies with the regulations governing standard designs and/or identical equipment that is commonly manufactured.