The two have partnered to develop and produce sustainable, large-scale, and modularised Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems for the international marine market.

The initiative is backed by Equinor, Norled, Wilhelmsen, LMG Marin, NCE Maritime CleanTech, and the University of South-Eastern Norway. The project has also received €5.2m from Innovation Norway.

Production will be located in Bergen, with Toyota as the supplier of mass-produced fuel cell technology. The first marine fuel cell system is scheduled for showcasing on-board a vessel in 2023. The product will be marine-certified and available for commercial delivery from 2024.

Corvus' new dedicated fuel cell division will design and certify the marine fuel cell system using the Toyota fuel cell technology as a building block for larger systems. Furthermore, a specific marine control system uniting the battery and fuel cell operation will be developed for integration with power management systems from a range of system integrators.

"Adding fuel cell modules to our product portfolio is a natural step for Corvus and advances our vision to be the leading supplier of zero-emission marine solutions. Fuel cell technology has reached a maturity level where scale-up of systems will be the next step. Toyota is in the forefront of the development and is by far the best partner for us to make this a success," Geir Bjørkeli, CEO, Corvus Energy, said.

Thiebault Paquet, Director Fuel Cell Business Group, Toyota Motor Europe, added, "Decarbonisation is inevitable and at Toyota, we are convinced that hydrogen will play a central role in creating a better future, both environmentally and economically. Our recently established Fuel Cell Business group in Brussels is looking forward to working with Corvus Energy and the consortium members to offer fuel cell solutions for marine applications. This project will play an important role in the development of the Hydrogen Society."

Photo: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz/Wikimedia Commons