Corvus Energy has commenced testing & validation of what is set to become sustainable, large-scale maritime-certified hydrogen fuel cell systems.
The new facility was added to the company's production site in Bergen.
Corvus Energy aims to have the first marine hydrogen fuel cell system type approved in 2023 and start scalable production and commercial delivery in 2024.
In March 2022, the H2NOR project for developing & producing hydrogen fuel cells (performance ranging from 320kW to 10MW) - initiated by Corvus Energy, Toyota (acting as the supplier of mass-produced fuel cell technology), and their partners - received approval in principle from DNV.
"Batteries and fuel cells are complementary products, and they need to work together in order to achieve optimal efficiency and extended lifetime. We will test multiple combinations of batteries and fuel cells for various operational profiles, and this is why the test site is so unique and important. In the end, we will have a system that will give recommendations for the vessel's crew on the most optimal operation," Thor Humerfelt, Corvus Energy's SVP Product Architect, said.
Geir Bjørkeli, the company's CEO, added, "The interest in hydrogen as a marine fuel is increasing significantly. A dedicated marine and optimized hydrogen fuel cell solution is a vital step toward the decarbonization of shipping. Being able to test both battery and fuel cell systems together and make them work in perfect harmony will potentially revolutionize the global maritime industry."
Håvard Tvedte, the interim CEO of Maritime CleanTech (one of H2NOR's project partners), also commented, "Reducing the cost of fuel cells and increasing access to the technology is crucial to accelerate the green transition in the maritime industry. Innovation is hard work – and the validation processes are no quick fixes. Systematic testing and validation ensure the responsible and safe use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. This test site is a great example of how this should be done."
Photo: Corvus Energy