Pictured: In the summer of 2010, a WFC20 fuel cell unit was installed onboard the Undine, a car carrier owned by Sweden’s Wallenius Lines

Solid oxide fuel cell modules to be integrated in stand-alone energy-generation and marine products

Wärtsilä, a leading provider of power solutions to both the marine and energy markets, and Versa Power Systems (VPS), a leading developer of environmentally friendly, high-power solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), today announced a co-operative agreement to develop and integrate Versa Power’s SOFC technology into Wärtsilä products.

A key target of the agreement is to develop commercial Wärtsilä fuel cell products that generate power and heat for various applications in the distributed energy and marine markets. The agreement allows Wärtsilä to integrate VPS fuel cell stack modules, especially for larger power range products. For VPS, the agreement provides a dedicated partner with the ability to commercialize fuel cell products in large markets around the globe.

“VPS is leading the development of large SOFC stacks, and the company’s capabilities support Wärtsilä’s strategy of developing large SOFC systems for the distributed power and marine markets. The agreement with VPS strengthens Wärtsilä’s ability to provide its customers with clean and highly efficient power solutions. Demand is developing rapidly and the commercial potential for such products is very promising,” says Erkko Fontell, Director, Fuel Cells, Wärtsilä.

“Solid oxide fuel cells have low emissions, yet they produce relatively large amounts of electricity for their size,” says Robert Stokes, CEO of Versa Power Systems. “Combining the expertise of our two companies will help meet the growing commercial demand for compact, high-efficiency products.”

An essential element in Wärtsilä’s strategy

Advancing and commercializing fuel cell products is part of Wärtsilä’s long-term development strategy. Offering customers environmentally sound and sustainable energy production technologies is an essential part of the company’s strategy. This co-operation with VPS supports the commercialization of fuel cell products by strengthening the development and supply partnerships.

Wärtsilä has already launched successful pilot projects using fuel cell technology supplied by Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S headquartered in Denmark, and this co-operation will continue as planned. In 2008, Wärtsilä delivered a unique fuel cell unit that operates on landfill gas and produces electricity and heat for the city of Vaasa in Finland. In the summer of 2010, a WFC20 fuel cell unit was installed onboard the Undine, a car carrier owned by Sweden’s Wallenius Lines, for tests associated with the METHAPU project. Additionally, Wärtsilä has developed 50 kW WFC50 power units for internal validation.

Fuel cells are electro-chemical devices that combine a fuel source gas with oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. The absence of combustion processes significantly reduces harmful emissions of nitrogen and sulphur oxides (NOx and SOx) and particulate emissions are essentially zero. As electricity is generated directly and involves no intermediate mechanical or thermal processes, fuel cells can also be more efficient than conventional combustion-based technologies.

Fuel cells are considered to be one of the most exciting energy technologies for the future. Power solutions based on fuel cell technology are expected to offer significant benefits in power generation applications as well as in the shipping industry, where international emission regulations are becoming increasingly stringent.

Via Wärtsilä

September 2009 saw the initial operation of the first high temperature fuel cell to be run on board of a ship.  The operation was launched as part of the FellowSHIP research project (Fuel Cells for Low Emission Ships): a project to test fully integrated on-board fuel cells – both on board of vessels, as well as offshore platforms – and to make them commercially viable.

The Tognum supplied HotModule is scheduled for service on the Norwegian offshore supply vessel “Viking Lady” to first test its suitability for green on-board power generation by means of fuel cells. The HotModule is fully integrated in the existing on-board power generation infrastructure of the vessel, delivering 320 kW of the current power supply requirements, whilst being powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The integration of fuel cells on board ships serves to significantly reduce health-hazardous and climate-critical emissions: an estimated total of 4,755 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 33 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), as well as 180 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) – that equal to about 20,000 cars – can be avoided this way every year. The electrochemical process seen in fuel cells mainly generates water and heat.

Participants in this project include MTU Onsite Energy, as well as a number of internationally renowned companies like Wärtsilä Ship Design Norway, Wärtsilä Automation Norway and Eidesvik Offshore ASA.

More on this project can be read HERE

The ship pictured above fails to impress the Icelandic tourists who board her for a short whale watching tour but after talking with the crew their attitude changes. ABC News tells us:

By April, visitors to Europe’s northernmost capital will get a taste of that future by taking whale-watching tours aboard the ship, or renting one of the world’s first hydrogen-powered hire cars.

The conversion of the Elding to hydrogen power will initially be confined to the use of a fuel cell to power the engine that runs its lighting, but for 43 euros ($72) a trip, the ship will offer whale-watchers unprecedented peace.

When the crew spots whales at sea, they shut down the main engines to let people hear the mammals swim and blow water – an experience owner Vignir Sigursveinsson says has been marred in the past by the rumble of a diesel auxiliary engine below.

“When we have the hydrogen machine, the boat will be completely soundless, which will make the experience of seeing the whales in their natural habitat even more magical,” he said.

For more on this ambitious project click HERE then visit the Icelandic New Energy Commission HERE.