Norway’s Teco 2030 and partner Shell are to bank €5m ($4.9m) in European Union funding to speed along their tanker hydrogen retrofit project.
The cooperation was announced in June, with the technology company aiming to have a fuel cell system fitted on a product carrier in 2024.
The cash is coming from the €96bn Horizon Europe fund to support the development of the 2.4-MW fuel cell.
Work will begin on the HyEkoTank project by 1 February 2023.
The partners will fit the system on to an 18,600-dwt tanker owned by Sweden’s Ektank. This appears to be the Ekfjord (built 2009).
The ship will have 4,000 kg of compressed hydrogen storage capacity on board.
Ektank has five tankers of up to 19,800 dwt in total.
The HyEkoTank hydrogen-powered tanker will demonstrate zero emissions at berth and a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions during voyages, according to Teco 2030.
Chief executive Tore Enger said: “There is no doubt that zero-emission is the way forward if we have any ambition to reach the targets in the Paris Agreement.”
Blom Maritime, Umoe Advanced Composites, FKAB Marine Design, Finnish oil company Neste and the Arctic University of Norway are also taking part in the scheme.
“Shell will purchase the fuel cell system and provide the renewable hydrogen to power this pioneering project as we continue to drive innovation to deliver the cleaner energy solutions that our customers need,” said Carl Henrickson, Shell Shipping & Maritime general manager of technology, innovation & digitalisation.
The retrofit concept can be applied to several vessel types and sizes, TradeWinds is told.
