Ballard Power Systems News

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten and Siemens Energy have selected Ballard Power Systems and Chart Industries as primary equipment vendors for their design of what will be the first hydrogen-hybrid research vessel in the world. The vessel, nominally known as the CCRV, is currently in the design phase and will be owned and operated by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Scripps). Ballard Power Systems will provide the fuel cells which will help power the vessel…

Future Proof Shipping's inland container vessel FPS Waal has arrived at Holland Shipyards Group's yard in Werkendam, the Netherlands for the start of its conversion to enable operations on zero-emissions hydrogen power.Building upon the foundation laid by Future Proof Shipping's previously converted FPS Maas—now H2 Barge 1—all the vessel’s internal combustion engines will be removed and a new fully zero-emissions propulsion system, including PEM fuel cells, hydrogen storage, battery packs and an electric drive train will be installed.

By now, it is a well-known fact that the marine industry contributes significantly to the greenhouse gasses causing climate change—and the impact is predicted to rise as the demand for shipping by sea increases. Action is needed now, and the majority of ship operators are adopting or planning zero-emission solutions to accommodate upcoming emission reduction targets.A key zero-emission technology that will be a critical enabler for decarbonizing the marine industry—now and in the future—is hydrogen fuel cells.Today…

Amogy, developer of emissions-free ammonia power solutions, announced it has signed a contract to purchase fuel cell engines from Ballard Power Systems for ammonia-to-power maritime applications.Ballard’s FCwave engine is a scalable fuel cell system certified for operation in marine environments. Amogy’s proprietary ammonia-to-power platform relies on unique ammonia cracking technology, facilitating the extraction of hydrogen onboard for fuel in a hydrogen engine. Having demonstrated the platform in several industrial applications…

A first-of-its-kind emissions-free push boat has been christened and delivered in Germany.The unique and innovative vessel, Elektra, was built over the course of nearly 2.5 years at Hermann Barthel GmbH in Derben and features battery-electric propulsion system combined with hydrogen and fuel cell technology, reportedly the world's first for a push boat. It will now undergo long-term prior to commencing commercial operations.The basis of the newly developed hybrid system is the battery package…

Ballard Power Systems announced it has received Europe’s industry-first type approval from classification society DNV for its marine fuel cell module FCwave.Ballard said its high-power FCwave module is a flexible solution that can support the energy needs of various vessel types as well as onshore power. The scalable 200kW power module offers a plug-and-play replacement for conventional diesel engines.The type approval process is extensive, involving a series of simulations and tests which were carried out at Ballard’s global Marine Center of Excellence in Hobro…

Hydrogen is touted as an inevitable green fuel of the future. Tell that to the people who'll have to ship it across the globe at hyper-cold temperatures close to those in outer space.Yet that is exactly what designers are attempting to do.In the biggest technological challenge for merchant shipping in decades, companies are beginning to develop a new generation of vessels that can deliver hydrogen to heavy industry, betting plants worldwide will convert to the fuel and propel the transition to a lower-carbon economy.There are at least three projects developing pilot ships that will be ready to test transporting the fuel in Europe and Asia within the next three years…

Global Energy Ventures (GEV) and Ballard Power Systems have teamed up to design and develop a hydrogen fuel cell system for GEV’s C-H2 Ship.Under a newly executed memorandum of understanding (MOU), GEV and Ballard will work to power the C-H2 Ship using compressed hydrogen from its storage tanks, providing a zero-emissions marine transport supply chain.The power required for a small-scale demonstration of the C-H2 Ship is expected to be under 10 megawatts (MW). At full scale, the C-H2 Ship will have a propulsion power requirement of approximately 26 MW…

Danish international shipping and logistics firm DFDS has, with its partners, applied for EU support for the development of a ferry powered by electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell system that only emits water. Green hydrogen is to be produced by a projected offshore wind energy-powered electrolyzer plant in Greater Copenhagen.A group of companies has partnered up in order to develop a 100% hydrogen-powered ferry for initially DFDS’ Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen route.The partners in the project are DFDS, ABB, Ballard Power Systems Europe, Hexagon Purus, Lloyd’s Register, KNUD E.

Ballard Power Systems has launched what it says is the fuel cell industry's first module designed for primary propulsion power in marine vessels. Ballard's says its FCwave fuel cell product is a 200-kilowatt (kW) modular unit that can be scaled in series up to the multi-megawatt (MW) power level.The FCwave product provides primary propulsion power for marine vessels – such as passenger and car ferries, river push boats, and fishing boats – as well as stationary electrical power…

ABB signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hydrogène de France to jointly manufacture megawatt-scale fuel cell systems capable of powering oceangoing vessels.The MOU between ABB and hydrogen technologies specialist Hydrogène de France (HDF) envisages close collaboration on the assembly and production of the fuel cell power plant for marine applications.Building on an existing collaboration announced on June 27, 2018 with Ballard Power Systems, a global provider of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell solutions…

Based in Miramar, FL, ABB Vice President Ed Schwarz is today responsible for developing and leading the newly created new sales team for ABB in North America.He is the firm’s leading advocate for new build opportunities in US and Canada and more importantly, developing the business strategy necessary for bringing hybrid and electric solutions to North America market. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management in 2000.

A new vessel being built to operate along the Rhône river in France will be the world's first push boat to run entirely on hydrogen fuel cells.The newbuild for the France-based Sogestran Group subsidiary Compagnie Fluviale de Transport (CFT) is due for delivery in 2021 and will feature a fuel cell based power and propulsion solution from ABB through its role in FLAGSHIPS, the EU-funded initiative to deploy commercially operated zero-emission vessels for inland and short sea operations.

Ballard Power Systems Europe is providing technology to H2Ports project which will see Valencia’s port in Spain become the first in Europe to incorporate hydrogen energy in its operations.The developer and manufacturer of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products said in a press release that H2Ports project is aimed at facilitating a rapid transition at European ports from fossil fuels to low-carbon, zero-emission alternatives based on hydrogen and fuel cells.Ballard Power Systems Europe, subsidiary of Canada's Ballard Power Systems Inc.,  said that earlier this month participants held the first technical meeting of the H2Ports project…

ABB and Ballard Power Systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on developing the next-generation fuel cell power system for sustainable marine e-mobility.The fuel cell power system, to be jointly designed, developed and validated by ABB and Ballard Power Systems, is anticipated to play a significant part in accelerating the industry-wide adoption of sustainable solutions for marine e-mobility, and help ship-owners meet the increasing demands for clean operations.ABB…

As the maritime world rapidly evolves to incorporate increasingly clean and efficient power sources onboard ships at sea, the cruise industry is emerging as a clear leader in the sector, driven by the high-profile nature of its ships and the often pristine environments to which they traverse. With that, ABB announced that it will deliver the first fuel cell system to Royal Caribbean, a pilot program in which the RCL ship will be the world's first fuel cell system on a luxury cruise ship.

Canadian fuel cell maker Ballard Power Systems Inc posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss, helped by higher revenue from its engineering services and material handling businesses. Revenue from Ballard's engineering services business, which counts Volkswagen AG among its customers, rose nearly threefold in the first quarter ended March 31. The business accounted for half of Ballard's total revenue in the quarter. Ballard said it expected to begin supplying fuel cell stacks to service Plug Power Inc's order with Wal-Mart Stores Inc in the second half of this year. Plug Power said in February it would supply 1,738 hydrogen fuel cells, used to power forklifts and other material-handling equipment, to Wal-Mart.

Canada's Ballard Power Systems ships Initial 100 ElectraGen™ Systems for backup power in wireless telecom networks. The company's first 100 ElectraGenTM fuel cell power generation systems have been shipped to Cascadiant Inc. and Inala Technologies, Ballard distributors in Southeast Asia and South Africa, respectively. These are the first 100 systems shipped subsequent to a recent transaction through which Ballard acquired select assets from IdaTech, a Ballard customer for the past several years. The systems are comprised of both direct hydrogen ElectraGenTM-H2 units as well as methanol fuelled ElectraGenTM-ME units and are planned for deployment in the networks of wireless telecom service providers.

While debate continues on whether or not fuel cell-based power generation can be a viable proposition for the commercial marine market, its advocates in the engineering industry are making headway in giving practical form to the technology. The installation of a fuel cell power unit aboard a 12-m (approx. 40-ft) yacht, fully approved and safety-certificated by Germanischer Lloyd, has provided an important, albeit modestly-sized, new waterborne platform for the concept. Using Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)-type fuel cell modules supplied by Ballard Power Systems of Canada, MTU Friedrichshafen has prepared a complete propulsion system which enables the craft, known as No. 1, to run at seven knots under fuel cell power alone.