Fuel Cells Enable Green Ships

Ship pollutant emission standards have become stricter, and fuel cells have become the first choice for green ships. With the improvement of ship environmental protection requirements, the power system adopts clean energy. As a power system with high energy efficiency, zero pollution and low vibration noise, fuel cell system is the first choice for the development of ship power plants in the future.

China’s ship power system is dominated by diesel engines. There are problems such as low energy conversion rate, high fuel demand, and serious environmental pollution. With the rising demand for environmental protection, at the end of 2019, 712 exhibited its own research and development at the Shanghai International Maritime Exhibition. The key performance indicators of the 500kW-class marine hydrogen fuel cell system have reached the international advanced level. my country has made major breakthroughs in the study of clean fuel cell ships. According to the disclosure of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, the size of the electric boat market reached 5.63 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2021, and it will gradually be promoted to the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Pearl River Basin, and the Bohai Rim.

With regulatory pressure growing, the marine industry is challenged: can they deliver a zero-emissions shipping vessel—by 2026? It’s a tall order. But that’s the requirement from the government of Norway, for all cruise ships and ferries plying their World Heritage fjords. Other governments in Europe and elsewhere are watching how the industry responds to Norway’s demands. For many of the industry’s leaders, the solution is a partnership with Ballard. After many successful partnerships in zero-emission solutions for heavy-duty land transportation, we at Ballard have dedicated ourselves to delivering commercial-grade hydrogen fuel cell technology that is specifically geared to marine shipping applications.