The industrial project, titled ‘Optimized Hydrogen Powered Maritime Mobility’ or OptHyMob for short, will improve the operations of hydrogen-driven marine vessels to reduce costs and extend the life of hydrogen fuel cells and batteries in hybrid configurations.
Corvus Energy, the world’s leading provider of zero-emission solutions for the maritime industry, has been selected to lead an IPN project – a program funded by the Research Council of Norway to promote innovation in industry. Corvus Energy joined forces with the research institute NORCE and other partners for the project which was awarded 13,9 million NOK funding.
The OptHyMob project builds on the ongoing H2NOR project, funded in part by Innovation Norway, where Corvus Energy and partners will develop, demonstrate, and certify a natural gas safe modularized maritime PEM-based FC system based on technology from world leader Toyota.
The results of the project will improve zero-emission shipping
“The lifetime of the current fuel cell installation and the high cost of hydrogen are the obstacles to upscaling hydrogen-driven vessels,” said Svenn Kjetil Haveland, Vice President of Development Projects at Corvus Energy. “By solving this we can accelerate the decarbonization of shipping.”
Haveland explained: “The knowledge gained, as well as the models and systems developed through the OptHyMob project, will enable the cost-effective use of hybrid fuel cell-battery systems used for ship propulsion. Through more efficiency, and extended life of systems, total cost of ownership will be reduced. which is essential in the maritime industry’s progress towards zero-emission fuels.”
The goal of the project is cost-effective hydrogen ship propulsion
The use of electricity and therefore the ship’s energy consumption varies greatly for different operating modes, such as acceleration and displacement, and also depends on weather conditions and waves etc. the system is activated.
“Simply put, a fuel cell system prefers a stable load, but the power requirement changes rapidly. To increase the efficiency and life of a fuel cell system you need batteries, and it is important to optimize the continuous balance of power from the fuel cell system and power from the batteries,” explained Haveland. “The project will develop models and systems for real-time recommendations on optimal load distribution that can be used by system integrators in power management systems.”
Leading R&D in fuel cell + battery hybrid operation
The OptHyMob project will carry out its research in close collaboration and in connection with another KSP-funded Research Council project, entitled “Energy efficient operation of hydrogen-powered vessels” or “HyEff” for short, led by NORCE and involving the same partners.
“This IPN project carried out in conjunction with the KSP ‘HyEff’ project will provide a unique transfer of knowledge between academia and industry and establish best practices in batteries and fuel cell hybrid operations in Norway and, ultimately , the global maritime industry in its pursuit. zero-emission shipping and maritime transport,” said Fionn Iversen, Chief Scientist at NORCE.
The projects will combine experimental and full-scale operational data to develop a cost-optimized system that can recommend the best load distribution between fuel cells and batteries used for to run the ship. Next-minute wave and load predictions will be made using physics-based and data-driven models that will be implemented in an industrial clustered edge computing infrastructure.
In addition, research on the mechanisms of degradation of batteries and FC systems used in maritime applications will be carried out to determine how these components affect each other and how they can best be integrated in order to limit system damage and extend system life.
“Both the OptHyMob project led by Corvus and the HyEff project fit well with the Norwegian Government’s overall commitment to green shipping,” stated Haveland. Iversen added, “They align well with the ambitions for the Government-funded Norwegian Center for Hydrogen Research – HyValue FME.”
About Corvus Energy
Corvus Energy is a leading supplier of energy storage systems (ESS) for maritime, offshore, subsea and port applications. Corvus Energy offers a full ESS portfolio suitable for almost every type of ship, providing high energy energy storage in the form of modular lithium-ion battery systems. Purpose-built, field-proven battery systems provide sustainable power to hybrid and all-electric heavy industrial equipment, including large marine propulsion drives. Corvus Energy has unparalleled experience from 600 projects, amounting to more than 500 MWh and more than 4,5 million operating hours. The company is also – through the H2NOR project – developing maritime hydrogen fuel cells in collaboration with the world leader in fuel cell technology, Toyota Corporation.
About NORWAY
NORCE is an independent research institute that conducts research for the public and private sectors, to facilitate informed and sustainable choices for the future. They provide research and innovation in energy, health care, climate, environment, society, and technology. Their solutions address key challenges for society and contribute to creating value at the local, national, and global levels.
