High Efficiency Low Emission Nautical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

The HELENUS project will develop a 200 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system operating in cogeneration (combined heat and power) mode, and demonstrate it on a research vessel operated by DLR. The SOFC will be developed to be fully integrable- spatially, electrically, and thermally- into future ship designs, with a comprehensive design concept developed for an ocean-going cruise vessel. SOFCs are the most efficient chemical energy converters available today and are also highly fuel-flexible- thereby remaining highly relevant for the future of waterborne transport. The HELENUS demonstrator will achieve a TRL of 7 at the end of the project. Success of this project will enable upscaling of mature SOFC technology in ocean cruise liners to as high as 10 MW, beyond 2030. This can unlock over 23% total fuel savings (assuming a hybrid 20MW SOFC+60MW ICE energy system) over a state-of-the-art energy system with only ICEs. The HELENUS consortium involves diverse and accomplished stakeholders representing the entire value chain from technology development to field implementation creating a rapid pathway towards exploitation and commercialisation. HELENUS will also undertake extensive simulation, experimental and analytical efforts to demonstrate the applicability of the developed SOFC solution (i) upon significant scale-up (10 MW and beyond), (ii) over duty cycles of alternate applications such as dredging and offshore vessels, and (iii) using carbon-¬neutral fuels with potential for future maritime uptake. Experimental results will be complemented by application case ¬and lifecycle performance analyses to assess the broader impact of the technology on waterborne transport. Therefore, HELENUS creates a technological and regulatory roadmap towards a maritime future with scaled-up clean energy systems operating on renewable fuels, thereby fostering innovation and significantly boosting the competitiveness of the EU maritime industry.