zero4cruise powers up fuel cells for cruise ships

In Germany, an €18.7 million project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology launched on January 24 to develop fuel cell technology for cruise ships, aiming to reduce emissions and bring climate-neutral propulsion to the sector. The zero4cruise initiative focuses on Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell systems, with initial 250-kilowatt units scalable to 1 megawatt, using methanol as an energy carrier to provide electricity, heat, and cooling with lower emissions than diesel engines.

Led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the project brings together shipbuilder Meyer Werft and fuel cell specialist Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems. The goal, according to the project team, is to “drive forward the market activation of fuel cell technology for ocean-going passenger ships” by scaling systems for maritime demands in performance, reliability, and service life. DLR researchers are testing fuel cell prototypes in the lab and running long-term trials on a 500-kilowatt system to simulate real cruise ship operations.

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