PowerCell Secures SEK 21 Million Fuel-to-Power System Order from German Aerospace Center
Key Takeaways
- •PowerCell secured a SEK 21 million ($2.2 million) order from DLR for a methanol-based fuel-to-power system destined for maritime test facilities in Kiel, Germany.
- •The system uses PowerCell's M2Power platform to reform methanol into hydrogen, enabling zero-emission electricity generation suitable for marine applications.
- •Delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, with commissioning expected during the first half of 2027.
- •DLR plans to use the system to simulate operational profiles across various vessel types, ranging from steady-state to dynamic load cycles.
- •The order is part of Germany's zero4cruise project, a national initiative supporting the development of zero-emission maritime technologies within broader EU decarbonization efforts.
Swedish fuel cell developer PowerCell has secured a SEK 21 million ($2.2 million) order from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for an integrated fuel-to-power system, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday.
The system will be installed at DLR's maritime test facilities in Kiel, Germany.
Under the agreement, PowerCell will deliver two Marine System 225 fuel cell systems, two methanol reformers, hydrogen buffer storage, gas mixing equipment, and integrated system control. Delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, with commissioning planned for the first half of 2027.
The solution is based on PowerCell's M2Power platform, which uses methanol reformed into hydrogen as its feedstock. The hydrogen is then converted into electricity by the fuel cell systems, enabling zero-emission power generation suitable for marine applications. Methanol has attracted growing interest as a marine fuel pathway because it is easier to store and handle than compressed or liquefied hydrogen onboard vessels, and reforming it into hydrogen at the point of use allows ships to leverage existing liquid-fuel bunkering infrastructure while still producing zero tailpipe emissions.
DLR intends to use the system to reproduce operational profiles across a range of vessel types, spanning from steady-state operation to dynamic load cycles.
The order forms part of Germany's zero4cruise project, a national initiative aimed at advancing zero-emission technologies for the maritime sector. The project aligns with broader European efforts to decarbonize shipping, which accounts for a significant share of global transport emissions and is subject to International Maritime Organization targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increasingly stringent EU regulations such as the inclusion of maritime CO2 emissions in the Emissions Trading System.
PowerCell, headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, develops and manufactures hydrogen-electric fuel cell systems for the marine, aviation, and stationary power sectors. The company's fuel cell technology converts hydrogen into electricity with water and heat as the only byproducts.
DLR is Germany's national center for aerospace, energy, and transportation research, with maritime research facilities in Kiel supporting the development of sustainable shipping technologies.
