Fuel cell system manufacturer PowerCell Group has received type approval from classification society RINA for its Marine System 225 fuel cell solution. The certificate was awarded during SMM, the maritime industry trade fair held in Hamburg.

Type approval from a classification society is a regulatory prerequisite for marine equipment: it certifies that a system meets international maritime safety and performance standards, allowing shipowners and shipyards to install the technology on commercial vessels. For hydrogen fuel cell systems, which are still emerging in shipping, such approvals are a step toward commercial deployment under IMO-aligned rules.

The certificate was presented by RINA's Patrizio Di Francesco at an awards ceremony, Andreas Boden, CTO and senior vice president at PowerCell Group, said in a LinkedIn post.

"We are glad to work with RINA and the certificate is an important milestone for us and our marine fuel cell solutions," Boden said.

The hydrogen fuel cell system is compact in design and can deliver 225 kW of output for both propulsion and auxiliary power, according to the company's website. Hydrogen fuel cells are viewed in the maritime sector as one of several pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as the IMO has adopted targets to cut carbon intensity and reach net-zero emissions from international shipping around mid-century.

The approval follows an earlier milestone for the company: in June, PowerCell announced it had secured a contract to supply fuel cell systems for two hydrogen-powered cargo ships being built for Norwegian company LH2 Shipping.

Source: Ship & Bunker