Fincantieri orders Proton Motor’s 142kW fuel cell system for zero-emission performance

January 26, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has ordered the eco-friendly hydrogen-powered propulsion solution from the German producer Proton Motor Fuel Cell to be used as the main power supply for the zero-emission navigation.

As explained, the HyShip 72 solution was primarily adapted for the power supply of the electric powertrain and other consumers of the Zero Emission Ultimate Ship (ZEUS).

The hydrogen-powered propulsion solution is equipped with Proton Motor fuel cells, a battery system as well as a metal hydride hydrogen storage system with two integrated Proton Motor stack modules PM 400-120 as the core of the system.

This way, by combining fuel cell technology with a battery and hydrogen storage, a new entity that produces 100% emission-free power on the open sea was formed.

The 142 kW drive component has multiple applications that provide power supply for recreational, passenger, cargo, working, military ships and submarines. The waste heat can also be used thermally, as intended for ZEUS, to extract the hydrogen from the metal hydrate, Proton Motor said.

According to the company, the technical acceptance and official release of the first HyShip product by Fincantieri and the classification society RINA took place in mid-December 2021.

As disclosed, the Fincantieri order is planned to be finalised in February.

“The entire Proton Motor team is very proud of our high-performance product portfolio for emission-free mobility. With high-tech innovations based on hydrogen fuel cells, we are making a decisive contribution to the success of a sustainable and green maritime energy transition and in the general transport sector”, said Proton Motor’s sales manager Alexander Adrian.

Apart from this, the company is also working with compatriot electric drive system provider Torqeedo on jointly developing a hydrogen hybrid propulsion system building kit for maritime mobility.

The project, with the working title “Ma-Hy-Hy” (Marine-Hydrogen-Hybrid), aims to develop the propulsion system building kit that will be able to deliver fuel cell powers between 30 and 120 kW and variable hydrogen storage capacity.