Project partners Port of Gothenburg, Skanska, PowerCell Group, Hitachi Energy, Linde Gas, Volvo Group and Skagerak Energy have collaborated on a joint field test to showcase the latest innovation in hydrogen-electric power infrastructure: the containerised Hyflex solution.
The Hyflex is a versatile container solution designed for a variety of applications for emission-free power production. It utilizes a 100kW hydrogen fuel cell from PowerCell along with batteries to generate power independently of the grid without releasing greenhouse gases when using green hydrogen. During the demonstration from March 4 to 17 at the Port of Gothenburg, the project partners proved that the solution is capable of replacing fossil fuel solutions in real-world operations today.
The trial primarily focused on off-grid power generation for construction sites and vehicles, but the technology also holds promise for port applications, particularly for marine shore power connections known as cold ironing.
“The Hyflex has the potential to replace diesel generator sets in various settings and can be applied to new power generation tasks. While the current demonstrator was developed with construction sites in mind, we also see opportunities for marine and port electrification applications, such as sustainable ship-to-shore power,” stated Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell Group.
Timing-wise, the demonstrator project aligns with the latest regulations from the European Union. FuelEU Maritime mandates that passenger and container ships must use shore power supplies for all electricity needs while docked at major EU ports starting in 2030.
PowerCell is also engaged in a pioneering fuel cell ferry project. Torghatten Nord will introduce hydrogen ferries on Norway’s longest and weather-exposed ferry route between Lofoten and Bodø next year. The solution includes Marine System 200, which will provide each of the two ferries with 6 MW of power and 15 years of service from PowerCell.
