Business

TECO 2030 and UiT cooperate on maritime hydrogen and fuel cells research and education

TECO 2030 will give UiT researchers and students the opportunity to use fuel cell element testing facilities at the TECO 2030 Innovation Center.

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2021

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Marine cleantech company TECO 2030 on Thursday (21 October) said it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with UiT, The Arctic University of Norway to cooperate on enhancing hydrogen and fuel cell research and education in Norway.

The agreement was signed between TECO 2030 and UiT’s Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology.

The faculty offers courses in hydrogen and fuel cells, and is based in Narvik in northern Norway, in the same city where TECO 2030 is currently working to set up Norway’s first large-scale production of hydrogen fuel cells.

The TECO 2030 Innovation Center in Narvik will be a combined factory and innovation centre. TECO 2030 will produce hydrogen fuel cells that are specifically designed for use on ships and other heavy-duty applications.

Will contribute to increased value creation in northern Norway

“Contributing to the development of sustainable energy solutions for land and sea transport is central in the research and development work we do at our faculty, and for us, fuel cell solutions that use hydrogen as an energy carrier are of particular interest,” says Professor Bjørn-Reidar Sørensen, Head of the Department of Building, Energy and Material Technology at the UiT.

“We are looking forward to cooperating with TECO 2030. Our goal is that we, through our cooperation with TECO 2030, can also contribute to increase the value creation in the north,” says Sørensen.

“We have extensive experience in working closely together with business and industry, and we are today providing students with an education that can be used directly in TECO 2030’s work. We will also be able to adapt our study offer according to the specific needs of TECO 2030,” he adds.

As part of the agreement, TECO 2030 will contribute to improving UiT’s research and education in the field of hydrogen fuel cells. TECO 2030 will give UiT researchers and students the opportunity to use the fuel cell element testing facilities at the TECO 2030 Innovation Center during periods when they are not used in the production of fuel cells.

TECO 2030 and UiT will together also identify and cooperate on creating hydrogen-related projects for marine and land-based applications. Both parties will jointly conduct research projects and will cooperate on increasing the efficiency of the fuel cell production equipment at the TECO 2030 Innovation Center.

Will improve access to highly qualified, potential future employees

“We are very happy to be cooperating with UiT on enhancing the education in northern Norway for the use of hydrogen and fuel cells, and we are looking forward to welcoming students and researchers at the university to our new Innovation Center in Narvik,” says Tore Enger, CEO of TECO 2030 ASA.

“Our cooperation with UiT will contribute to increasing Norwegian competence on fuel cell development and will at the same time improve our access to highly qualified, potential future employees who already live in the region,” Enger adds.

The production of hydrogen fuel cells for use within the maritime industry is still in early stages, and it is currently limited competence in Norway on the development of fuel cells.

Will produce the engine of tomorrow

TECO 2030 is developing fuel cells together with the Austrian powertrain technology company AVL, and it took over the building that will become home to the TECO 2030 Innovation Center in summer. TECO 2030 is now in the process of making detailed plans for the factory and its production lines.

Hydrogen fuel cells are the engines of tomorrow and convert hydrogen into electricity while emitting nothing but water vapour and warm air. By installing fuel cells, ships and other heavy-duty applications can switch from fossil fuels to hydrogen and reduce its emissions to zero.

Fuel cells can enable ships to sail emissions-free either on the whole journey or on shorter distances, such as when sailing into and out of ports. It can also be used during port-stay, loading and discharging, enabling zero-emission operation at berth, without having to connect the ship to an onshore power supply.

Photo credit: TECO 2030
Published: 28 October, 2021

Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker for illegal anchoring in East Johor waters

Panama-registered vessel was operated by 17 crew members, aged between 21 to 58 years, from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

Published

4 hours ago

November 29, 2023

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Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker for illegal anchoring in East Johor waters

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Tuesday (28 November) said a Panama-registered tanker has been detained for illegally anchoring in East Johor waters on 27 November.

MMEA Tanjung Sedili Zone acting director Maritime Cmdr Mohd Najib Sam said the tanker was detained by a patrol boat at 11am at 15.8 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Penawar.

The captain of the vessel failed to produce any documents that permission had been obtained to anchor in Malaysian waters.

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The vessel was operated by 17 crew members, aged between 21 to 58 years, from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

The case will be investigated under Section 491B(1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for anchoring without permission. If found guilty, individuals may be fined not exceeding MYR 100,000 or face an imprisonment term of not more than two years, or both.

Manifold Times previously reported law firm Oon & Bazul LLP sharing on steps shipowners should keep in mind before anchoring and conducting STS operations in Malaysian waters to avoid detention.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 29 November, 2023

Alternative Fuels

DNV paper outlines bunkering of alternative marine fuels for boxships

Third edition of its paper series focuses on LNG, methanol and ammonia as alternative bunker fuel options for containerships; explores bunkering aspects for LNG and methanol.

Published

4 hours ago

November 29, 2023

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DNV paper outlines bunkering of alternative marine fuels for boxships

Classification society DNV recently released the third edition of its paper series Alternative fuels for containerships, focused on LNG, methanol and ammonia as alternative bunker fuel options for containerships.

In its updated paper series, DNV examined the different alternative marine fuel options and provided an overview of the most important technical and commercial considerations for the containership sector.

It explored the bunkering technology for LNG, bunkering infrastructure for methanol, and availability and infrastructure of ammonia.

Building on the foundation laid in the second edition, which focused on the most important aspects of methanol as a fuel, this latest third edition delves deeper – exploring the technical intricacies and commercial considerations associated with adopting methanol as an alternative fuel for containerships.

Furthermore, it provides an overview of crucial aspects related to ammonia and discusses its potential as an alternative fuel for containerships.

Amongst others, the new edition of the paper looks at the following aspects:

Technical design considerations for methanol
Commercial implications of adopting methanol as an alternative fuel
Ammonia's potential as an alternative fuel
Availability, infrastructure and ship fuel technology for ammonia
Major updates based on the latest IMO GHG strategy decisions at the MEPC 80 meeting

Note: The third edition of DNV’s full paper titled Alternative Fuels for Containerships can be found here.

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 29 November, 2023

Alternative Fuels

EDF, LR and Arup launch tool scoring ports’ potential to produce and bunker electrofuels

Tool is also applied to three different port scenarios, including ports exploring fuel production and bunkering, ports exploring fuel exports, and ports exploring fuel imports and bunkering.

Published

4 hours ago

November 29, 2023

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EDF, LR and Arup launch tool scoring ports’ potential to produce and bunker electrofuels

Lloyd’s Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in collaboration with Arup, on Tuesday (28 November) introduced the Sustainable First Movers Initiative Identification Tool, a system to help shipping stakeholders align investment decisions that support the maritime energy transition away from fossil fuels.

The tool, which is presented in a preliminary findings report – The Potential of Ports in Developing Sustainable First Movers Initiatives – scores a port’s potential to produce and bunker electrofuels while delivering local environmental and community benefits in alignment with the global temperature target of 1.5 degrees Celsius set by the Paris Agreement.

“Ports can play an important role in kickstarting shipping’s decarbonisation process even before global policies are established,” said Marie Cabbia Hubatova, Director, Global Shipping at Environmental Defense Fund.

“By considering the impact sustainable first mover initiatives can have on port-side communities, climate, environment and economies, resources can be better directed to locations where these initiatives will make the biggest difference.”

With close to two billion people living near coastal zones globally, the role of, and impacts on local port communities must be intentionally considered as the sector decarbonises globally. Ports can play a crucial role in ensuring shipping decarbonisation efforts are done in a way that has positive impacts on port communities.

The preliminary phase of the Sustainable First Movers Initiative Identification Tool analyses 108 ports in the Indo-Pacific region according to five criteria including land suitability, air quality, renewable energy surplus, economic resilience and ship traffic.

It is also applied to three different port scenarios, including ports exploring fuel production and bunkering, ports exploring fuel exports, and ports exploring fuel imports and bunkering. The combined criteria and scenario evaluation determines which ports have the greatest potential (high potential) for sustainable first mover initiatives to lead to significant emissions reductions and positive impacts in nearby communities, such as improved air quality and economic resilience.

“The transition to clean energy supply for shipping can be achieved only if stakeholders act together. Identifying potential port locations is the first step in this process,” said Dr Carlo Raucci, Consultant at Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub. “This approach sets the base for a regional sustainable transition that considers the impacts on port-side communities and the need to avoid regions in the Global South lagging behind.”

Regions in the Global South are fundamental in driving the decarbonisation of shipping. To make this transition effective, the rate at which different countries adopt and scale up electrofuels must be proportional to the difference in capital resources globally to avoid additional costs being passed on to local communities. Sustainable first mover initiatives can play an important role in making this happen by ensuring the sector’s decarbonisation is inclusive of all regions and by engaging all shipping stakeholders, including port-side communities.

“There’s a huge opportunity for early adopter shipping decarbonisation initiatives to unlock benefits for people and planet – shaping the way for a more equitable transition in the 2030s,” said Mark Button, Associate, Arup. “Our collective approach shows that taking a holistic view of shipping traffic, fuel production potential and port communities could help prioritise action at ports with the greatest near-term potential.”

The tool can be customised according to stakeholders’ needs and goals and is dependent on scenario desirability. The next phase of this work will include the selection and detailed assessment of 10 ports to help better understand local needs and maximise the value offered by sustainable first mover initiatives.

LR and EDF carried out a joint study on ammonia as shipping fuel, and LR and Arup have collaborated on The Resilience Shift study focused on fuel demand for early adopters in green corridors, ports, and energy systems, amongst many other projects.

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 29 November, 2023