Feature 2 | Green Ship technoloGy
One issue with Viking Lady was that the
ventilation was not considered sufficient
when the fuel cell was first loaded onto the
vessel in August 2009 and this meant here
was a delay in starting the cell which was
eventually operational from 3 December.
Further testing onboard the vessel will
take place over the course of 2010 and that
will conclude the two phase project that
the Fellowship set it self to achieve in 2003.
The first phase being the US$3.5million
(NKr20million) feasibility study and the
second phase was the US$16.4million
(NKr93.5million) fitting of the fuel cell and
then integrating it into the ship’s systems.
Once complete the testing will mark
the end of the project though all three
partners Eidesvik, DNV and Wärtsilä
will all consider the project unfinished. the fuel cell being lifted into place in August 2009.
Eidesvik is seeking a partner to develop
vessels that operate on LNG and
Mr Meling believes that offshore supply
ships can use the technology efficiently.
Discussions are taking place with
possible partners, but Mr Meling said
there are two major hurdles: “Firstly there
is a need to build a ‘marinised’ fuel cell at
full scale, in order to reduce costs fuel cells
will need to be produced in numbers and
no-one really knows how long the cells will
last at sea.”
There is a third hurdle and that is
convincing potential owners and operators
that the fuel cell technology operating
alongside LNG fuelled engines is a
financially viable option.
According to the Fellowship the capital
costs of a fuel cell/LNG powered vessel
are 10% higher than a conventional vessel,
that means that charter rates for the ships
will be higher, but operational costs are operating in the north Sea with the West phoenix oil platform in the background.
significantly lower and that lowers the
overall costs over an extended period.
According to Mr Meling: “the operators that needs funding or “a shipowner to times that power can be produced by a
say that they are paying €3500/day less in establish a market for the vessel” said Mr fuel cell of a similar size and that would
fuel costs and they are saving on NOx taxes SØrfonn. make it commercially viable.
t o o”. However, technologically there is According to Mr Meling he would
Ingve Sørfonn, director of energy another requirement and that is that the ideally like to produce a vessel with two
management at Wärtsilä Ship Power, said fuel cell system needs to grow in scale. 1mw fuel cells and three 2mW LNG
Wärtsilä is also looking to learn from Mr Svensson said: “We need to get more engines offering the same power overall
its experience with Viking Lady. “We’ve power out of a unit that is around the same as Viking Lady and with an increase in the
already met expectations [with Viking size [in dimensions] as the one installed price of conventional bunker fuel and the
lady], we have a stable system we have met on Viking Lady.” introduction of pollution penalties such
efficiency goals and tested environmental Currently the cell on the Eidesvik ship as the NOx tax that is already payable
issues such as vibrations.” generates around 320kW of power the in Norway the ships would certainly
The system now needs scaling up and Fellowship partners believe that three be viable. NA
56 The Naval Architect January 2010
NA Jan 10 - p54+56.indd 56 12/01/2010 10:04:58
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