Corvus Energy inherently gas-safe marine fuel cell system awarded type approval by DNV

The system which was developed through the three-year-long H2NOR project, is the first Fuel Cell System (FCS) designed to be inherently gas-safe, making it the safest fuel cell system in the market.

Receiving type approval from DNV, a leading maritime classification society, confirms that the Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System meets the most stringent performance and safety standards required by the maritime industry.

Olaf Drews, Head of Engines & Pressurized Equipment Maritime says: "It is a special fuel cell system, because the Pelican uses nitrogen for inerting of the fuel cell space. It is the first fuel cell system that uses this technology and this brings it to a very preferred safety level. This is a milestone, and we look forward to the first ship project."

A significant milestone for Net Zero shipping
Despite technology improvements and advancements in battery electric vessels, most vessels cannot achieve zero-emission operations for extended periods of time using batteries alone. For vessels on longer routes and vessels that are unable to charge often enough, we need to add clean fuel and fuel cells to enable extended zero-emission capabilities.

CEO of Corvus Energy, Fredrik Witte is clear on the success factors for the project: “Toyota`s unsurpassed knowledge in developing high-quality and efficient fuel cells, in addition to the strong collaboration and high level of maritime experience among the partners in this development project, has been key. This is a milestone for net zero shipping. We now have a high-quality range extender to add to our existing ESS portfolio with the scalability and the safety needed to be a real driver in the future of marine decarbonization.” 

About the Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System
Proven in more than 30,000 cars worldwide, the building block of the Pelican FCS is a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell module from Toyota. According to Thiebault Paquet, Vice President of Toyota Hydrogen Factory Europe: “DNV Type Approval demonstrates that Toyota fuel cell technology is transferable to the marine sector and is a viable solution to support maritime decarbonization efforts.”

Combining proven fuel cell technology with a built-for-maritime design, the inherently gas-safe Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System significantly streamlines integration with ship systems. In addition, to optimize power distribution between the fuel cell and energy storage systems, Corvus is developing a real-time advisory system for the shipowner called Corvus CoPilot – a proprietary digital solution designed to increase energy efficiency, enhance performance and extend system lifetime. Corvus CoPilot is complimented by Corvus’ robust digital solutions for energy storage, which include remote performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and State of Health Testing that are unmatched within the industry.

The first vessel will soon be sailing
The first Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System is produced and ready to be installed onboard “MS Skulebas,” a 35-meter fishing and training vessel owned by Vestland County and operated by Måløy Upper Secondary School in Norway. The vessel already has a 1 MWh battery system onboard. By adding the Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System and hydrogen storage, the vessel will be able to operate for 4 days on zero emission.