Classification society DNV has awarded Type Approval to Corvus Energy’s gas-safe Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System (FCS).
In a statement issued yesterday (4 September), Corvus Energy said that system, which was developed through the H2NOR project, is the first FCS designed to be ‘inherently gas-safe’, making it ‘the safest fuel cell system in the market’.
Olaf Drews, Head of Engines & Pressurized Equipment Maritime, explained: ‘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.’
The building block of the Pelican FCS is a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell module from Toyota, which has been installed in more than 30,000 cars worldwide. 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 decarbonisation efforts.’
Corvus Energy said that the first Pelican system has been produced and is now ready to be installed on the MS Skulebas, a 35-metre 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 Pelican system and hydrogen storage, the vessel will be able to operate for 4 days with zero emissions.
