EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH has secured a contract from an international cruise company. The agreement covers the supply of NM12 Single fuel cell stacks for initially one cruise ship operated by the global cruise line. The initial volume will be within the single-digit MM-euro range. The delivery of the stacks already took place in the first half of 2023.

Dr. Gernot Stellberger, Managing Director of EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies said, "The agreement has tremendous potential for the future and confirms our commitment to help shape the development of sustainable and eco-friendly shipping with our fuel cell stacks. In addition, the order clearly illustrates that our fuel cell stacks are suitable for a wide range of applications – on the road in buses, commercial vehicles and passenger cars, and beyond the road in industrial settings, on railways and especially for maritime usage. Our EKPO technology provides the best possible basis thanks to its combination of performance, compact design, and high efficiency."

Shipping currently accounts for around 3% of global CO₂ emissions. In Europe alone, far beyond 100 MMtpy of CO₂ are emitted by ferries, container ships and cruise vessels. This share is likely to rise further due to the increasing importance of shipping. H₂-based propulsion in conjunction with fuel cells can help to reduce emissions by a significant margin. Not only can fuel cells reduce emissions, but they are also capable of eliminating them­—if the electricity for H₂ production is generated from renewable energy sources.

EKPO is supplying NM12 Single stacks for the cruise ship's fuel cell propulsion system. The NM12 Single PEMFC stack module is available with 359 cells. At 2.5 bara operating pressure, it achieves an output of up to 123 kWel. The NM12 stack modules are designed for applications with high power requirements, such as in the maritime sector.