Ceres and Alma Clean Power are working together on the demonstration of a solid oxide fuel cell system for the marine market. The announcement comes ahead of the Maritime Hybrid, Electric & H₂ Fuel Cell Conference, where Ceres and Alma will jointly present to industry peers on the benefits of solid oxide technology for the maritime market.

This initial project between the two companies, will integrate Ceres’ highly efficient technology into a modularized power system, developed by Alma, using liquid natural gas (LNG). Ceres will provide solid oxide fuel cell stacks for the development and validation of the power system. Alma will develop and build the 80-kW system that will be tested during 2024 in Stord, Norway, before being transferred to a vessel for further testing.

Ceres’ solid oxide technology is robust, fuel flexible, durable, and handles vibration well, making it ideally suited to marine environments, including coastal, portside and offshore. Made from mass-market and widely available materials, Ceres’ technology is inherently cost-effective, modular and scalable.

Tony Cochrane, Chief Commercial Officer at Ceres, said, “Our partnership with Alma will combine our highly efficient technology, with Alma’s marine systems development capabilities and market access. Decarbonizing marine, one of the hardest to abate industries, is a crucial challenge for the globe to meet its net zero ambitions. We are excited to be collaborating with Alma, to drive the transition to a greener future for shipping.”

Hans Fredrik Kjellnes, CTO Alma Clean Power, said, “The Ceres technology has a favorable weight and power density ratio, and its ease of integration made it a natural choice for Alma’s first natural gas demonstrator. Ceres partner’s fast production volume ramp-up addresses the cost reduction hurdle naturally associated with innovative and nascent technologies, which has been another decisive factor for Alma. We are excited about the opportunity to take this technology onboard a ship and the chance to advance our delivery of future-proof power solutions for deep sea shipping and offshore.”