(PRNewswire)-- Global fuel cell and H₂ solutions providers HyAxiom, Inc. (HyAxiom) and Doosan Fuel Cell Co., Ltd. (DFCC) announced their solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cell stack has passed a critical environmental test by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry. This is the world's first SOFC cell stack to pass such a test, which is a core component of the marine SOFC under development by HyAxiom and DFCC.

Electrical equipment installed on vessels must pass extreme environmental testing under actual operating conditions, including temperature, humidity, vibration, inclination and electromagnetic interference.

"Due to its lower operating temperature compared to other solutions in the marketplace, our SOFC offers a longer life span and is more efficient compared to existing internal combustion engines," said Jeff Hyung Rak Chung, President and CEO of HyAxiom. "The environmental test results prove our SOFC is a viable solution for the maritime industry."

The next milestone will be to achieve overall SOFC certification and conduct full-scale demonstrations.

HyAxiom and DFCC signed a consortium agreement in 2022 with Shell PLC and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, an intermediate holding company in the shipbuilding sector of HD Hyundai Group. The consortium aims to develop, manufacture and install a 600-kilowatt (kW) SOFC Auxiliary Power Unit (SOFC APU) on a Shell-chartered LNG vessel, which will undergo a year of testing in 2025 to demonstrate the technology's ability to reduce carbon emissions from maritime transport, a sector which is vital to trade and economies worldwide but is considered hard-to-abate.

Last year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved an amendment to its greenhouse gas emissions goal, which now aims to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, along with a commitment to ensure an uptake of alternative zero and near-zero GHG fuels by 2030. This strategy, along with the economics of carbon and fuel reduction, sets the stage for HyAxiom's and DFCC's SOFC technology and positions the product as a highly sought after maritime mobility solution.

HyAxiom and DFCC are developing and manufacturing SOEC technology in collaboration with Ceres.