EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH (EKPO) 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 million euro range. The delivery start of the stacks already took place in the first half of 2023, according to the company's release.
Shipping currently accounts for around 3% of global CO2 emissions. In Europe alone, far beyond 100 million tons of CO2 are emitted annually by ferries, container ships, and cruise vessels. This share is likely to rise further due to the increasing importance of shipping.
With this in mind, hydrogen-based propulsion in conjunction with fuel cells can help to reduce emissions by a significant margin. Not only can fuel cells reduce emissions, they are also capable of eliminating them – as long as the electricity for hydrogen 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 in particular for applications with high power requirements, such as in the maritime sector.
EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies (EKPO), headquartered in Dettingen/Erms (Germany), is a leading joint venture in the development and large-scale production of fuel cell stacks for CO2-neutral mobility. The company is a full-service supplier for fuel cell stacks and components used in passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, as well as in train and marine applications. Within this context, the company is building on the industrialization expertise of two established international automotive suppliers – ElringKlinger and Plastic Omnium.