FellowSHIP - Pioneering Technology Project

Wärtsilä has been assigned overall responsibility for systems integration in the pioneering FellowSHIP project. Wärtsilä's specially designed equipment is being used to integrate and create synergies between leading marine technology and state-of-the-art fuel cell technology. The equipment has been installed onboard the platform supply vessel 'Viking Lady' for extensive sea tests. The innovative solution is seen as being an important contributor in the development of environmentally sustainable marine propulsion systems.

The FellowSHIP project is a joint industry research and development project managed by Det Norske Veritas. It aims to develop and demonstrate hybrid fuel cell power packs, especially suited for marine and offshore use. The power pack will be used as an auxiliary power source on the 'Viking Lady'. The ship has been designed by Wärtsilä Ship Design, and its main engines and power drives have also been supplied by the company. Wärtsilä's electrical & automation business unit in Norway has custom developed the power electronics needed to connect the fuel cell to the ship's electrical network, and Wärtsilä has, therefore, the important role of being the systems integrator for the FellowSHIP project.

The fuel cell technology is designed to increase efficiency and leads to a considerable reduction in emissions. Fuel cell technology of this power size has never before been installed in merchant vessels, and the highly innovative project is unique on a world scale. Wärtsilä has been involved in fuel cell technology since the mid-1990s and specializes in systems integration.

The partners in the FellowSHIP project include Wärtsilä, Eidesvik, Det Norske Veritas and MTU Onsite Energy GmbH. The project is supported by the Norwegian Research Council, Innovation Norway, and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.