FLAGSHIPS hit the stage at Nor-Shipping 2022

The world’s first hydrogen cargo vessel is ready to ply the river Seine this year – transporting goods emission-free in the middle of Paris. Last week the project was showcased to a large Nor-Shipping audience.

A large crowd gathered around the Maritime CleanTech stage to learn about the FLAGSHIPS project on the opening day of the trade fair.

– It was great to be met by such a keen audience. This project has woken their interest, Communication Adviser at Maritime CleanTech, Marius Knudsen says. Together with Business Development Director at Ballard Power Systems, Kristina Fløche Juelsgaard, and R&D Manager and Principle Engineer at ABB Marine and Ports, Arber Haxhiu, he gave the audience an introduction to the EU-funded project.

Marius Knutsen introducing FLAGSHIPS at Nor-Shipping.

In addition, FLAGSHIPS-partner Ballard presented some exciting news at Nor-Shipping: They have received Europe’s industry-first Type Approval by DNV, for their marine fuel cell module FCwave. The Type Approval marks an important step in commercializing Ballard’s fuel cell technology for marine applications and is key to including fuel cells as part of zero-emission solutions for the marine industry. The Type Approval process is extensive, involving a series of simulations and tests.

The revolutionary FLAGSHIPS project will take zero-emission waterborne to an entirely new level by deploying two commercially operated hydrogen fuel-cell vessels. The second vessel will prove green compressed hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel also on more power demanding routes – starting operating on the river Rhine in 2023.

Nor-Shipping is the meeting place for globally leading maritime players, technology innovators, investors, and all the stakeholders interested in realising ocean opportunities. As an international arena for building cross-industry collaboration, it was very important to share our project’s achievements with experts in the field.