ShipFC innovates green ammonia fuel cells for deep-sea shipping

At the time the project was launched, no commercially available technology could deliver zero emissions at the scale required for ocean-going vessels. ShipFC aimed to fill that gap by combining Norwegian maritime expertise with advanced fuel-cell technology in a real-life operating environment.

To achieve this, a high-temperature solid oxide fuel-cell system powered by ammonia was planned for retrofit on board the offshore support vessel Viking Energy. The vessel is owned by Eidesvik Offshore and operated on contract for Equinor. The intention was to operate the system for at least 3 000 hours over a 12-month period, generating valuable operational data under commercial conditions.

When first conceived, ShipFC was positioned to become the world’s first ship fitted with an ammonia-powered fuel-cell system at megawatt scale. Early engineering work and system integration demonstrated that fuel cells could be incorporated into existing ship operations without disrupting daily offshore activities. The project attracted significant international attention and helped establish Norway as a frontrunner in zero-emission maritime solutions.

“The strength of the ShipFC project is that we will test our solutions on a real-life vessel in a real-life commercial environment. We have a unique opportunity to use this vessel for a long time, which will strengthen the validity of our testing,” said Tore Boge, Head of EU Projects at Maritime CleanTech, in an interview for the original article in 2022.

Ammonia was selected as the project’s fuel because of its strong potential as a zero-emission energy carrier when produced using renewable electricity. It is already traded globally, has a high energy density compared to other zero-emission fuels and can be stored and transported using established infrastructure. These characteristics make ammonia a realistic option for meeting a significant share of shipping’s future energy demand.

Without combustion, ammonia fuel cells generate power and heat silently, with minimal vibration and low or zero emissions. The ShipFC project targeted a 70 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from Viking Energy, with even greater reductions in pollutants such as NO_x, SO_x and particulate matter.

“Our project goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Viking Energy by 70 per cent. Other pollutants such as NO_x, SO_x and particulate matter will be reduced even more. Our aim is to cut these by over 80 per cent,” said Boge.

The project used ammonia supplied by Yara Clean Ammonia, drawing on Norway’s long-standing experience with large-scale ammonia production and logistics. While global infrastructure for ammonia already exists, ShipFC also explored maritime bunkering solutions, new business models and market incentives needed to accelerate the uptake of green ammonia in shipping.

A central technical objective of ShipFC was the development of a megawatt-scale solid oxide fuel cell suitable for maritime use. Engineering work focused on scaling up fuel-cell capacity from earlier pilot systems to levels that could support larger vessels and, over time, replace main engines.

The project also highlighted the efficiency potential of fuel cells compared to combustion engines. Electrical efficiency targets of around 60 per cent were combined with opportunities to use excess heat onboard, further improving overall energy performance.

Beyond ammonia, the fuel-cell technology explored in ShipFC was designed to be compatible with multiple fuels, including hydrogen, methanol and LNG. This fuel flexibility was seen as an important way to reduce risk for shipowners navigating an uncertain future fuel landscape.

Ammonia’s toxicity and flammability made safety a core focus throughout the project. ShipFC partners worked closely with DNV to ensure that all systems met the highest maritime safety standards and to develop new regulatory frameworks for ammonia-fuelled vessels.

The safety studies and regulatory groundwork developed through ShipFC are already contributing to wider industry knowledge and future zero-emission vessel projects.

The ShipFC project, coordinated by Maritime CleanTech, was temporarily suspended in February 2025 after the consortium faced unresolved supply‑chain challenges related to megawatt‑scale solid oxide fuel‑cell technology and the withdrawal of its main fuel‑cell supplier, Alma Clean Power. Despite achieving important regulatory and engineering milestones – including preliminary design approval for the ammonia fuel system on Viking Energy – the project did not proceed to full‑scale onboard installation.

ShipFC formally concluded at the end of 2025 without a successor project replacing it. However, the technical insights, safety studies and regulatory groundwork developed through ShipFC continue to inform new EU and industry‑led initiatives exploring ammonia and hydrogen solutions for zero‑emission shipping.