Freudenberg and the largest shipyard for the construction of cruise ships—the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany—want to equip future generations of cruise liners with fuel-cell-powered propulsion. To achieve this goal, they are consortium partners of the publicly funded Pa-X-ell2 project to develop a new generation of fuel cells for use on ocean-going passenger ships.
Last year, AIDAnova put into service the world’s first cruise ship that is completely operated with low-emission Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The use of LNG is currently the greenest solution in ship operation. As a result, the emission of fine dust and sulfur oxides is almost completely avoided, and nitrogen oxide and CO2 emissions are reduced.
A fuel cell offers the possibility of power generation onboard. It works with low emissions, noise, and vibration. The fuel cell is operated with hydrogen, which is reformed from methanol. Methanol as an energy carrier also offers good properties in terms of storage volume.
After intensive onshore tests, the fuel cell of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies will be tested in operation from 2021 onboard the AIDAnova of AIDA Cruises, which was built at the Meyer shipyard. The fuel cells are designed for significantly higher durability than cells for use in cars. Initial tests have shown that a service life of more than 35,000 operating hours is achievable.
- Freudenberg Sealing Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, Weinheim, Germany
