Car carrier ship is (partly) powered by fuel cell
Wallenius Lines' M/V Undine, a Swedish car carrier, is the first ship in the world to use a fuel cell for auxiliary power. It's not fully powered by the fuel cell, but the addition is still a huge energy-saver, if not a mon
ey-saver.
The fuel cell, to be specific, is a Wartsila WFC20 solid oxide fuel cell, fueled by methanol, and is rated at 20 kilowatts. Solid oxide fuel cells are very much in vogue at the moment; it's the same technology behind the Bloom Box, unveiled back in February. It works in much the same way: hydrocarbons, in this case methanol, are fed into the box. That fuel reacts with the oxygen inside the fuel cell, creating electricity (and a whole lot of heat--the WFC20 heats up to 1,100 degrees F).
Fuel cells aren't nearly efficient enough to power an entire ship yet. The uses its fuel cell for auxiliary power, meaning it relies on it while in port. Typically, a ship would need generators, batteries, and a whole lot more fuel just to power the navigation systems, communication systems, and various living needs, and this fuel cell replaces all of that.
The WFC20 may pay for itself in the long run, but it also required a ton of funding just to get off the ground. The EU contributed about $1.25 million to the project.
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com