Challenges
In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) underlined the need to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping by at least 50% by the year 2050 in comparison to emission levels in 2008.
The maritime industry, which is a hard-to-decarbonize sector, is actively seeking for alternate solutions/technology which can make it more climate friendly but at the same time does not compromise on the current performance levels.
FuelSOME focuses on establishing the technological feasibility of a flexible, scalable, and multi-fuel capable energy generation system based on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) technology, specially catered for long-distance maritime shipping. This system will be able to operate on Ammonia, Methanol and Hydrogen and their mixtures, for which short and long-term sustainable supply pathways will be explored. With regards to fuels, ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen have been selected for consideration in FuelSOME with clear advantages regarding transportation, storage, energy density and, in the long term, potential for resource valorisation in a circular economy scenario. These fuels will need to meet the quality criteria for use in SOFCs, which are to the current knowledge only partly defined, because of the research gap in the SOFC development on multifuel stacks and systems. At the same time, they also need to be readily available to the maritime sector and their supply, storage and distribution should lead to minimal or net zero GHG emissions.
The outcomes generated by the project will not only benefit the maritime industry but can also serve as a blueprint/ launchpad for applying the same technology in other sectors to reduce GHG emissions, thereby enabling multifuel energy generators to become the norm in the future.
Project Objectives
The project objectives are to:
Design an overall technological concept from source to end use and proceed with its modelling, considering fuel (quality) specifications as well as fuel storage and distribution aspects
Undertake research at stack level to advance its performance, efficiency, degradation, and tolerance limits and to proceed with development of the stack module
Design, build and test a lab scale prototype of the multi-fuel energy generator based on SOFC technology
Undertake a Techno-economic Assessment (TEA) and perform a prospective Life Cycle Sustainability assessment (LCSA)
Maximise the project’s impact a through wide dissemination, communication, exploitation, and standardisation actions
Role in the Project
eBOS is the Dissemination & Communication Manager as well as the Quality Assurance and Risk Manager of the project.
eBOS will develop dissemination and communication actions to maximise the promotion of nonconfidential results and knowledge generated during the project to as many relevant actors as possible and to promote the project and the adoption of its outcomes beyond its lifetime. The overall aim of the dissemination strategy is to disclose project results that can be used by specific target audiences to progress their own work, i.e., to build upon the knowledge generated by FuelSOME, fertilising the advancement of technology, science, industry, and policy.
eBOS will also establish and implement Quality Assurance procedures with particular focus on monitoring review activities built into the Work Packages and submitting quality reports annually. eBOS will moreover manage the project’s risk library, processes and procedures for Risk Management and reporting to be performed by partners in each Work Package, covering both operational risks and the framework-level barriers/risks where proactive measures will be taken to mitigate risks.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
