Progress is being made to ensure that marine fuel cells are one of the spread of technologies that will ensure that the maritime industry meets its decarbonisation target.

Challenges lie ahead for the marine fuel cell, but not all are what they seem, says Sami Kanerva, Global Product Line Manager, Fuel Cells, ABB Marine Ports. Fuel cell systems may take up more technical space on board ship than combustion engines for example, but they also do away with some of the auxiliary systems that eat up revenue-earning space in conventional power plant.