Multi-fuel SOFC powertrain for maritime transport

Proposals must design, build and test a solid oxide fuel cell system of at least 100 kW that runs on multiple fuels and survives real shipboard conditions — vibration, tilting up to 22.5 degrees in any direction, salt mist, and marine temperature and humidity swings — as a building block toward multi-megawatt maritime systems. At least one of the fuels tested must be fully decarbonised, such as hydrogen or ammonia, even though carbon-containing fuels like methanol or methane can also be part of the multi-fuel mix, and the system must run for at least 1,000 hours total across one or two fuels under a realistic load profile. Proposals must build on and actively collaborate with three named active projects — Helenus, Fuelsome and ShipFC — rather than duplicate their work, and must address technoeconomic and life-cycle sustainability, degradation-mitigation strategies, and the regulatory standards and classification requirements needed for maritime use. Targeted performance includes a 10 MW power rating built from smaller blocks, an 80,000-hour system lifetime, a cost of EUR 2,000 per kW, 60% electrical efficiency (95% with heat recovery), 99% availability and a 2-minute warm start-up.