The MiNaMi (Million Nautical Mile Fuel Cell System) project will be officially launched at its kick-off meeting held in Espoo, Finland, bringing together leading industrial and academic partners to develop Europe’s first megawatt (MW)-scale Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) system for maritime use. The project is coordinated by VTT.
The MiNaMi consortium consists of PowerCell Sweden AB, DFDS A/S, VAISALA Oyj, ABB Marine & Ports, Allengra Srl, and four leading research organizations: VTT, SINTEF, the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), and Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). Together, the partners cover the full value chain required to bring next-generation fuel cell technologies from development to deployment.
The project addresses the urgent need to decarbonize the maritime sector, which already accounts for nearly 3% of global GHG emissions and is expected to contribute an increasing share of transport-related emissions in the coming decades. While electrification is progressing in light-duty road transport, emissions from maritime transport continue to grow, highlighting the need for scalable zero-emission solutions.
MiNaMi aims to develop a MW-scale PEM fuel cell system with a lifetime exceeding 80,000 operating hours, enabling operation over more than one million nautical miles at a speed of 12.5 knots. The system is designed primarily for maritime applications but will also be applicable to other high-power segments, including rail transport, stationary power generation, and large non-road mobile machinery such as mining trucks.
By pushing the boundaries of current state-of-the-art PEM fuel cell technology, the MiNaMi project aims to deliver economically viable and environmentally sustainable solutions aligned with Europe’s climate and decarbonization targets. The kick-off meeting in Espoo on the 10-11 February will mark the start of a collaborative effort to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technologies in the maritime sector and beyond.
In connection with the kick-off meeting a seminar “Hydrogen Fuel cells in maritime applications” is organized 11.2 in Innopoli 1, Espoo. A program and registration link are available from Project Coordinator Jari Ihonen ([email protected]).
MiNaMi aims to support Europe in keeping leading global position in the development of MW-scale PEMFC systems, especially for maritime applications
This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No (101250260). This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe research.
