Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Ship Electric Propulsion: Moving Toward Greener Ships

This article addresses several challenges related to the development of zero-emission ship propulsion through hydrogen fuel cells (FCs) as the main source of energy. One main barrier to the development of FC propulsion is the production and transportation of hydrogen. However, in this article, it is assumed that hydrogen is available in the form of pure hydrogen or hydrocarbons. Still, many challenges related to the installation and operation of the FC remain; we discuss some of the main issues, such as the technical requirements for FC installation onboard, power system integration, control, and safety and related regulations. The factors addressed in this article are limited to the tools, requirements, and components that are physically located onboard ships.