TECO 2030 and partners awarded €13.5m EU grant for hydrogen-powered ferry project

A €13.5m (US$15m) grant has been awarded to TECO 2030 and its partners by Horizon Europe for the construction and demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered passenger ferry. The project consortium consists of 14 partners from seven European countries covering including technology developers, academic institutions, maritime engineering, class society, digital transformation and a shipyard. The grant amount reserved for TECO 2030 is €2.3m (US$2.6m).

The Horizon Innovation Action project’s main goal is to speed up the transition to the safe use of sustainable fuels for maritime transportation by demonstrating a full-scale hydrogen fuel cell system. The partners will work toward the development and eventual construction of a 35m-long passenger ferry powered by a FCM400 fuel cell system. The vessel will have a 300 passenger capacity.

The ferry will operate in Southern Europe, with TECO 2030 and partners developing the entire value chain to ensure full operational requirements for the vessel. This will consist of a hydrogen refueling system and ensuring the required infrastructure is in place.

The project proposal was submitted in April 2023 and has been evaluated by the European Commission in terms of its excellence, impact and quality. It is anticipated that the grant preparation process will be finalized in late 2023, with an estimated project start date set for January 2024.

“I’m proud to announce that we have won our second Horizon Europe project,” said Fredrik Aarskog, director of business development, TECO 2030. “Winning two EU projects out of two attempts is an extraordinary achievement, and I would like to thank our partners and our internal proposal writing team for their strong efforts.”

“We are thrilled to continue to showcase how hydrogen can contribute to the reduction of harmful emissions within the marine industry,” added Tore Enger, group CEO, TECO 2030. “This project has the potential to enable seaborne passenger transport, without any emissions.”