PowerCell reaches €3.5M deal to supply Germany’s H2FLY with fuel cell systems

Swedish company PowerCell has reached a new deal worth 40 million SEK (around €3.5 million) to supply German H2 aircraft startup H2FLY with aircraft fuel cell systems through 2023 and 2024.

PowerCell received an initial order worth 45 million SEK (around €3.9 million) from H2FLY in June 2022. The subsequent request, which marks the second order from H2FLY, includes fuel cell systems with a 1.8-megawatt capacity, associated services and testing.

H2FLY recently announced its next-generation fuel cell system, the H175, designed for aircraft with 20 to 80 seats. This modular drive unit operates in the megawatt range and is engineered to facilitate higher flight altitudes than previous systems.

CEO of PowerCell Richard Berkling said the recent order further affirms the company’s leading role in the shift towards “emission-free and sustainable aviation”.

Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY, asserted that the potential for hydrogen-powered aircraft is vast. He envisioned that by the conclusion of this decade, the company’s initial commercial systems would be certified and operational on a global scale.

“In the early 2030s, our scaled-up system will make it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions for at least half of global air traffic,” Kallo said.

Expanding horizons

In addition to making strides in the aviation industry, PowerCell has expanded its maritime sector presence. The previous month, PowerCell and e1 Marine, a methanol-to-hydrogen reformer builder, completed a shoreside “string test.” This test involved connecting their equipment to create a 200kW hydrogen-powered propulsion system.

The system that emerges from this collaboration uses methanol as input and generates electrical power without using an internal combustion engine. The only byproducts emitted from this system are CO2 and water.

The test is being conducted as a technological trial for the upcoming MV Hydrogen One, which is set to become the world’s first methanol-fueled towboat with an all-fuel-cell propulsion system.

PowerCell considers the system groundbreaking and suitable for various vessels, such as workboats, push-boats and superyachts. Maritime Partners LLC, the owner of MV Hydrogen One, plans to implement the system at the beginning of next year.