TECO 2030 and its partners have been awarded a €13.5m (US$15m) grant by Horizon Europe to build and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel-cell powered passenger ferry. The consortium is made up of 14 companies from seven European countries. The grant amount reserved for TECO 2030 is €2.3m (US$2.6m).

The consortium will work collaboratively to develop and build a 35m-long passenger ferry powered by a FCM400 fuel cell system, with the aim of accelerating a transition towards the use of the sustainable fuel in the maritime sector.

The proposed ferry project will have the capacity to carry up to 300 passengers, and upon entering service will operate on routes in Southern Europe. In addition to the physical ferry build, the consortium will develop an entire value chain to ensure the vessel can operate as anticipated, consisting of a hydrogen refueling system and the required infrastructure.

Having submitted the project proposal in April 2023, the European Commission evaluated it in terms of its impact and quality. The grant preparation process is expected to be finalized in late 2023, ahead of an estimated project start date in January 2024.

“I’m proud to announce that we have won our second Horizon Europe project,” commented 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,” concluded Tore Enger, group CEO, TECO 2030. “This project has the potential to enable seaborne passenger transport, without any emissions.”