H2SITE has secured €3.4 million (NOK 39.1 million) in funding from Enova for HydraNord Power, a project that will develop and validate a commercial-scale onboard ammonia-to-power system for the maritime sector. Enova is one of the Norwegian government’s primary instruments for accelerating the country’s climate and energy transition, managing the Climate and Energy Fund on behalf of the Norwegian government.
Led by H2SITE, HydraNord Power will convert ammonia into high-purity hydrogen directly onboard vessels. The system will produce up to one tonne of hydrogen per day and supply maritime fuel cells delivering 700 kW of net electrical power. The project represents a step-change in scale for H2SITE, building on several smaller maritime ammonia-to-hydrogen projects already in operation, and moves the technology toward repeatable commercial deployment at a level representative of commercial auxiliary power requirements onboard vessels.
H2SITE’s membrane reactor integrates ammonia cracking and hydrogen separation in a single process, producing fuel-cell-grade hydrogen while protecting fuel cells from ammonia contamination. Its compact, modular architecture is designed for both newbuild and retrofit projects, as well as fuel-cell-only and hybrid power systems, with multiple modules deployable in parallel to address larger power requirements.
HydraNord Power brings together H2SITE, Equinor, Höegh Autoliners, Breeze Ship Design, Sustainable Energy Catapult Centre, Alltec, and Maritime CleanTech, covering vessel requirements, system design, fuel cells, site integration, testing, and project coordination. The complete system will be installed and tested at Energy House in Stord, Norway, under conditions representative of commercial maritime operations, with development and integration taking place during 2027 and commissioning planned for early 2028. The project initially targets auxiliary and hybrid power applications in deep-sea shipping, offshore operations, and other energy-intensive maritime segments.
KEY QUOTE:
“HydraNord Power takes ammonia-to-power from successful smaller deployments into a commercially relevant power range. At 700 kW net, we are addressing a real onboard power requirement with a standardised system that can be replicated across vessels and scaled into larger installations. Enova’s support allows us to demonstrate this under representative operating conditions and opens a significant market opportunity in maritime segments where direct electrification is not viable.”
Andrés Galnares, CEO, H2SITE
