Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Provides Power to Port

The Port of Honolulu will host a demonstration of a portable hydrogen fuel cell unit in 2015 with the goal of developing a commercial-ready technology to provide sustainable power to ports worldwide. Hydrogen researchers at Sandia National Laboratories working with several partners will produce a self-contained unit that can fit in a 20-foot shipping container and consist of four 30-kilowatt fuel cells, a hydrogen storage system and power conversion equipment that can be transported anywhere power is needed.

The project builds on Sandia’s work last year confirming the viability of hydrogen fuel cells to provide auxiliary power to docked or anchored ships. The fuel cell solution could expand beyond maritime operations to other functions such as providing power to users not connected to an electrical grid.