Overview
Shipping is responsible for around 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, accounting for 2.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Marine vessels primarily rely on fossil fuels, releasing harmful pollutants including NOₓ, SOₓ, and particulate matter. Current propulsion systems and fuel technologies do not meet EU and IMO decarbonisation targets. A major challenge is the development of efficient, scalable systems that can operate with alternative fuels like ammonia and methanol, particularly for long-distance shipping. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) offer promise due to high efficiency, but their compatibility with alternative fuels must be enhanced, alongside ensuring regulatory compliance and sustainable fuel supply chains.
FuelSOME aims to prove the feasibility of a flexible, scalable, and multi-fuel energy system based on SOFC technology, specifically designed for long-distance maritime transport. The system will run on ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, and their blends, exploring long-term sustainable supply pathways. These fuels are favoured for their high energy density, ease of storage and transport, and circular economy potential. Beyond technical development, FuelSOME will assess environmental, social, and economic impacts. Its outcomes aim to support maritime decarbonisation and act as a blueprint for wider industrial application, helping establish multifuel energy systems as a future standard.
Objectives
Design an overall technological concept from source to end use and proceed with its modelling, considering fuel (quality) specifications as well as fuel storage and distribution aspects.
Undertake research at stack level to advance its performance, efficiency, degradation, and tolerance limits and to proceed with development of the stack module.
Design, build and test a lab scale prototype of the multi-fuel energy generator based on SOFC technology.
Undertake a Techno-economic Assessment (TEA) and perform a prospective Life Cycle Sustainability assessment (LCSA).
Maximise the project’s impact a through wide dissemination, communication, exploitation, and standardisation actions.
eBOS Role in the Project
As the Dissemination and Communication Manager of FuelSOME, eBOS will carry out several dissemination and communication activities to maximise the promotion of new knowledge and non-confidential results to as many relevant actors as possible. Overall, the dissemination strategy will be to circulate results to specific target audiences, enabling them to build upon the knowledge generated by FuelSOME and advance technology, science, industry, and policy. Another main task of eBOS, will be to promote the project and the adoption of its outcomes beyond its lifetime.
As the Quality Assurance and Risk Manager of the project, eBOS will establish and implement Quality Assurance procedures to monitor the review activities of Work Packages and ensure high-quality reports are submitted annually. eBOS will also manage the project’s risk library and develop the procedures for reporting risks, covering both operational and framework-level risks. Finally, it will ensure that proactive measures are taken to mitigate risks.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
