Samskip Brings Ballard, eCap on Deck to Supply Fuel Cells for Vessels

The 6.4 MW of fuel cell power generation capacity will be spread across 32 FCwave engines integrated into marine propulsion systems by eCap Marine. The array of 200-kW fuel cell engines will power two SeaShuttle vessels.

July 29, 2025

2 min read

Fuel cell module manufacturer Ballard Power Systems will supply engines for a pair of Samskip ocean shuttle vessels in Europe.

Delivery of the fuel cell engines will be completed between this year and 2026, according to the companies.

“We’re proud to expand our partnership with eCap Marine and Samskip with one of the largest marine fuel cell engine orders in history,” said Marty Neese, CEO of Ballard Power Systems, in a statement. “Deploying our FCwave modules on these two Samskip vessels provides a critical validation point for the use of proton-exchange membrane fuel cell propulsion for maritime applications.”

eCap Marine previously retrofitted the Coastal Liberty commercial vessel with Ballard’s hydrogen-based fuel-cell systems. The marine units are built at Cochin Shipyard in India.

“Our continued collaboration with Ballard is central to our mission to decarbonize marine transport,” Lars Ravens, managing director with eCap Marine, said. “This latest order exemplifies our shared commitment to operational excellence and environmental stewardship. Together, we are delivering a clean propulsion solution that meets the rigorous demands of long-haul marine operations.”

The fuel cell-equipped SeaShuttles, once commissioned and at sea, will run on green hydrogen and avoid close to 25,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. Green hydrogen does not contain carbon in its molecular chain and is generated using electrolyzers powered by carbon-free electricity resources such as solar, wind, hydropower and nuclear.

Ballard Power Systems supplies fuel-cell engine systems for both land and marine transportation customers. These include trains, heavy-duty trucking and ships.