Technical Deep Dive: Teco 2030
Technical Deep Dive is a new column where we go deeper into the latest technical innovations being carried out by our cluster members. First up is Teco 2030!
TECO 2030 is an innovative engineering and equipment development company aiming to significantly increase the use of renewable energy, specifically in the form of hydrogen fuel. cells, and reduce the environmental footprint of the shipping industry.
Their headquarter is in Lysaker (Lysaker Torg 45), just outside of Oslo, and they also have offices in Narvik in northern Norway, Miami and Singapore.
Aspect of value chain: Research and development, production of cleantech for the maritime and heavy-duty industries.
Teco 2030 currently offers the five following products:
TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cells: Hydrogen fuel cells are the engines of tomorrow and convert hydrogen into electricity while emitting nothing but water vapour and warm air. With TECO 2030’s fuel cell technology, ships can operate emission-free, both on the whole journey, or on shorter distances. The fuel cells can also be used during port-stay, loading and discharging, enabling zero-emission operation at berth, without having to connect the ship to an onshore power supply. Moreover, the TECO 2030 fuel cells can also be used on other large vehicles and applications, such as equipment used on construction sites. The TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell will be delivered in modules, each with a capacity of 400 kW. These can easily be put together, enabling system configuration in the multi-megawatt scale, and will be suitable for both retrofits and newbuilds.
TECO 2030 Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): It will likely take decades before all vessels that run on fossil fuels have been phased out, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions will therefore also play a role in reducing CO2 emissions from ships. Ships running on fossil fuels can reduce their emissions and become more climate-friendly by installing onboard carbon capture and storage solutions. TECO 2030 is currently developing CCS solutions for the maritime industry together with the American technology company Chart Industries, Inc., and plans to make these available to the market in 2023. The TECO 2030 Carbon Capture and Storage solutions will separate the CO2 from the ship’s exhaust gases and store it in liquid form until it can be offloaded when the ship has reached port. When offloaded, the CO2 can then either be permanently stored in geological formations underground or be reused by CO2-consuming industries.
TECO 2030 Future Funnel: Exhaust gas cleaning systems can also help to reduce pollution from ships. The TECO 2030 Future Funnel is a next-generation exhaust gas cleaning system that has been developed to enable ships to comply with upcoming and stricter environmental regulations. The system reduces the amount of sulphur and nitrogen oxides (SOX and NOX), black carbon and particles (PM) that is emitted with ships’ exhaust gases. The TECO 2030 Future Funnel has been developed by TECO 2030 in cooperation with the Austrian powertrain company AVL. AVL holds one of Europe’s most advanced R&D testing facilities and has tested the Future Funnel design through its state-of-the-art simulation system. This has been done by simulating a running time of more than 20 years through extreme conditions to design and produce the best cleaning system available.
TECO 2030 – AVL Engine Performance Optimisation System (EPOS): The TECO 2030 – AVL Engine Performance Optimisation System (EPOS) monitors the condition of maritime combustion engines and can prevent damage and reduce maintenance costs. The system can also increase the combustion engines’ efficiency and reduce fuel consumption by up to 3% and can thus also help to reduce ships’ emissions. By using the system, a vessel that consumes 25,000 tonnes of fuel annually will be able to reduce its emissions of CO2 by approximately 2,000 tonnes; of nitrogen oxide (NOX) by 50 tonnes; and of particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM10) by six tonnes. The TECO 2030 – AVL EPOS has been developed by TECO 2030 in cooperation with Austrian powertrain company AVL, and it can enable ships across the world to comply with stricter environmental regulations.
TECO 2030 Ballast Water Treatment Solutions: Ballast water treatment systems eliminate marine organisms that are present in the ballast water. Discharges of ballast water can lead to serious environmental problems by spreading marine species from one geographical area to another, thus out-competing and displacing native species. To prevent this from occurring, the Ballast Water Management Convention of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires that ships operating in international waters must be compliant with the ballast water treatment rules by 8 September 2024. For most vessels, this means they must get a ballast water treatment system installed. The ballast water treatment systems supplied by TECO 2030 are designed and produced by the French BIO-UV Group and by Denmark’s Desmi Ocean Guard. Cooperating with these two experienced providers enables TECO 2030 to offer a wide range of ballast water treatment systems to the market.
TECO 2030 aims to contribute to the green transition in the maritime sector by delivering technology that helps ships to reduce their environmental and climate impacts, including hydrogen fuel cells and carbon capture and exhaust gas cleaning systems.
What is the problem that needs solving?
International shipping is an important enabler of world trade, but also causes greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Shipping emissions have been increasing in line with growing international trade volumes, and actions are therefore needed to reduce the sector’s environmental and climate impacts. The maritime industry is facing increasingly more stringent environmental regulations, and ships across the world will soon be required to reduce their environmental and climate impacts.
How is the problem conventionally solved (if at all)?
Without stricter environmental regulations, the maritime industry would likely have continued with business as usual, meaning that shipping emissions would continue to increase in line with growing international trade volumes. Switching to low- and zero-emission solutions involves high costs for shipowners, but by setting emission requirements, governments have contributed to increasing the maritime industry’s demand for these solutions, and promoting innovation in the development of such technology.
How is your technology different from the solutions today?
All fuel cell systems that are in use in the maritime industry today have originally been designed for use in the car industry. The TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell is the first fuel cell system in the world that is specifically designed for use onboard ships and on other heavy-duty applications.
What impact will this technology have on the process/market?
With the TECO 2030 fuel cells, ships can operate emission-free – on the whole journey, or on shorter distances. These fuel cells will therefore enable vessels that are operating in different countries to comply with any emission regulations they may encounter when crossing national borders. The fuel cells can also be used during port-stay, enabling zero-emission operation at berth, without having to connect the ship to an onshore power supply.
With the TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell, ships can sail emissions-free either on the whole journey or on shorter distances, such as when sailing into and out of ports.
When can we expect it to hit the market?
The TECO 2030 fuel cells and the TECO 2030 carbon capture and storage solutions will become available to the market in 2023. The other cleantech solutions offered by TECO 2030 are already available.
What hurdles have you overcome so far, and can you see coming?
TECO 2030 is a young company that has experienced rapid growth, overcoming several hurdles over a short period of time. We are currently developing the TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell, which is specifically designed for marine applications. The testing of our stacks has so far achieved outstanding results, outperforming our expectations. Our next big hurdle will be to set up our new fuel cell gigafactory in Narvik in Northern Norway.
TECO 2030 will produce fuel cells at the TECO 2030 Innovation Center in Narvik. The aim is that by 2030, the factory will be able to produce up to 1.2 GW of fuel cells every year and employ up to 500 people. Fuel cells with a combined capacity of 1.2 GW can produce as much electricity as a large nuclear power plant. When ships replace their diesel engines with these fuel cells, the result will be annual emission savings of around 4 million tonnes of CO2.
TECO 2030’s planned combined fuel cell factory and innovation center in Narvik will become Norway’s first large-scale production of hydrogen fuel cells. Production at the plant is due to start in the second half of 2022, and by 2030, it will be able to produce 1.2 GW of fuel cells every year.
For more information or questions, please contact:
Tore Enger, CEO of TECO 2030 ASA. +47 920 83 800, tore.enger@teco2030.no
