Fuel cells at sea: the GMI contract and the lifetime bill

PowerCell Group has received a follow-up order from GMI Group worth SEK 27 million for ten Marine System 225 units, for two more hydrogen-electric bulk carriers of 3,000 deadweight tonnes each. The order covers more than 2 MW, with deliveries in 2027 and 2028. With the earlier order, the programme reaches 24 units and 5.4 MW across four vessels from the Chowgule shipyard.

Equipment life does not match hull life. The key performance indicators of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership's strategic agenda put maritime fuel cell system lifetime at 20,000 hours in the state of the art, targeting 40,000 hours for 2024 and 80,000 hours for 2030, with capex falling from 2,000 to 1,000 euros per kW.

A bulk carrier runs for decades; 20,000 hours is a few years of continuous sailing. Stack replacement sits inside the owner's business case, not outside it, which is why the European target quadruples lifetime before 2030.

The repeat order is the signal that matters: the same customer came back after the first two vessels. The next step in scale depends on lifetime and capex per kW moving close to the 2030 target.