PowerCell lands order for new MS-500 marine fuel cell system

July 1, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Swedish hydrogen fuel cell provider PowerCell has signed a SEK 44 million (around $4.626 million) agreement with an undisclosed Italian marine original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the development and delivery of a new MS-500 marine fuel cell system.

Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell; Image by PowerCell

The technology, said to build on PowerCell’s high-performance stack platform (HDS) developed for marine, aviation, and stationary power segments, will reportedly deliver up to 1 MW of net electrical output through two integrated units.

As informed, it is designed for containerized integration and will serve as auxiliary power on board, with the potential to scale into main propulsion in future applications.

PowerCell noted that the MS-500 offers higher output than earlier models while maintaining the same physical footprint, claiming that this enables “more flexible installation and improved energy efficiency for shipowners and system integrators.”

This new system is expected to be type-approved ahead of market introduction in 2028.

Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell Group, stated: “This agreement is about scale, precision, and continued progress. The marine fuel cell market has already moved beyond technical pilots — we saw that shift begin last year with the commercial adoption of our Marine System 225. What we are seeing now is acceleration. This order confirms that leading OEMs are not only adopting zero-emission solutions, but they are also planning for the next generation with higher power, lower cost, and smaller footprint. This new platform complements our current product range and strengthens our ability to support customers as fuel cells become a core part of vessel architecture.”

To note, this order, said to be the first commercial commitment to the company’s “next-generation” stack platform, is expected to generate SEK 11 million ($1.157 million) in revenue in 2025.

In other news, PowerCell received type approval from UK-based classification society Lloyd’s Register for Marine System 225, part of its portfolio of fuel cell-based power solutions engineered for marine environments. Furthermore, it received an order for its M2Power 250 system from an undisclosed European shipyard, marking the first commercial sale of a fully integrated methanol-to-power solution, a technology launched in Q3 2024.