Based in Reykjavik, the Elding is a 125-ton well equipped cruiser for 150 passengers. The ship that is used for whale watching but was originally built as a resque boat and therefore it is an extremely stable.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell as auxilliary power unit 2008 - 2010 as a part of the SMARTH2 project.
The electric generation in the auxilliary power unit on Elding is normally based on two 50kW diesel generators. However, the basic load is roughly 5-10 kW and therefore one out of two generators was only stand by for security reasons. The objective of setting up the fuel cell as an auxilliary power unit was to test the concept. A hybrid 10kW FC system that peaked output at 15kW using batteries as well.
The classification of the equipment demanded complex security specifications and it proved to be difficult to synchronise technical update and verification with schedules for tours which also depend on whether conditions.
Icelandic Hydrogen (IceH2) was a key player is designing and installing the first fuel cell on a sea vessel, whereby the electrical system is operated by hydrogen generated electricity is from renewable sources.