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By Dave Lee, Executive Director at e1 Marine and VP of Innovation & Technology at Maritime Partners Shipping's energy transition is moving from ambition to implementation, and that is where the real complexity begins Electrification is increasingly central to how vessels, ports and shipyards approach decarbonization. As of mid-2025, slightly more than 1,000 battery-equipped vessels were operating globally, with roughly 550 more on order. But the market is not moving towards one uniform all-electric model: around 65% of those vessels are hybrids, about 17% are plug-in hybrids and around 17% are fully electric.1 Batteries, fuel cells, shore power and hybrid propulsion are not separate technology pathways. They are parts of the same energy architecture, one that must match power demand, operational profile, fuel availability, charging access and local grid capacity. Electrification does not remove the need for energy; it changes how that energy is stored, generated, managed and delivered. Battery-electric systems make sense in the right applications. For short, fixed routes with reliable charging and modest energy demand, they offer a clean route away from diesel. But many vessels need longer range, higher endurance or greater operational flexibility than battery-only systems can provide. Ports face a similar squeeze: shore power depends on reliable electricity being available where vessels need it, while cargo handling equipment, drayage vehicles and battery banks inside the port fence are electrifying faster than fixed grid infrastructure can always support. This is where methanol-to-hydrogen has a role to play. At e1 Marine, our focus is on generating fuel-cell-grade hydrogen from methanol and water, onboard or onsite, on demand. Rather than storing large volumes of compressed or liquefied hydrogen, our reformers use methanol as a liquid hydrogen carrier and produce hydrogen where it is needed, ready for use with PEM fuel cells to power propulsion, auxiliary loads, hotel loads, port operations and battery charging. Methanol is not a detour from electrification. It is one of the ways electrification becomes practical where range, infrastructure and power availability remain real constraints. Electrification needs more than batteries A battery-electric vessel depends on the battery, the charging infrastructure, the grid connection and the operating profile all working together. Where that alignment does not exist, operators need another way to deliver clean electrical power without returning to diesel generators. Fuel cells can play a complementary role, generating electricity from hydrogen with zero NOx, SOx and particulate emissions at the point of use. Their adoption has been constrained by the difficulty of supplying hydrogen where it is needed: compressed hydrogen requires high-pressure storage, liquid hydrogen requires cryogenic handling, and both demand supply chains that are not yet available at the scale maritime needs. Methanol changes the order of the problem. It is already handled as a liquid fuel, stored at ambient conditions and reformed into hydrogen at the point of consumption. That creates a bridge between today's fuel logistics and tomorrow's electrified vessel and port operations. Closing the battery range gap One of the clearest use cases is range extension. Battery-electric vessels are limited by energy density. For short harbor or inland operations, that may not be a problem. For workboats, explorer vessels and marine leisure craft that need longer runtimes or more flexible operating profiles, it quickly becomes one. A methanol-to-hydrogen reformer can sit at the center of a range-extender architecture. The vessel still uses batteries, but the reformer and fuel cell provide onboard generation to recharge or support them during operation, underway or at anchor, making battery-based systems more useful where energy density, runtime or charging access would otherwise limit adoption. Fuel cells need a practical hydrogen source Fuel-cell deployment has moved past small-scale demonstrations. Projects like the 360 kW Sea Change ferry in the United States and China's 500 kW Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1 proved the concept could work at sea. The scale has since shifted: Torghatten Nord's 6 MW PEM fuel-cell order for two Norwegian ferries signals fuel cells now being procured at commercial propulsion scale, not just tested at it. 2 The priority is no longer proving that fuel cells can provide marine power, but ensuring hydrogen can be supplied safely, reliably and practically in service. e1 Marine's core technology is the reformer. The S-Series and M-Series generators convert methanol and deionized water into high-purity hydrogen for fuel-cell power. The S-Series supports smaller-scale applications, including 1-10 kW power solutions and range-extender use cases, while the modular M-Series can support megawatt-scale fuel-cell propulsion and auxiliary power. e1 Marine does not need to own every part of the electrified powertrain. Our reformers produce fuel-cell-grade hydrogen at more than 99.97% purity, meeting ISO 14687 requirements, which gives shipyards, integrators and operators flexibility in system design and fuel-cell partner selection. It is a practical form of electrification: a way to use fuel cells without waiting for hydrogen bunkering infrastructure to mature. For projects that need a packaged solution, the M2Power 250, developed with PowerCell, combines e1 Marine's M30 reformer with PowerCell fuel-cell technology in a single onboard unit delivering 250 kW of net power. Reformers, fuel cells and batteries behave differently, and in a hybrid system those differences must be controlled safely and predictably. The M2Power 250 packages much of that integration work into one solution with one interface, giving owners and yards a more straightforward route to methanol-to-hydrogen fuel-cell power. Supporting port electrification The same principle applies onshore. Shore-power capability is only part of the equation: ports also need enough clean, resilient power at the right time and in the right place, and that gap is widening as shore-power requirements expand faster than infrastructure. DNV's analysis found that only 3% of global ports visited by vessels above 5,000 GT currently offer shore-power facilities. Even across the EU, China and California, where regulation and incentives are pushing hardest, the figure rises to only 5%.3 Vessel readiness is ahead of it. For example, by April 2026, 4,136 vessels, nearly 4% of the global fleet of around 116,000 ships, had shore-power connections installed. Vessels, ports and regulators are all moving towards electrified operation, but grid capacity and connection infrastructure aren't always in place when projects need them.4 e1 Marine's port-side systems provide deployable power where grid access is limited, delayed or unreliable. The e-Nomad is a CE and ATEX certified containerized unit that uses methanol-to-hydrogen generation and a fuel cell to deliver up to 140 kW of grid-independent electricity for hotel loads, equipment charging and temporary or remote power. The CPG, or Clean Power Generator, extends the same principle to shore power, charging for battery-electric vehicles, vessels and port equipment, and emergency backup, with each unit delivering up to 250 kW and scalable beyond. This is not an argument against shore power. It is an argument for making port electrification more resilient where permanent connections are unavailable, delayed or insufficient. Making electrification operational Maritime decarbonization will not be delivered by one technology. The task now is to make the systems operational: closing the range gap for battery-electric vessels, giving fuel cells a practical hydrogen source, and helping ports provide clean power where the grid cannot yet deliver it. At e1 Marine, our role is to get hydrogen to work. That starts with methanol reforming, but the purpose is broader: supporting the electrification of vessels and ports by making clean hydrogen available where it is needed, when it is needed. We are already putting this thinking to work on the water, and we will have more to share soon. That is where methanol-to-hydrogen can make the difference: not as an alternative to electrification, but as one of its practical enablers. MarineLink - Batteries at Sea: Not All-Electric, Not Everywhere but Increasingly Essential Enki - PEM Fuel Cell Maritime Pilots, 6 MW Torghatten Nord Order with Power Cell, and 10+ Projects (2021 to 2026) Engine - Shore power infrastructure lags regulatory push – DNV Engine - Shore power infrastructure lags regulatory push – DNV

e1 Marine has become an Associate Member of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), strengthening its engagement with the global ports community as the industry works to deliver cleaner, more resilient energy infrastructure. IAPH is the global trade association for port authorities and operators, bringing together approximately 180 port authorities and terminal operators worldwide. It represents the interests of ports within international regulatory and industry forums, including the International Maritime Organization, and provides a platform for collaboration across climate and energy, data, risk and resilience. As an Associate Member, e1 Marine will be positioned to contribute to IAPH’s technical committees, working groups and sustainability initiatives, while engaging directly with port authorities, operators, technology providers and policymakers confronting the practical challenges of the energy transition. Ports are being asked to electrify vessels, cargo handling and wider terminal operations at pace. However, the availability, reliability and cost of grid infrastructure do not always match the speed or scale of this demand. Shore power remains central to reducing emissions from vessels at berth, but ports increasingly also need clean electricity for battery systems, terminal equipment, electric vehicles and resilience-critical operations. e1 Marine develops methanol-to-hydrogen generators and integrated power solutions that produce fuel-cell-grade hydrogen onsite or onboard, on demand. Its containerised systems are designed to provide flexible and scalable power for marine and port applications, including shore power, vessel and vehicle charging, port equipment and backup generation, particularly where grid capacity is constrained, delayed or unavailable. Dave Lee, Executive Director at e1 Marine, said: “Ports sit at the centre of the maritime energy transition. They are being asked to support cleaner vessels, alternative fuels and the electrification of increasingly complex operations, often while working within significant infrastructure constraints. “Joining IAPH gives e1 Marine the opportunity to listen, contribute and collaborate with the organisations tackling these challenges directly. We look forward to sharing our experience in methanol-to-hydrogen power while learning from port authorities and industry partners about the solutions, standards and partnerships needed to accelerate practical deployment. “The transition will not be delivered through one technology or one infrastructure model. It will depend on flexible solutions that complement permanent grid investment and allow ports to begin reducing emissions while longer-term infrastructure is developed.” Through its membership, e1 Marine intends to prioritise engagement with IAPH’s Climate and Energy and Risk and Resilience work, supporting wider industry collaboration on deployable clean power, alternative fuels and resilient port infrastructure.

Reflections from Advanced Maritime Technology 2026, including e1 Marine’s joint presentation with PowerCell Group on integrated methanol-to-power by Dave Lee, Executive Director at e1 Marine. Advanced Maritime Technology 2026 There were not many fuel cell companies on the floor at Advanced Maritime Technology this year, and that’s a current reflection of the market. The technology works. The regulatory pressure to use it is building through the IMO, FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS, but adoption is slower than it should be due to the lack of current hydrogen infrastructure to support it. Alongside Dr Andreas Bodén, CTO of PowerCell Group, we demonstrated how real progress in new technologies is circumnavigating hydrogen’s infrastructure gaps to bring a proven, practical approach to applying hydrogen-powered fuel cells onboard vessels using methanol as an intermediary. Why we are using methanol to solve a hydrogen problem Most discussions about hydrogen at sea include the current absence of a physical bunkering network. Compressed and liquid hydrogen need dedicated supply chains, dedicated storage and dedicated handling, none of which is in place at the scale shipping needs. Operators are being asked to commit to a fuel they cannot reliably get in the near term. Methanol reframes that narrative. It is a liquid already available at more than 100 major ports worldwide and handled by systems and processes that exist today. e1 Marine's solutions recognise and leverage that reality. Our reformers generate fuel-cell-grade hydrogen onboard or onshore, on demand, from a methanol and water blend, with no high-pressure hydrogen storage required. Vessels carry methanol and make hydrogen where and when it’s needed. That single step removes the part of the hydrogen pathway that is holding everyone else up. What our fuel cell partnership delivers Integrating technologies with PowerCell creates value for customers as well as contributing to progressing the wider systems integration pathway to providing renewable, scaling energy for vessels. Put simply, on its own, a reformer is a hydrogen source, and a fuel cell is a power source. Bringing them together into one packaged system is where the engineering effort usually lands, and that effort normally falls on the shipyard or the integrator. Rather than provide a yard a collection of components to integrate every time, the M2Power 250 takes the hard work away: it combines e1 Marine's reformer technology with PowerCell's fuel cell in a single unit with one interface, delivering 250 kW of net power, zero NOx, SOx and particulate emissions at the point of use, and Approval in Principle from DNV. The yard sees one system to install rather than two technologies to reconcile. That’s the logic that resonates – taking a fuel that is already available, pairing it with clean power generation, and packaging the difficult part so that adoption gets easier and more scalable. The questions we kept getting Three topics came up repeatedly during AMT. These circled around power output, footprint and, “why methanol”. On power, the reality is that we are at the start of a curve, not the end of it. The M2Power 250 is a building block. For example, a newbuild we are supporting uses eight of them for a 2 MW installation, which shows where modular stacking can lead to. On size and integration, the single-unit approach is the answer to the concern, since a proven system is being installed rather than designing one from scratch. Why methanol is the more interesting question, because it is really a question about timing. The marine industry can wait for green hydrogen bunkering to mature, or owners and operators in segments where modular fuel cell power already fits – including ferries, yachts, workboats, commercial vessels, inland and short-sea applications, and port operations – can act now with a fuel that is already in the system and cut emissions amongst other operational benefits, today. e1 Marine’s figures, independently validated by Thetius and mapped against EPA and IMO benchmarks, show a methanol-reformed fuel cell delivering meaningful CO2e reductions (10-27%) against a diesel engine even on grey methanol, rising substantially with green methanol (up to 85%), alongside a near-total cut in local air pollutants. The environmental case does not depend on a clean fuel supply that has not arrived yet and the net impact improves as use scales. Beyond the vessel Our partnership is already working. We have live projects that include a large yacht retrofit in Europe and the multi-megawatt newbuild that I referred to above. We previously participated in a CARB and AQMD-funded port project in California, where our system paired with STAX Engineering's emissions capture barge to support the reduction of NOx, particulates and CO2. The same core methanol-to-hydrogen technology can also be applied ashore, and that is where this goes next. e1 Marine’s containerised port and shore power solutions, alongside PowerCell’s land-side fuel cell systems, extend the same technology pathway into port environments. For ports facing emissions pressure, and in many cases, grids that are years away from supporting cold ironing or electrified equipment at scale, a grid-independent methanol-to-power system provides a deployable option today. Where this goes next If a reader takes one thing away, let it be this: integrated methanol-to-power is deployable today, and it gives many vessel and terminal operators a credible way forward at a moment when many are struggling to find one. The hydrogen infrastructure gap will not close overnight, and PowerCell and e1 Marine are working on marine and port solutions so that operators do not have to wait for it to. Within this we are focused on pushing the systems toward higher power output to meet a wider range of needs. If you would like to talk integration, we’d love to connect. Contact us to discuss at info@e1Marine.com About the speakers: Dave Lee is Executive Director at e1 Marine and VP of Innovation and Technology at Maritime Partners, focused on integrating next-generation power solutions into real-world maritime applications. With over 25 years’ experience across engineering, operations and commercial roles, he brings practical insight to system integration, deployment strategy, and investment decision-making across the maritime energy transition. Dr. Andreas Bodén is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at PowerCell Group. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Science (PhD) in Chemical Engineering with a focus on fuel cells from KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Over 20 years of international experience in research, development and commercialization of fuel cells – from roles at KTH, CRIEPI (Japan) and Volvo Technology to senior positions within PowerCell Group.

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