Powering the future

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Fuel cell technology is well established, but its application is becoming more widespread thanks to increased research and development (R&D) and growing interest in its ability to reduce or, sometimes, replace fossil-fuel power generation as part of global climate change mitigation policies.

Fuel cell technology for power generation is becoming ever more popular. In December, for example, South Korea's Posco Power, a unit of the mega-industrial conglomerate Posco, signed an agreement with Fuel Cell Energy of the US to buy two 4.8 MW DFC3000 power plant units. They will be sold to independent power producers and will be installed in 2009. Posco Power has now ordered 12.6 MW of fuel cell units since March 2007.

FuelCell Energy says its power plants are 47% more efficient compared to similar sized fossil-fuel combustion power facilities, which operate at 30-35% efficiency. This means that they deliver more power for each unit of fuel used, bringing savings on power costs and substantially cutting CO₂ emissions.

A cleaner option

A fuel cell is essentially an energy conversion device that typically transforms hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat without producing emissions, thus reducing greenhouse gases.

As long as fuel is supplied, the cell will continue to generate power and, because the conversion of the fuel to energy takes place via an electrochemical process rather than by combustion, the process is clean, quiet and very efficient.

According to FuelCell Europe, an EU-based association that promotes fuel cells, the technology's superior conversion efficiency and fuel flexibility means it can help to satisfy energy needs, improve air quality and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, while also increasing the use of locally generated power.

Multi-purpose

Fuel cells have a wide variety of applications, including providing heat and power for commercial or domestic use; powering buses, cars, ships and trains; and extending or replacing battery power in energy-consuming appliances, such as laptop computers and mobile telephones. These are the three main fuel cell market segments, defined, respectively, as stationary, transportation and portable applications.

In the portable sector, fuel cells have now reached a stage of sufficient maturity for commercialisation and are already available on the market. Their market commercialisation has been driven by the US and Asia, but mostly through R&D work carried out by Japanese companies such as Casio, Fujitsu and Toshiba, whose products are paving the way for mass market deployment.

Nevertheless, some issues still need addressing. FuelCell Europe says the main concerns are the durability of the catalyst used and its ability to reach a continuous and stable performance under active operating and passive conditions.

Electric cars

For transportation, proton exchanging fuel cells are seen as the preferred option. Fuel cells in this sector are attractive as they remove the reliance on oil and reduce emissions, as well as air and noise pollution. In Europe, several companies are investing in this area, including Chevron, DaimlerChrysler, DuPont, Hydrogenics and Shell Hydrogen.

But again there are challenges to increased deployment such as cost and endurance, together with a lack of refuelling infrastructure and public acceptance.

Germany's Linde Group has estimated that it could cost up to €3.5 billion (US $5.1 billion) to build a hydrogen infrastructure of around 2 800 filling stations for the European car market, even though continued high oil prices would eventually offset the cost. The International Energy Agency (IEA), for its part, has said the costs would be high, but workable.

It is unlikely that the fuel cell vehicle will be commercialised for public use before 2010, but progress is being made. In November, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda unveiled its FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and announced plans to begin limited retail marketing of it in the US from mid-2008.

The car is based on Honda's V Flow fuel cell platform. The stack is used in combination with a compact, lithium ion battery pack and a single hydrogen storage tank to power the electric drive motor.

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