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utilizing important proof points and
customer endorsements to validate
its success.
What have fuel cell
manufacturers overcome
to enable it to be a
saleable, commercial
technology?
Over the years, many companies
have spent significant amounts of
time and money in trying to solve
the two main barriers to fuel cell
use, CAPEX (Capital Expenditure)
and OPEX (Operating Expenditure).
I can’t talk for others, but in our
case, we worked very hard for six
years to meet this challenge. We
have succeeded in developing a
number of patented solutions that
have enabled us to reduce our CAPEX
and OPEX costs, including the use of
a non-platinum catalyst, as well as
mechanisms for using plain air as an
oxidizer and lower-cost industrial-
grade hydrogen as a fuel.
One of the key factors regarding
the OPEX of fuel cells is related to
the cost of hydrogen. While the
production costs of hydrogen have
been historically lower than gasoline
or methane, the current cost of
distribution makes it more expensive
than gasoline or methane for
commercial usage. Fortunately, the
increased emphasis on sustainable
energy and growing demand for
hydrogen has led to the deployment
of new hydrogen distribution systems
in Japan, California and other US
states that should eventually help
resolve this issue.
In addition, there are also new
methods of hydrogen production
that use wind, solar, geothermal
and hydroelectric power to split
water. The potential of the newer
eco-friendly methods coupled with
the new distribution channels, will
help make hydrogen increasingly
economical as new economies of
scale are reached.
Which markets and
applications are most
impacted by fuel cell
technology?
The possibilities for fuel cell
applications are almost endless -
just about anywhere you use energy
- but there are already a few key
markets where the technology is
gaining significant adoption and
maturity. These include the transport
and automotive industries, industrial
power generation and backup
power for critical systems at utilities,
telecoms and many more.
Indeed, the challenges of aging
electrical grids in many parts of
our very connected world, makes
a steady supply of electricity
imperative. For many industries, the
cost of business failure outweighs the
cost of a business continuity solution.
This is especially true at telecom
providers where the business model
is pay-per-use (talk). For them,
network downtime causes a complete
cessation of revenue and is extremely
expensive. For electricity providers
and other utility companies, grid
downtime is extremely expensive too
- and not just to utilities. In 2015,
grid failures cost an estimated USD
110 billion to the US economy.
Are all fuel cell technologies
applicable for thesemarkets
or are there specialist
applications for each?
There are a wide range of fuel cells
available on the market, and these are
adapted to specific applications.
Eachfuelcellhasitsdistinctadvantages.
For instance, the technology most
used in the auto/transport industry is
PEM (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane)
- a low-temperature fuel cell operating
between 80-100 degrees Celsius.
Thanks to their small size and light
weight, PEM fuel cells are currently the
first-choice energy source for a range
of materials handling and plant hire
applications such as forklifts trucks,
portable lighting rigs and more.
Others, like molten carbonate and
solid oxide fuel cells, operate at 650
and 1000 degrees respectively and
are used mainly for constant power
in large utility applications.
GenCell uses alkaline fuel cell (AFC)
technology, another low-temperature
GenCell non-platinum catalyst
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