Markets
Fuel cells have the potential to revolutionise energy markets across the world. They can:
- provide motive power for almost all vehicle types,
- deliver electricity and heat at scales ranging from residential through to utility scale; and
- act as battery replacements in a variety of electronic devices.
Transport markets
The most significant long term market is in passenger cars, and major auto makers have been investing significantly in fuel cell vehicle development. Almost every auto maker is demonstrating a fuel cell vehicle. Fleet vehicle demonstrations are taking place in North America, Japan and Europe.
A key requirement for fuel cell vehicles is likely to be hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The oft-cited ‘chicken and egg’ argument (vehicles will be deployed when there is infrastructure versus infrastructure will be developed when there are vehicles), has been a common theme in the evolution of this part of the industry. This will undoubtedly influence which countries take an early lead.
Other transport applications include buses, motorbikes, planes and specialist vehicles, as well as ‘On-board’ power to cover idling power and ‘hotel’ loads.
Stationary power markets
Stationary power markets include:
- Commercial and residential distributed generation (DG) and combined heat and power (CHP) systems.
- Remote power for rural and non-grid connected sites (replacing batteries and / or generators).
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and back-up power for critical services.
Residential units (1-7kW) are now being demonstrated across a number of countries; they are generally fuelled by natural gas, propane or methanol. Waste heat can be used for space heating and hot water. Where infrastructures allow it, surplus electrical energy can be sold back to the local electric utility.
Several fuel cell technologies are being developed for the industrial power market. These systems range from 200kW to 2-4MW.
The stationary market is potentially very large, especially taking into account the prospect for every residential boiler to be replaced by a fuel cell.
Portable power markets
Portable power markets include:
- Battery replacement in portable electronics (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, video cameras)
- Battery re-charging (conventional batteries in power tools, other portable equipment) in the field or at base sites
- Replacement of portable generators.
As battery replacements, fuel cells offer several key benefits. In particular, they can easily meet evolving power requirements driven by increasing functionality. Furthermore, there is no charge-up time, as most portable fuel cell technologies are being developed to use cartridges of fuel which are instantly replaceable. Fuel cells also offer silent operation.