Fuel Cell Notes

Two new reports from market researchers at Frost & Sullivan claim that the fuel cell market “is expected to generate $8 billion in 2005 with continued growth to $32 billion by 2010.” Research details can be found at: www.technical-insights.frost.com .

Funding research. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide nearly $271 million over a 10-year period to “lower costs for fuel cells to as low as one-tenth their current levels,” according to a report on the Dow Jones newswires. Private-sector partners, who will add about $226 million, are: Honeywell, Siemens Westinghouse, Delphi Automotive Systems teamed with Battelle and a team of Cummins Power Generation and McDermott Technology.

The DOE is also providing almost $18 million in cost-shared financial assistance to fund new research in advanced fuel cells at three Boston-area companies. Nuvera Fuel Cells won an $11.3 million contract to develop an advanced high-efficiency quick-start fuel processor for fuel cell transportation applications. Mechanology LLC won a $2.7 million contract to try to improve fuel cell air compressors. Finally, Arthur D. Little was awarded $3.8 million in several contracts, including one for the development of a next-generation hybrid compressor/expander module to provide compressed air and energy recovery in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell system.

General Motors. A GM senior executive, commenting on stationary fuel-cell-powered generators, indicated that the company might try to develop a commercial system, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Larry Burns, a GM vice president for research and development, didn’t specify when the units would be on the market but said that they “would probably become available sooner than would a fuel-cell-powered automobile.”

Siemens Westinghouse will expand its stationary fuel cell business on a 22-acre site near Pittsburgh, Pa., with a 430,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

Powering Britain. International Fuel Cells, a Connecticut-based unit of United Technologies, has sold a 200-kW fuel cell system to power a recreational center in England.

From Pure Power, Winter 2001.

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