A new report from the US Department of Defense calls for the wide-scale deployment of fuel cell-based power solutions across the military.

Beyond Demonstration: A White Paper on the Role of Fuel Cells in the Department of Defense's Energy Strategy says fuel cell technology should be rolled out for distributed power generation, backup power, material handling equipment, ground support equipment and unmanned vehicles.

The Department of Defense is the largest consumer of energy in the US, accounting for around 80 per cent of federal government consumption.

The report has been welcomed by the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) of the United States, and the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA).

Morry Markowitz, executive director of the FCHEA, said: "The US Department of Defense is demonstrating innovation and leadership by recommending the adoption of fuel cell technology for a variety of operational, cost and environmental reasons.

"Acquiring fuel cell systems will improve US defense energy usage, protecting and creating jobs in the fuel cell industry."

The two organisations note that fuel cells are proving their worth in a range of situations identified in the report.

For example, large multi-megawatt fuel cell systems are being installed at commercial, government and institutional sites to provide primary power for buildings and production facilities. Google, Whole Foods, eBay, Toyota, FirstEnergy, and Walmart are all early adopters.

Fuel cell backup power solutions are also demonstrating their reliability in wireless telecommunication networks and computer data centres, as evidenced by Wind Mobile, Verizon, AT&T Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Motorola.

Meanwhile, companies such as Walmart, Whole Foods, FedEx, Sysco, Coca-Cola and BMW are using fuel cell-powered forklift trucks to improve productivity in warehouse operations.

At the same time, fuel cells are offering operational benefits for unmanned vehicles. Boeing, for example, is developing unmanned aerial vehicles powered by fuel cells capable of running for 30 days.

Adaptive Materials has also demonstrated a successful fuel cell-powered unmanned ground vehicle which operated for 12 hours, travelling 40 miles with all cameras and computers activated.

"The US Department of Defense study confirms that fuel cell technology has moved beyond the demonstration phase, providing a range of operational and financial benefits that are already being enjoyed by a growing list of corporate, government and institutional end-users," commented Eric Denhoff, president and chief executive officer at the CHFCA.

Source:

Fuel Cells Recommended by US DOD for Defense Facilities (25/10/11) 

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