Affordability remains the greatest stumbling block to wider adoption of fuel cell technology, it has been claimed.

Speaking at the Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, Jan van Dokkum, Chief Executive Officer of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Power, told delegates that the onus is on manufacturers to develop more commercially viable fuel cell technology - and set a target of cutting the cost from $5,000 per kilowatt to around $50.

He added: "We have been working for the last five years to cost-reduce our fuel cells so that we can bring these units commercially to the marketplace.

"I think that is one area that we as an industry have not concentrated hard on."

Mr van Dokkum's comments were echoed by other speakers at the seminar in London, who also stressed that support from governments is needed to enable manufacturers to advance the technology, according to a report from Environmental Data Interactive.

Jim Skea, Research Director of the UK Energy Research Centre, said: "The challenge of environment and energy is huge, the needs are pressing, but the means to meet them are available.

"Many different communities are going to play their role and I think the fuel cell community has an especially important role to play."

Source:

Cost still biggest fuel cell hurdle, 27/09/07
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=13573&channel=0

Tenth Grove Fuel Cell Symposium - London, UK - 25th September 2007 to 27th September 2007
http://www.platinum.matthey.com/media_room/119011296113958.html


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