FUEL CELLS, HYDROGEN ENERGY AND RELATED NANOTECHNOLOGY – A GLOBAL INDUSTRY AND MARKET ANALYSIS

http://www.innoresearch.net/report_summary.aspx?id=66&pg=773&rcd=EN-103&pd=6/1/2009

REPORT SUMMARY

The lure of fuel cells is the promise to be one of the most ubiquitous products of the 21st century. Fuel cells can compete with batteries, the internal combustion engine and the power grid. Hydrogen can compete with any fuel now produced and cause no pollution, but its price is higher than gasoline or natural gas because it is difficult to transport and store. Nanotechnologies will provide the technological keys that enable fuel cells and hydrogen as a fuel to become competitive and commonplace.

The fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry is highly fragmented. The iRAP study identified most of these companies, research institutions and universities.

Major findings of this report are:

iRAP study identified 3,870 organizations involved in fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology and spent an estimated $8.4 billion in 2008.

More than 2,180 organizations are involved in nanotechnology related to fuel cells and hydrogen energy and will spend a total of $4.7 billion for fuel cells and hydrogen energy incorporating nanotechnology.

Another 1,690 organizations (44%) are involved with fuel cells and hydrogen energy but not related nanotechnology. They are involved with valves, piping, power electronics, pumps, compressors, fans and other fuel cell system parts.

Of the $4.7 billion, about $2 billion in 2008 expenditures, or 24% of the total spending, represents the value of nanotechnology for fuel cells and hydrogen energy separate from all other expenditures.

The organizations are made up of well established corporations, start-up companies, universities, governments at the federal, state and municipal level, cooperative public/private demonstrations, as well as non-profit organizations and laboratories.

Those organizations involved in nanotechnology are developing electrodes, catalysts, and membranes, as well as nano coatings, thermal and filtration products for fuel cells and materials for hydrogen production, purification and storage.

More than half the organizations involved in fuel cells, hydrogen energy and related nanotechnology have overlapping interests and are developing more than one kind of fuel cell or technology for more than one type of fuel cell. 

Significant gaps still exists in the manufacturing processes for membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), the heart of fuel cells, for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). 

Nanotechnologies have been proven to substantially improve the performance and durability of PEMFCs, DMFCs and SOFCs, and to a more limited extent molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs).

Nanotechnologies offer a potential avenue for safe, solid storage of hydrogen for vehicles as well as methods of producing and purifying hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels for use in fuel cells or via electrolysis of water or ammonia.