During a first market analysis several years ago, Professor Birgit Scheppat from RheinMain University conducted extensive tests and evaluations of fuel cell stacks available at the time (see October 2010 issue of German-language magazine HZwei). On behalf of Hessen Agentur and in collaboration with the H2BZ initiative, she examined which challenges customers face
Month: December 2017
Rising Fuel Cell Demand
H2-international has recently asked manufacturers of fuel cell stacks not only about their systems’ technical specifications, but also about their opinion of current market developments. As only seven companies participated in the survey, the results may not be very indicative of where the entire market is heading. However, you can discern a few trends.
Fuel Cell Incentive at 40 Percent
“Fuel cell cars are too expensive – and there’s no refueling infrastructure either.” You may hear a sentence like this one many times over. Both German-language magazine HZwei and English-language e-journal H2-international have reported regularly about new hydrogen filling stations (e.g., October 2017 issue of H2-international). So, let’s look at the price, which might be much lower than many Germans believe. If you factor in available incentives, an FCV such as the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell would cost only around EUR 42,000
Fuel Cell Mass Production in Germany
Fuel cell stacks continue to show a critical gap in power density development along the European automotive value chain. Filling it was the objective of two EU projects, Auto-Stack (FCH-JU GA 245142) and AutoStack CORE (FCH-JU GA 325335), which received financial support from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.
Alkaline Fuel Cell Solutions by AFC Energy and GenCell
For a long time, it seemed as if alkaline fuel cells, or AFCs for short, no longer had a chance on the market. But now, some developers are set on reviving this “old” technology. GenCell, a cash-rich business from Israel, has optimized these cells to a point where they can be offered as part of a commercially available backup power system. And a successful trial run in Stade has encouraged AFC Energy to push onto the German market with its own solutions.
How to Bring Hydrogen and Wind Power Closer Together
Northern Germany is well on its way to becoming a power-to-gas El Dorado. The past years have seen citizens’ initiatives and businesses initiate projects to explore new avenues in this wind-rich region. Most of their activities have yet to hit the mainstream news and some weren’t even known to many professionals in the industry. But recently, an increasing number of publications have been focusing on ongoing projects, so we thought it was time to take a closer look at what’s happening.
HYPOS – From Storage to Distribution
One of the objectives of HYPOS, the Hydrogen Power Storage & Solutions East Germany initiative founded in 2013, is to establish a renewable hydrogen economy in middle and east Germany. The initiative identified the setup and expansion of the associated infrastructure as an essential prerequisite to achieve that aim. The region offers already available structures throughout (e.g., pipelines, underground caverns) and great renewable energy potential.
BEVs and FCEVs in the German Energy Grid
Meeting the German federal government’s ambitious climate target, that is, a 95 percent reduction in GHG emissions until 2050 compared to a 1990 baseline, will require a decarbonized transportation sector. Cars powered by conventional engines must be replaced by low-emission versions. The two most promising substitutes are battery-electric vehicles or BEVs and fuel cell vehicles or FCEVs.
eZelleron Partners with Infiniti
Buyers of “kraftwerk” fuel cell chargers may have to wait a little longer still. The manufacturer of the devices, eZelleron, cited an ongoing legal dispute about trademark rights and intellectual property as the reason for having to postpone shipments even further. Sascha Kühn, CEO of eZelleron, told H2-international that he would like to provide more details on the situation, but the charges which Kraftwerk, an electronic music band, had brought against the company just 5 days after its crowdfunding campaign ended
Double Feature in Hanover
Following its successful launch in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart this April, a new German dual exhibition will find itself in Hanover in the next. From May 15 through May 17, 2018, it will be featured at Hanover’s show grounds in halls 19 and 20. The joint debut of the Battery Show Europe, whose organizers have termed it the continent’s premiere show on the latest in battery manufacturing and product development, and its sister event, the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo