IEA sees potential in hydrogen and fuel cells

Dec. 21, 2004
Although commercial maturity and significant market penetration remain decades away, hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies represent high-potential options for a secure energy future with diminished emissions of carbon dioxide.

Doris Leblond
OGJ correspondent

PARIS, Dec. 21 -- Although commercial maturity and significant market penetration remain decades away, hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies represent high-potential options for a secure energy future with diminished emissions of carbon dioxide.

International Energy Agency Executive Director Claude Mandil made that assessment as he released two surveys, "Hydrogen & Fuel Cells" and "Prospects for CO2 Capture and Storage," at the United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change in Buenos Aires.

Mandil reported that emissions of CO2 related to energy increased by 16.4% from 1990 to 2002 despite measures taken under the Kyoto Protocol.

Many of the 26 IEA countries have intensified their research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) efforts on hydrogen and fuel cells. Governments of IEA member countries spend a total of about $1 billion/year on these initiatives.

More than half of the spending relates to fuel cells, according to IEA. The rest goes for technologies to produce, store, transport, and use hydrogen in non-fuel-cell applications such as internal combustion engines and gas turbines.

While the IEA believes government research is indispensable for stimulating development, a greater R&D effort, more difficult to assess, is under way by private companies.

IEA estimates private spending at $1.7 billion over 5 years in the US, more than 30 billion yen/year in Japan, and as much as 2 billion euro in the 6th Framework Program of the European Commission for Renewable Energy. In addition, international efforts and strategies are coordinated in three major cooperation initiatives: the IEA Hydrogen Co-ordination Group, the International Partnership on Hydrogen Economy, and the European Technology Platform on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells.

About 70 fuel-cell buses and 200 cars are operating worldwide, with about 40 hydrogen refueling stations open or under construction.

Predictions vary widely on the timing and penetration of fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) into the passenger-vehicle market. Automakers predict significant market inroads after 2010. If current technical targets are met, projections indicate light-duty FCVs might represent 7-10% of the US vehicle market by 2030. Currently, the cost of a fuel-cell car is $650,000-$1 million.

In a different application, stationary fuels cells in demonstration projects generate roughly 70Mw of electric power.

RD&D assessment
The IEA overview of R&D programs and strategies, with information current as of August 2004, is the first attempt to assess RD&D in these areas by country and topic.

It says the US and Japan have developed fully integrated, highly funded hydrogen fuel-cell (HFC) programs, with Japan leading the world in fuel-cell development. In Australia, work on these technologies is part of the government's COAL21 program, which includes research into hydrogen production by coal gasification as part of the national clean-coal strategy.

Canada is focusing on development of clean, efficient technologies for hydrogen production using renewables or sustainable energy sources. In Germany, since 1995 and with an annual budget of 8-10 million euros/year, RD&D is concentrated on fuel cells and, specifically, new materials, improved components, and system integration.

Most of the other HFC programs are not as integrated. In Austria, some 40 organizations are involved in 50 hydrogen or fuel-cell projects. France is developing a national network to promote cooperation between R&D institutes and companies, focusing on polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), hydrogen storage, and onboard reforming.

The Netherlands and other smaller countries investigate "all aspects of HFC technology," IEA says. Sweden reports long-term basic research into artificial photosynthesis using sunlight directly to produce hydrogen from water.

Fuel-cell types
Six primary fuel-cell types are under investigation.

Most promising at present for vehicles and possibly residential power generation, according to IEA, is the PEM fuel cell, also called proton exchange membrane or polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

SOFCs appear to be most promising for electric power plants. Combined with gas turbines, they are expected to achieve more than 70% efficiency.

Direct methanol fuel-cell (DMFC) technology, which is relatively new, appears to be the most promising as a battery replacement in portable applications such as cellular phones and laptop computers. Manufacturers are introducing commercial versions of DMFCs.

Alkaline fuel cells are efficient but require costly CO2 purification.

High-temperature molten carbonate fuel cells are being developed for natural gas and coal-based power plants for electric utility, industrial, and military applications. They don't require external reformers to convert more energy-dense fuels to hydrogen. Their main disadvantage is low durability due to the high temperatures.

Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) are considered the first generation of modern fuel cells. They are the first to have been used commercially, mainly in Japan and more recently in South Korea. But they are large, heavy, and expensive. Japan has shifted to PEM system development but has established a track record with 200 PAFC units currently in use. Typically used for stationary power generation, PAFC has also been used to power large vehicles, such as city buses.

A critical hurdle remains the absence of an efficient and clean method for producing hydrogen on the scale and at the low costs required by the envisioned hydrogen economy.

The two main categories for hydrogen production are electrolysis and steam reforming, both of which usually involve the combustion or consumption of hydrocarbons.

Another challenge is development of commercial hydrogen-storage technology. Research currently focuses on a variety of traditional and nontraditional gaseous, liquid, and solid storage options. Onboard storage in fuel-cell vehicles is a key technology bottleneck. Private companies conduct most R&D in this area on a proprietary basis.

Although hydrogen is dangerous, its risks as a fuel are similar to those of other fuels such as natural gas and propane. Hydrogen can be handled and used safely with proper precautions. Regulations for its handling, however, have yet to be defined and harmonized globally.

IEA characterizes the RD&D effort reported in its effort as only the start of several decades of work necessary to realize the vision of a hydrogen economy.