Fuel cells start to fill niche roles

Experts have predicted that fuel cell technology will become a commercially viable alternative to batteries in an increasing variety of applications over the next five years.

Speakers at the Grove Fuel Cell Symposium in London said barriers of cost and complexity that have prevented widespread uptake are being overcome. Fuel cells are power supply units that convert a fuel such as methanol or hydrogen into electricity without the complex moving parts of a generator.

Fuel cells could power mobile devices and provide standby supplies for datacentres and branch offices. They promise higher power delivery over longer periods than the conventional batteries used in portable equipment and in uninterruptible power supplies.

US-based Plug Power is already supplying fuel cells as standby power supplies for telecoms operators. William Ernst, Plug Power's chief scientist, said his firm's products offer benefits in reduced maintenance costs and longer service life, plus the ability to outlast batteries during power outages. T

exas-based analyst George Apanel of SRI Consulting said fuel cells for portable electronic equipment will reach the mass market in as little as two years. They will use methanol supplied in disposable cartridges, he said, adding that the power units will be highly reliable, silent, vibration-free and compact. "Today [the technology] is cost-competitive with batteries, but lasts five to 10 times as long per charge, and allows instant recharging by replacing the methanol cartridge," Apanel said.

UK-based Voller Energy was among several vendors displaying commercial products at the symposium. Its briefcase-sized, 9kg VE100 costs £4,000 and can supply 230V AC at a sustained rate of 100W, or 200W in short bursts.