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Introduction
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is a UK wide resource set-up by One North East to stimulate and drive innovation within the Process Industry. Working with global industry partners and leading research universities CPI is committed to delivering world-class, groundbreaking applied research and development.
One of its streams of work is in the development of fuel cell applications through the Fuel Cells Application Facility (FCAF). The FCAF provides the final link in the chain that takes new energy technologies from development to market. It is based in the Tees Valley where it has access to the fuel and technology infrastructure to turn developing technologies into commercial reality.
Fuel cells
Fuel Cells are now starting to emerge as a critical component of the ‘Hydrogen Economy’, which offers new options in the search for future energy supplies, and reductions in environmental impact. They also represent a platform for significant industrial growth. Since the start of the new millennium interest and activity in hydrogen and fuel cell technology has grown strongly.
Though the invention of the fuel cell can be traced back to work carried out in 1839 by William Grove, it was the work done by NASA that really established the potential of these devices. Their use to provide the in-flight electrical power for the Apollo spacecraft in the 1960s initiated global industrial research and development programmes into fuel cell technologies.These have been developed to a point where they can now be considered as a useful option for many applications including combined heat and power sources, backup power supplies, and for provision of power in remote locations.
Fuel Cells are not yet commercially viable, and they face significant challenges in all market sectors. But applications have now started to rise rapidly, and over the last few months there have been the first signs of venture capital investment.
The UK has the opportunity to become a significant fuel cell market, particularly in stationary applications. It has good academic research, and pockets of acknowledged expertise in materials, fuels, components and stacks. But there is very little activity in systems integration and applications, and active national companies export most of their output. The UK needs to stimulate applications in order to expand the routes to market and to develop the required supply chain. The development and deployment of the technology is being strongly promoted at both National and European levels and it has been identified as one of the major developmental priorities of the national Chemistry Leadership Council.
The N.E. region has special advantages as a ‘trial site’ for new energy technologies generally, and for fuel cells in particular. It has a fully-fledged low carbon fuels infrastructure, including production, large-scale storage and distribution, and all of the skills required to manage these safely and efficiently. It also has access to many important end-user opportunities, and a number of projects are already under way. |
