Stationary Fuel Cells on the Brink -
Installed Base to Grow to $20 Billion by 2010, ABI Says
OYSTER BAY, N.Y., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Among the various emerging energy
technologies being rapidly developed and deployed, fuel cells will be the leader in the
evolving worldwide distributed generation industry, according
to a new report from Allied Business Intelligence, Inc.
Substantial financial, marketing, and organizational resources are currently being
devoted to fuel cell technology, driving the nascent market from approximately $40
million in 1999 to over $10 billion by 2010, according toABI findings.
The US and global markets for the leading fuel cell technologies producing from 50 W
to 30 MW, including phosphoric acid, proton exchange membrane, alkaline, molten
carbonate, solid oxide, and zinc-air, are examined in ABI's
latest annual study:
``US and Global Stationary Fuel Cell Markets -- The Next
Decade Defined.ïï While the only current successful commercial vendor of fuel cell
product is Connecticut-based ONSI Corp, a number of companies are beginning to
release
products. Many of the market entrants are backed by large international energy and
power production equipment firms.
``Although power from early fuel cells costs more than power from other generators, a
number of applications can be identified in which price is not the key determinant,ïï
said ABI senior analyst Mike Kujawa.
``Markets for reliable power and quality power are potential areas of use for the
technology, as are applications involving industrial waste hydrogen, wastewater
treatment gas, and agribusiness animal waste gas.ïï
Regions of the US with high power rates or no grid access are being targeted by
companies that produce low power fuel cells. These systems can use natural gas and
propane to provide the electricity, hot water and building heat for single family homes
and small businesses. The markets will expand into power supplies for vacation homes
and cabins, remote villages and islands,telecommunications relay towers, industrial
plants, military bases, and more.
The report covers competition with other emerging distributed generation technologies
such as microturbines and Stirling engines, as well as the combination of fuel cells with
microturbines, wind turbines, and photovoltaics
in an effort to build extremely high efficiency power supplies or totally renewable
systems. The appropriateness of hydrolysis systems versus zinc-air fuel cells in power
only-applications is also examined.
SOURCE: Allied Business Intelligence, Inc. |
