To: Claude Cormier who wrote (5490 ) 6/19/2002 11:58:14 AM From: russet Read Replies (1) | Respond to FCT seems to be using bigger, already available SOFC's (Solid oxide fuel cell) (from Siemens Westinghouse ) for bigger projects. The big project SOFC market seems much farther ahead in terms of development at this time,...higher margins, few competitors, industrial projects. Miners and processors of Rare earth metals have informed followers of the mineral industries such as us, that they are ramping up production of certain of these metals used in SOFC fuel cells for delivery to fuel cell producers who are said to be ramping up production. I assumed at the time (last March PDAC) that they meant a big project producer, and this could well be, as the residential market seems to be at least a year away from even demonstration units. Ballard has PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cells which operate at lower temperatures than SOFC's and use Platinum based membranes instead of Rare Earth based ceramic membranes as a key component in their cells. Ballard is showing signs they are working to build their own fuel cell mobile electrical generators, but they do not have the same ability to generate high heat, so it is doubtful they will be as useful as SOFC's for use as cogenerators of electricity and space heat for residential and commercial buildings.
