Fuel cells could play a huge role in improving the UK's infrastructure, it was suggested yesterday (25th August).

Sir John Banham, Chairman of Johnson Matthey, explained that fuel cell systems are already being used in buildings and homes in the US at a cost of just 4.5p per kilowatt hour.

Speaking to INSEAD Knowledge, he explained that the UK should follow suit and could even run an entire fleet of buses on the technology for the London Olympics in 2012.

By using methane from sewage, Sir John also noted that fuel cells could help to reduce the country's affordable housing shortage by playing a central role in new feed-in tariffs.

"The home fuel cell is 5kW, silent and you simply plug it into the gas supply. It's about the size of a refrigerator and could operate on methane," he told the news provider.

"We need to replace Stalinist thinking about how you plan housing and how you plan future energy with letting the markets operate."

Sir John cited the Freedom Towers redevelopment of the World Trade Centre building in New York as one example of where fuel cells will be used to provide energy.

His comments were strongly backed up by David King, Director of the Smith School of Enterprise at Oxford University, who described fuel cells as a "very important technology".

He explained that installing the units in homes across the country could offer a "massive advantage" in the UK's attempts to reach its 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2020.

"If every system in the home, instead of having a gas heating system, had one of these units, you would be producing all of your electricity and all your heat requirements from a single system; it's a combined heating power," he said in an interview with INSEAD Knowledge.

Meanwhile, Ballard Power Systems revealed recently that it has completed tests on a new system which incorporates its proton membrane exchange fuel cells.

The company believes the generator, which has been tested to 1MW, could provide clean energy peaking capacity during periods of high demand.

Source:



Energy technologies: some forecasts for the next decade (25/08/10)

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