Fuel Cell Markets Quantified; New Free Report is the First to Measure the Number of Fuel Cell Systems Already Operating

    LONDON--Nov. 14, 2002--More than 3,800 fuel cell systems have been installed and operated worldwide, according to a new report by online resource, Fuel Cell Today (www.fuelcelltoday.com).
    The first such systems were introduced in the 1950s and the improvement in performance and increase in the number of units since then has been impressive.
    "The 58 per cent annual growth rate shown by last year's figures is significant, following high growth rates in the preceding years," commented Fuel Cell Today's deputy editor and co-author of the new report, Mark Cropper. "For example, there has been significant growth in the automotive sector, with over 300 prototype vehicles built around the world since the mid-1990s."
    This growth is expected to continue as companies such as Toyota and Honda lease their first fuel cell automobiles towards the end of 2002. However, other uses for this technology are beginning to emerge, for instance powering laptop computers. Toshiba plans to sell a fuel cell powered laptop from 2004.
    David Jollie, the website's editor and the report's second author, noted the mix of applications revealed by this research. "Fuel cell technology has already shown its flexibility. Several hundred units have been used for stationary power generation and even a few submarines and motor scooters boast fuel cell power sources. However, in the longer term, fuel cells could become more important. For instance, we can easily envisage ten per cent and more of the car market using this technology."
    Cropper continued this theme. "We have seen prototypes and early commercial units in many of these markets. Interestingly, phosphoric acid fuel cells were almost the only type being sold until two years ago but they are already being overtaken by proton exchange membrane fuel cells, as the pace of development heats up."
    To view this report in full, please visit www.fuelcelltoday.com/WorldwideSurvey.

    Notes to Editors

    Fuel Cell Today (www.fuelcelltoday.com) is the global internet portal which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of fuel cells - the clean and efficient technology for generating electricity which is poised to become the leading energy source of the 21st century. Existing for the global fuel cell community, Fuel Cell Today publishes news and reviews on developments in this dynamic new industry, along with providing interpretation and context for users from research scientists and marketers to journalists and the general public.
    A fuel cell is an electrochemical device which reacts hydrogen and oxygen, in the absence of a flame, to produce heat and electricity. This can be both more efficient and more environmentally-friendly than conventional internal combustion engine technology. A fuel cell can be used anywhere electricity is required.