Energy Department Funding New Fuel Cell R&D

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

The U.S. Department of Energy announced new grant programs totaling $74 million for research and development of fuel cells for residential and commercial buildings as well as vehicles. Fuel cells use the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to produce electricity or heat with minimal byproducts, primarily water.

The grants include up to $65 million over three years to fund continued research and development on fuel cell components, such as catalysts and membrane electrode assemblies. The funding also includes up to $9 million to conduct independent cost analyses to assess the progress of the technology under current research initiatives and help guide future fuel cell and hydrogen storage R&D.  Applicants are expected to include teams of university, industry and national laboratory participants.

The cost analysis project will help to determine the economic viability and technical progress of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies for stationary, transportation, and emerging market applications, including light duty vehicles, forklifts, buses and stationary power plants, as well as hydrogen storage systems. Grant winners will be expected to conduct life cycle cost analyses for different manufacturing volumes to help gauge the near-term, low-volume market viability for these technologies, along with their long-term potential.

Applications for the $65 million research and development program are due by March 3, 2011. Applications for the cost analysis solicitation are due on February 18, 2011. Funding for both programs are subject to congressional appropriations.

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