Page 59 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2018 publication

Winter 2018 European Energy Innovation 59

FUEL CELL & HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGY

the project is a clear win-win in
international collaboration.

Where hydrogen is a byproduct - Photo: ©Sara, 2018
in petroleum refining, as well as
chemicals production - it can be capacity with a high degree of technical maturity; without decisive
used to produce clean, local, load- reliability and quality control focused support, there is a risk they
following power, and replace or and assurance will have a strong may suffer from the well-known
reduce fossil fuel use. However, multiplier effect. Investing in ‘valley of death’ that afflicts many
the lack of multiple megawatt- the manufacturing capacities companies when launching new
scale European reference sites is of companies ready to take the and innovative products. This is
a significant barrier to widespread next step in commercialisation particularly true in markets where
adoption. To tackle this, the FCH JU- will help to produce high-quality, regulations do not yet recognise the
supported CLEARgen Demo project reliable products and ensure that added value of these low or zero
is constructing a large-scale fuel cell European companies are competitive emission, highly efficient products. To
system, in Martinique, an overseas worldwide, avoiding the failures made avoid this situation and strengthen
territory of France. The fuel cell in other innovative technologies. European industry, providing the
system will be purpose-built for the right kind of assistance to the
European market, and will validate For these efforts to succeed, commercialisation of these early
technical and economic readiness we must decisively support the products is crucial, and plays a key
at the megawatt scale, showing that European supply chain. A healthy role in boosting public confidence in
large stationary PEM fuel cell systems well-developed European-based these technologies.
are environmentally friendly and supply chain that can provide top-
commercially relevant, especially quality components to OEMs in a It is amazing to see the enormous
for chemical process industrial competitive environment will allow progress that fuel cell and hydrogen
applications where, today, excess Europe to attain a level of leadership, technology has made over the past
hydrogen is vented. attract top talent and create highly decade. The hydrogen economy
skilled jobs. is just at the beginning of a long
Looking to the future journey: one that we must continue
These, and many other FCH JU- A number of FCH products are to support, so that we can all enjoy a
supported projects, have helped the entering the marketplace now after greener, cleaner and more prosperous
European industry to make great having achieved a high level of low-carbon world. l
strides. We now have the potential
to move to commercialisation, with
the associated benefits of economic
growth, high value-added jobs,
and creating a supply chain of EU
companies around a new suite of
products based on hydrogen and fuel
cell technologies.

But to capitalize on our knowledge,
we must continue to support field
trial demonstrations. High- volume
rollout trials bridge the gap to
commercialization and support
the market entry of new products.
This is when simplified, product-
specific market activation schemes
become necessary. These schemes
enable further cost reductions and
ensure cost-competitiveness with
conventional, fossil fuel-based
solutions.

Furthermore, building manufacturing

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