US achieves new milestones with latest hydrogen, fuel cell technologies

The US is demonstrating leadership in clean-energy innovation and providing businesses with more affordable, cleaner transportation and power options. 

According to three new reports, the US continues to be one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. In 2012, nearly 8% of total investment in the global fuel cell industry was made in US companies.

“Building a (US) fuel cell and hydrogen technologies industry over the past few years is helping to pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future that protects air and water, gives businesses more transportation options and reduces oil dependence,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. 

“As part of an all-of-the-above energy approach, fuel cell technologies are paving the way to competitiveness in the global clean-energy market and to new jobs and business creation across the country.”

With support from the DOE, private industry and the DOE’s national laboratories have already achieved significant advances in fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. These research and development (R&D) efforts have helped reduce automotive fuel cell costs by more than 50% since 2006 and by more than 30% since 2008. 

At the same time, fuel cell durability has doubled, and the amount of expensive platinum needed in fuel cells has fallen by 80% since 2005.

Building on this progress, the DOE recently awarded over $7 million to help bring cost-effective, advanced hydrogen and fuel cell technologies online faster. The three DOE reports detail continued strength in the US fuel cell and hydrogen technologies market as well as efforts by domestic businesses and states to increase competitiveness in this growing global industry.

According to a report, the DOE’s fuel cell R&D efforts over the last decade have helped manufacture about 40 new commercial technologies, support 65 new technologies that are expected to reach commercial-scale within the next three to five years and issue more than 450 US patents.