H2 or not H2?

Bramble Energy, a fuel-cell-technology firm based in Crawley, England, claims that it has developed a solution that will enable it to produce the world’s lowest cost fuel cells and thereby drive mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cell “across mobility and energy sectors”. 

In a whitepaper recently published by the company, it says a new way of tackling production will mean it can cut price targets to ten times cheaper than current traditional fuel cell costs. “Current fuel cell technologies exceed $1000/kW, so it is a major leap to achieve $100/kW,” it says in a recent statement.

 

Bramble appears to have applied some lateral thinking by using standardised printed circuit boards (PCB) – already widely used in applications from mobile phones to televisions and laptops - and an existing manufacturing route, eliminating the need for huge investment in new methodologies. Though, precisely how they are doing this is seems to be a bit of an industrial secret.

 

For now, it’s an interesting development that could keep make hydrogen power safer and extremely cheap, meaning that the future of cars could be more than just electric. Of course, fuelling up on hydrogen also implies that governments would be ready and willing to invest in a huge amount of new infrastructure to put – and keep – hydrogen powered vehicles on the road.

(Words: Newspress and Phil Devine | Pics: Newspress)