This report, published as part of the ene.field project, analyses the European supply chain for fuel cell micro-CHP and identifies three main challenges facing the fuel cell micro-CHP supply chain in Europe.
The most seriously limiting factor for the successful development of the supply chain is production volume, which is the key driver towards reducing system costs. The second challenge identified is the need to reduce system complexity, reduce the cost of individual components and develop collaborative strategies between key players, which is of paramount importance to reduce the price of the final end product. Finally, there is a need to plan large scale public deployment projects in order to support wide distribution of the systems.
The ene.field project is co-funded by the European Commission’s Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU), and brings together 25 partners, including 8 European manufacturers who will make the products available across 12 EU Member States. Europe continues to invest in fuel cell technology and the report reveals that strong political support and additional funding, as seen in Japan, will be required in the coming years if the barriers identified are to be overcome.
Industry must strive to collaborate and establish common standards. Structural challenges – such as the variety of technologies developed for FC mCHP applications and the wide range of priority areas for R&D and Innovation – must also be addressed.
The report is based on information available from recent international FC mCHP demonstration programmes and from bilateral dialogues with key industry stakeholders within and outside the ene.field project. The study provides an evaluation of the maturity, competition and standardisation levels of today’s FC mCHP industry in Europe as well as an analysis of the barriers and opportunities for developing the current and future supply chain. It also makes recommendations for the future development of the supply chain.
Find the full report attached at the bottom of this page.
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