The EHSTACK project is aiming to deliver a significantly more compact, lightweight and efficient stack, based on EH Group's breakthrough technology. In addition, a scalable fuel cell system, with a simplified architecture and optimised for our fuel cell stack will be ready for deployment. Finally, the first generation production assembly machinery will be built. This will enable the large scale production of FC stacks and drive down its costs to below 100EUR/kW at scale for more widespread deployment.
This is because one of the major historical and current challenges of commercialising FC technology has been cost. Nonetheless the market is growing exponentially despite the cost/kw at over 1,000 EUR, and highlights consumers’ willingness to pay in the face of increasingly stringent environmental regulations. In the face of fast-approaching decarbonisation targets, in many cases (such as heavy vehicles) there is no practical alternative technological solution. We believe we can significantly influence the market by achieving significant cost reductions and hence more rapid industrialisation of the technology. Our product offering can be used in stationary applications such as commercial and residential buildings, data centres, telecom towers, hospitals, etc. Furthermore, due to its compactness, our technology will be a front-running candidate for mobile/automotive applications (buses, trucks, vans, forklifts, trains, ferries, etc.) where weight and volume reduction are two key criteria.
For example, the transport sector accounts for 25% of total global CO2 emissions at 8.05Gt in 2016(Source IEA). Medium/heavy vehicles account for 26% of vehicle emissions, 98% of which run on diesel, producing around 2.5 [kg] of CO2 per litre. Studies by the Union of Concerned Scientists show that a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle reduces emissions by 34-60% depending on the sources of hydrogen (www.ucsusa.org/fuelcellsavings). Our innovative fuel cell stack system, if deployed in an 18 ton truck would lower CO2 emissions by 34-45% using 'brown' hydrogen (i.e. produced from fossil fuels – steam methane reforming) and by nearly 100% using 'green' hydrogen (produced from renewables). (Source E4Tech Fuel Cell Industry Review)
Total CO2 emissions in the EU in 2016 was 4,293 mio tones (European Commission) of which transport accounted for 21%, hence 931 mio tonnes. Medium and heavy vehicles account for about a quarter of those, hence approximately 230mio tonnes of CO2. In the case where renewables are utilised to create hydrogen via electrolysis, the CO2 output is brought to virtually nil. Even in a scenario where we manage to capture 5-10% of the medium and heavy vehicle market, and the market were reliant on 'brown' hydrogen, some 4 – 9 million tons of CO2 could be avoided annually. In addition air pollution in the form of particulate matter is also reduced by the adoption rate of our FC product.
Beyond climate change mitigation, there are further societal benefits for the EU, such as having the opportunity to take the global lead in a new high-tech manufacturing sector. In addition, it provides the scope for further energy independence by leveraging off the EU’s early commitment to renewable deployment over the past two decades, and renewed impetus of the Green Deal.
