AFC Energy (LONAFC) said the completion of Generation 2 of its breakthrough KORE fuel cell system has extended the stack life and increased the time the system is able to generate power.
Commercially, the most significant improvement is Gen2’s ability to accept lower grade hydrogen.
In doing this it widens the potential sources of fuel, lowering input costs but also increasing the potential addressable market.
“The technical progression achieved materially supports our discussions with prospective commercial partners and in being able to utilise lower grade hydrogen has the potential to reduce the final cost of electricity generation from AFC's systems,” said chief executive Adam Bond.
AFC’s KORE system has been designed to take waste hydrogen that might, for example, be created at large chemical plants and turn it into electricity.
In fact the latest iteration is being tested at Air Products’ industrial gas facility in Stade, Germany, as well as the company’s own site at Dunsfold, Surrey.
The delivery of the new design followed testing of multiple fuel cell stacks to deliver power continuously for a period in excess of one month. Two of the stacks continue to generate power today, AFC said.
“The accelerated and diligent progress AFC Energy has made over the last nine months in delivering our Gen2 fuel cell system has been remarkable,” said chief executive Adam Bond.
He said the technical advances will hopefully help it secure commercial contracts after teaming up Industrie De Nora, designer, maker and supplier of electrodes.