Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp (AFCP) said it has partnered with the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague - one of five Czech universities, which rank within the top 4% of the world’s best universities.
The Vancouver, British Columbia-based alkaline fuel company said that it is a strategic collaboration is an important milestone on its path to the future commercialization and distribution of its innovative Generation 3.0 fuel cell system that will operate without generating GHG emissions.
“Securing this collaboration with UCT Prague is a critical milestone on the path to commercialization of our next generation alkaline fuel cell system. It affords AFCP access to unparalleled equipment, laboratory capabilities, and technological expertise that would be cost-prohibitive for us to procure as a stand-alone entity,” said Jef Spaepen, CEO of AFCP in a statement.
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He added: “The objective with this collaboration is to reduce manufacturing costs in order to reach a broad market. The University will provide us with the equipment and expertise needed to obtain critical success in this venture.”
Fuel cells offer a proven solution for generating both heat and electricity but traditionally have required expensive precious metals such as platinum to comprise the key components of the electrode, which becomes cost-prohibitive for mass production.
AFCP’s Gen 3.0 technology is designed to overcome this limitation and support broad adoption by both residential and commercial customers globally.
The company is positioning itself to assist the EU in meeting the ambitious climate targets as its Gen 3.0 hydrogen-powered alkaline fuel cell technology is targeted for commercialization in 2024. There are few other alternative prospects at this advanced stage of development that may deliver so efficiently on this scale to displace a significant portion of GHGs, the statement said.
“The past year has seen ever-increasing momentum for the hydrogen industry in Europe. From being viewed as an innovative niche technology, hydrogen has become a key pillar in the European Union’s (EU) energy and climate policy and is recognized as a key enabler in the EU’s efforts to transition to a climate-neutral society by 2050,” said Jon André Løkke, President of Hydrogen Europe in the Clean Hydrogen Monitor’s 2021 report.
Hydrogen Europe is an industry organization that brings together diverse players including large companies and small-to-medium enterprises, all of whom support the delivery of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. It supports the adoption of very ambitious climate targets for 2030 and the objective of total carbon neutrality by 2050.
Løkke added: “We cannot achieve climate neutrality without hydrogen. As an energy vector, hydrogen can unlock the full potential of renewables, providing a means to flexibly transfer energy across sectors, time, and place. Furthermore, with hydrogen, we can store excess electricity generated from renewable power, thus providing grid balancing or seasonal storage whilst making the overall energy system of the future more efficient.”
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