The UK remains at the forefront of fuel-cell technology development but lacks the deployment network to encourage the domestic supply chain to grow, according to a report from industry body the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (HFCA).

Johnson Matthey and Ceres are in particular two major players in the global fuel cell marketplace, with both firms looking at exporting their technologies overseas.

But the growth of these overseas markets will also by met by rapidly expanding supply from other firms.

£46bn – Size of South Korea’s stimulus package

“The UK is experiencing real-time technology loss as global appetite for fuel cells soars,” says the report, titled Fuel cells: the forgotten force in the fight against climate change

“Without intervention, the UK is set to be overtaken by countries with more global ambition and ultimately the UK will be economically compelled to import technology as happened in the wind industry.”

South Korea’s £46bn ($63bn) green stimulus package includes targets for 15GW of fuel-cell power, as well as 5.9mn fuel-cell cars, 60,000 fuel-cell buses and 1,200 hydrogen refuelling stations by 2040—one of the most ambitious strategies globally.

And other nations have also worked harder to align their academic and industrial sectors, the report notes.

“The UK presently lacks capability to develop technology at scale, in part because the academic and industrial strengths are not always focused and coordinated on achieving a clear single set of objectives,” it says.

Two steps to support industry

The government should take two major steps to support the industry, according to the report.

It should instigate a challenge-led fund to foster collaboration between industry and academia in a model similar to that adopted by the Faraday Institution for battery technology.

“The UK is experiencing real-time technology loss as global appetite for fuel cells soars” HFCA report

And it should adopt a public procurement programme to use fuel cells in public-sector vehicle fleets, taper grants for diesel vehicles and set a phase-out date for trucks with internal combustion engines. The UK government is consulting on a ban on the sale of new diesel HGVs by 2040 but has not yet put in place a formal policy.

“The UK fuel cell industry could support 136,000 jobs by 2035, predominantly in highly skilled roles and across the country, as the UK takes its share of the growing global market—anticipated to be worth £9.7bn by 2026,” says the HFCA.

A report by the science and technology committee of the UK’s House of Lords, published in June, found that the sector received only £8mn/yr in support.

“The current funding for fuel cell research and development is inadequate, and the sector needs to be supported through the establishment of initiatives and organisations akin to the Faraday Institution and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre,” it says.

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Author: Tom Young