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Media Information Press Release July 18, 2006 European PEFC Forum Series Discontinued At its annual international event in Lucerne/Switzerland the European Fuel Cell Forum announced that it will discontinue its "European PEFC Forum" conference series. In 2007 the scope of "Fuel Cells for a Sustainable World" will be broadened by issues related to technology and implementation of sustainable energy solutions. In light of the dwindling energy supplies the transition to renewable energy and energy efficiency is of higher priority. Fuel cells are efficient and clean energy converters, but no new energy sources. They may become part of sustainable energy solutions, only if they are superior to other energy conversion devices. This challenge includes system performance, fuel availability and applications. As energy problems are mounting rapidly, time has come for a critical assessment of fuel cells. There are different kinds of fuel cells, the merits of which are given by technology, costs and fuel requirements. Natural gas and oil-derived liquid hydrocarbon are commercial today and will be around for many more years, although their use may be restricted by costs, environmental concerns or even political issues. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is not a natural fuel, but has to be fabricated by reforming of fossil fuels, or by electrolysis of water. However, people do not need hydrogen. They need electricity from fuel cells. Hydrogen becomes a transport medium for electrical energy. Consequently, electricity from hydrogen fuel cells will always be more costly than power from the grid. In fact, the direct distribution of electricity to the consumer by wire is about four times more efficient than electricity distribution by hydrogen. Much energy is needed for electrolysis, compression or liquefaction and transport of the synthetic energy carrier to the consumer. At least one half of the energy received is lost when hydrogen is converted to electricity with efficient fuel cells. By laws of physics, hydrogen can never win against its own energetic origin. In other words, a "hydrogen economy" can never compete with an "electron economy" in a free market. In a sustainable future most renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, waves, geothermal) is harvested as electricity. With the exception of food, people need physical energy (motion, heating and cooling, light, communication) all of which can easily be derived from electricity. The best sustainable solution is obtained by linking renewable electricity sources directly to the energy needs of consumers by means of efficient power transmission lines. A hydrogen infrastructure is not needed for solving the energy problem. Also, sustainability requires energy efficiency. This essential criterion cannot be met by a wasteful hydrogen economy. Consequently, a viable free-market hydrogen infrastructure may never be established. Who wants to invest in a risky business? Irrespective of all significant technology advances, the energy problem cannot be solved by the combination polymer fuel cells and synthetic hydrogen. On the other hand, hydrocarbon fuels will continue to be important. Natural gas will be around for many years. It will be gradually replaced by sustainable hydrocarbons like bio-methane, bio-ethanol and bio-methanol from organic waste, wood or farming. Fuel cells capable of directly converting these fuels into electricity are needed now and in future. At the recent "Lucerne Fuel Cell Forum" operators of such fuel cells presented their experience with stationary phosphoric acid, molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cell units. Some of these systems have already reached 65,000 hours of operation on natural gas or bio-methane with the original fuel cell stacks. Without doubt, these fuel cell solutions can meet the challenges of a sustainable future. Fuel cell conferences should offer a platform for open discussion of all types of fuel cells. However, for the European Fuel Cell Forum lasting energy solutions have priority over technical details. It will therefore continue to promote fuel cells for sustainable fuels, but discontinue supporting the development of fuel cells for uncertain fuel supplies. Time has come to make decisions. Keeping all options open is no adequate response to the mounting problems in the energy sector. Therefore, the "Lucerne Fuel Cell Forum 2007" will again feature "Fuel Cells for a Sustainable World" together with a broad presentation of topics related to the implementation of sustainable energy technologies. In 2008 the successful "European SOFC Forum" series will be expanded to a four-day, two-track conference with about 100 oral and 150 poster presentations, a product exhibition and an SOFC tutorial. Despite earlier announcements the "European PEFC Forum" series will be discontinued. We would like to thank all who have helped to establish the "European PEFC Forum". You and your colleagues have developed a magnificent technology, but the fuel needed to make it work is not offered by nature. The energy problem cannot be solved by creating artificial fuels. The laws of physics speak against a hydrogen economy, and physics cannot be changed by wishful thinking, political initiatives, research programs or venture capital. Solutions in the energy field must be implemented soon as long as resources are available for this most challenging task of mankind. I sincerely hope that this announcement will be accepted as a constructive contribution to the ongoing energy debate. Ulf Bossel, Ph.D. Copyright free. File copy requested >> back to Media Overview |
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