Benchmark Analysis of lonomer Membrane Synthesis and Costs of Low-Volume Market MEA Production

摘要

At the dawn of fuel cell commercialisation, cost considerations become the decisive factor for a successful market launch. However, detailed forecasts of the cost evolution of fuel cell stack components are scarce, especially company-independent ones. The following contribution therefore addresses two aspects of PEFC stack costs: First, it compares the syntheses of the most promising membrane polymers and, second, it addresses cost effects during small-scale MEA production, inevitably occurring when serving niche market applications. Component costs mainly comprise the cost of materials and processing. For mass production, the latter can be significantly reduced by scaling effects. Consequently, material costs become the deciding factor with regard to achieving the challenging cost targets. Hence, material costs alone indicate a lower threshold for the long-term potential. Therefore, the benchmark comparison of possible membrane ionomers shown here focuses on the expenditure for the corresponding basic chemicals. Additionally, an estimate is given of how the complexity of the chemical plant entails additional costs. This may help to identify intrinsic production cost barriers and, in the long run, to determine the more promising solutions as yet at an early stage of material development.