FUEL CELL COMMERCIALIZATION IN THE UK: SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT FOR MARKET SUCCESS

摘要

Fuel cell development in the UK has supported by successive Governments since the 1950s. However, its true commercial value is becoming more apparent as we enter the 21st Century, as the needs of technology, households, commerce and industry demand increasingly more and securely sourced energy. The UK has embarked on an ambitious, yet attainable goal of developing clean forms of energy to maintain its position as a net energy exporter, while creating energy sustainability into the next 2 decades. The North of England region is rapidly becoming the UK's single largest producer of clean energy through programs such as wind, biomass, wave and small-scale hydro-electricity. It is also home to the UK's first hydrogen network, a system of piped hydrogen, more than 30 miles long. Fuel cells are at the top of the list of regional and national Government support as the future for domestic and commercial energy production. Through a mixture of financial benefits, tax credits, and other mechanisms, now more than ever is commercialization in the UK of fuel cells a realistic, economically viable possibility. R&D opportunities exist at the Region's universities to further develop fuel cell systems, from advanced materials, composites, nanotechnology and advanced metallurgy. Over 120 companies are involved in fuel cell development in the North of England alone.