Materials Innovation Required for a Profitable PEM Fuel Cell Industry

Despite several decades of research and development in the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell industry, many companies have failed to achieve profitability in this space, particularly when considering system suppliers rather than companies focusing on providing one or more specific components. IDTechEx forecast the materials market for PEM fuel cells to exceed US$7bn by 2033, and several key innovations will be seen in order to maximise profitability for the market players, at all stages of the supply chain.

 

Typically, a PEM fuel cell consists of a number of well-defined components, integrated together to form a fuel cell stack. The primary components are the bipolar plate (BPP), the gas diffusion layer (GDL), the proton exchange membrane (PEM) or ionomer, and the catalyst coated membrane (CCM). The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consists of the PEM, CCM and GDL. Innovation is beginning to be seen in terms of materials and processing for alternative options that will challenge incumbent choices for these components.

 

In this webinar, Dr. Conor O'Brien, a Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, will discuss the latest technological innovations seen in materials for PEM fuel cells, and how this will impact the growing material demand and the larger supply chain of the industry.

 

This webinar will:

 

More details and ten-year market forecasts can be found in IDTechEx's comprehensive report "Materials for PEM Fuel Cells 2023-2033". These forecasts are based on extensive research of OEMs, material suppliers and manufacturers of key components: BPPs, GDLs, ionomer membranes, CCMs and MEAs. IDTechEx highlight the key technology trends for each component, benchmark alternative materials and outline dominant and emerging manufacturing methods together with granular ten-year forecasts and company profiles.