SUMITOMO & ACAL Energy TEAM up on Lower-Cost PEM Fuel Cells
TOKYO, Mar 01, 2010 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) --
Sumitomo Corp. (TSE:8053) will help the British start-up ACAL Energy Ltd. license its technology for platinum-free cathodes for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuels cells in Japan.
PEM fuels cells are now relatively costly because platinum is required as a catalyst at both the anode and the cathode.
ACAL Energy's technology replaces the platinum at the cathode with a liquid compound catalyst which circulates through the fuel cell stack. The anode still requires a platinum catalyst, but the overall need for platinum in the PEM fuel cell can be reduced by as much as 90 per cent.
ACAL Energy is still at the prototype stage with the technology. Sumitomo will seek out battery makers, automakers and other companies in Japan that can help develop practical versions, with the goal of having commercial products ready within two years.
The trading company will also act as an intermediary for the outsourcing of production. The plan is to manufacture a broad range of PEM fuel cells with power outputs of 1-100kw for applications ranging from homes to cars.
Sumitomo has invested in other foreign ventures with fuel cell technologies, but none of these promise to bring a product to market as quickly as ACAL Energy.
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