6 Fuel Cell Manufacturers in 2024
This section provides an overview for fuel cells as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 6 fuel cell manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked fuel cell companies as of November, 2024: 1.TW Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, 2.Ballard Power Systems Inc., 3.Heraeus Holding GmbH.
Table of Contents
Postdoctoral researcher, conducting research on the production of cathode composite particles for solid-state batteries in the Equipment Engineering Group of Osaka Prefecture University.
Belongs to the Resource and Energy Recycling Laboratory, Nagaoka University of Technology, and conducts research on the development of DDR-type zeolite membranes for CO2 separation and the capture of CO2 from digestion gas generated from sewage treatment plants.
https://researchmap.jp/eiji-hayakawa
Thesis
https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11080623
http://www.ijcea.org/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=109&id=1177
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1387181119305529?via%3Dihub
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S138358661833154X?via%3Dihub
What Is a Fuel Cell?
A fuel cell is a device that utilizes the electrical energy generated when hydrogen and oxygen react to produce water. Compared to the use of fossil fuels, the environmental impact is extremely low. Due to its superior energy efficiency, it is expected to find a variety of applications.
In addition to hydrogen itself, fossil fuels such as natural gas, LPG, and methanol can be used as an energy source by reforming them with a catalyst.
Uses of Fuel Cells
When fuel cells were first developed, they were used in spacecraft as a device that could simultaneously generate electricity and hydrogen.
Fuel cell-based household generators are installed to assist power generation during times of peak electricity use, and use city gas as a source of hydrogen for power generation.
Another area attracting attention is fuel cell vehicles, which have various advantages such as long cruising range, low environmental impact, etc. Fuel cell vehicles that do not need to be recharged are already on the market.
Principle of Fuel Cells
There are four types of fuel cells, depending on the type of electrolyte used. The polymer electrolyte type and the solid oxide type are the most popular types in use today and are expected to become more popular in the future.
Solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells are characterized by the use of a fluoropolymer-based cation exchange membrane as the electrolyte, and the use of methanol or city gas as the fuel, in addition to pure hydrogen. Because of their relatively simple structure and compact size, they are used in many applications, including household generators and fuel cell vehicles. However, research is currently underway to reduce the use of platinum catalysts, which are expensive.
Solid oxide fuel cells are characterized by the use of ceramics as the electrolyte, and like the polymer electrolyte type, they use pure hydrogen, methanol, or city gas as fuel. The structure is simpler than that of the polymer electrolyte type and theoretically more efficient, and expensive platinum catalysts are not required. Verification and improvements are underway.
Advantages of Fuel Cells
Fuel cells have the following advantages:
① High power generation efficiency:
In the case of thermal power generation, heat from burning fuel is used to generate steam, which turns a turbine to produce electricity. Energy loss occurs as the chemical energy of the fuel is converted to electrical energy via thermal and kinetic energy. In addition, energy is also lost in the transmission of electricity from the power plant. On the other hand, residential-use fuel cells have extremely high power generation efficiency because they convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy without transmission loss.
② Stable energy source:
Hydrogen used in fuel cells can be obtained from various raw materials such as LP gas, natural gas, petroleum, methanol, and biomass, thus ensuring a stable supply of fuel.
③ Low environmental impact:
When fuel is burned, as in thermal power generation, not only carbon dioxide but also nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and other air pollutants are produced. On the other hand, fuel cells produce only water during power generation, making them environmentally friendly.
④ Extremely quiet:
Fuel cells do not require a turbine, etc. Since fuel cells do not require turbines, etc., and electricity is obtained only through chemical reactions, they are very quiet in operation and generate almost no vibration.
Although fuel cells have these excellent characteristics, they currently have some issues such as high cost and short life span.
List of 6 Fuel Cell Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
- Default
- Company Size: largest first
- Year Founded: oldest first
- Year Founded: earliest first
Sort by Area
- Canada
- China
- Germany
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Heraeus Holding GmbH
PEM Fuel Cells
Manufacturer Overview
Through its subsidiaries, Heraeus Group serves many industries around the world including green power generation, telecommunications, agriculture, aerospace, medical, jewelry, and environmental protection. Heraeus Group companies create products including fiber optics, ceramics, custom metals, surgical equipment, special purpose lamps, and photovoltaics.
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Ballard Power Systems Inc.
Fuel Cell Power Products
Manufacturer Overview
Ballard Power Systems Inc., founded in 1979 and headquartered in Burnaby, Canada, is a manufacturer specializing in proton exchange membrane fuel cell products. The company's product portfolio includes hydrogen fuel cell powertrain integration solutions such as heavy duty modules, marine systems, stationary power, and more. Its fuel cell technology is an environmentally clean electrochemical device that combines hydrogen fuel with oxygen from the air to generate electricity. The company serves various markets, including heavy-duty handling, material handling, stationary power generation, automotive, and others.
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SFC Energy AG
EFOY ProEnergyBox
Company Overview
SFC Energy AG, established in 2000 and based in Brunnthal, Germany, is a manufacturer and supplier of hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells designed for both stationary and mobile hybrid power solutions. The company product lineup includes offerings like the EFOY Hydrogen Fuel Cell 2.5, EFOY Pro fuel, EFOY fuel cells, SFC Energy, and SFC Power Manager 3G. These power solutions are instrumental in providing efficient electrical energy for a wide range of applications, including measuring and early warning stations, defense systems, traffic monitoring, mobile homes, yachts, and various other sectors.
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Fujian Yanan Power
Fuel Cell Power Plant
Company Overview
Fujian Yanan Power Group Co. Ltd., founded in 1991 and headquartered in Ningde, Fujian, China, is a manufacturer and supplier of generators, generator sets, and energy storage systems. The company's main products include alternators, diesel generator sets, and decentralized distributed power stations. Its battery energy storage systems are used in residential and commercial renewable and hybrid solar-diesel energy storage micro-grids, as well as for portable energy storage. The company also custom designs, builds, and installs diesel and hybrid solar-diesel power plants and isolated microgrid plants with a proven track record across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
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TW Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies
FUEL CELL PRODUCTS
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Fuel Cell Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heraeus Holding GmbH |
33.3%
|
| 2 | TW Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies |
20.0%
|
| 3 | Ballard Power Systems Inc. |
20.0%
|
| 4 | Fujian Yanan Power |
13.3%
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| 5 | Greenlight Innovation |
6.7%
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| 6 | SFC Energy AG |
6.7%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the fuel cell page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
- SFC Energy AG: 2000 (24 years ago)
- Greenlight Innovation: 1992 (32 years ago)
- Ballard Power Systems Inc.: 1979 (45 years ago)
Company with a History
- Ballard Power Systems Inc.: 1979 (45 years ago)
- Greenlight Innovation: 1992 (32 years ago)
- SFC Energy AG: 2000 (24 years ago)
Global Distribution of Fuel Cell Manufacturers by Country
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
Germany
|
2 | 50.0% |
China
|
1 | 25.0% |
Canada
|
1 | 25.0% |
