Jülich: methanol-powered fuel cells now at prototype stage

16 Apr 2007 | News

Development lead

Scientists at the Jülich Institute of Energy Research in Germany have developed a methanol-powered fuel cell that is on show this week at the Hannover Messe.

The prototype will be demonstrated in a battery-powered forklift truck – which the developers say is the first in the world to be run on methanol. The fuel cell converts liquid methanol directly into electric current. Instead of lengthy charging times for batteries, the vehicle can be refuelled in a few minutes. And because it does not produce any harmful emissions, methanol fuel cells can be used in enclosed spaces.

“With this prototype, we are now only a small step away from the commercialisation of our fuel cell technology,” claims Professor Detlef Stolten, Director at the Jülich Institute. The institute has managed all stages of the development from improvements in the components of the cells to the development of installable systems. “We want to keep an eye on all aspects and coordinate everything accordingly. This is the only way that we can make the complex fuel cell system commercially viable,” said Stolten.

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