Fuel cell systems: "Enter the market more boldly"

Stuttgart (eos) – “Today, fuel cell technology is where photovoltaic technology was 20 years ago,” says Birgit Scheppat, chair of the board of directors of the Hess Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Initiative and professor at the college of technology in Wiesbaden. “In those days, we went into high unit volumes with the PV modules – first 1000 then 100,000 roofs was the motto.” For fuel cell systems, she has not seen this far-reaching vision – at least not yet. “The lighthouse projects are good, for example Callux with approximately 800 fuel cell heaters – but for me they are not bold enough,” says Scheppat. The battlesome professor will give a lecture at the fuel cell specialist forum “f-cell” 2009 on September 28 and 29 in Stuttgart, where she will bring up another issue that lies close to her heart. “We have to get out of this ‘tinkering’ phase, in which each manufacturer of fuel cell stacks is doing their own thing, confronting system manufacturers with gas and electrical connections as they see fit,” demands Scheppat. “The producers must leave their competitive attitude behind and sit down to negotiate. We urgently need uniform standards: we could the sell the technology in many fields of deployment to the final consumer today.”

Producers looking for users
The event organizers of the “„f-cell”, the Peter Sauber Agentur Messen und Kongresse and the Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart (WRS, economic promotion) believe it is important to ensure the event provides this proximity to application, covering as it does the entire bandwidth of fuel cell technology in the stationary, mobile, and portable fields with a congress and trade fair. “We need impulses that show the way into the market and help to remove barriers,” said agency CEO Peter Sauber. This is why one of the “f-cell” topic forums specifically deals with the issues of markets and market opportunities. WRS CEO Dr. Walter Rogg explains: “The technology has matured. However, many companies do not know exactly where their markets are and how they have to approach their customers. Here, the congress is to provide specific ideas and stimuli.” The event organizers, who are supported by the utility company EnBW, the Ministry for the Environment in Baden-Württemberg, and Daimler, want to provide these ideas and stimuli to those participating in the symposium and trade fair. Major factors here are also the informal, sector-specific exchange of information and new contacts that emerge during the event.

Information on “f-cell”
Those who are interested will find the complete program of lectures and more information on the “f-cell” on the internet at: www.f-cell.de The Peter Sauber Agency can be reached by telephone at 0711-656960-50.

Stuttgart, 15. Mai 2009