Report: Hydrogen Fuel Cells Too Costly For Mass-Adoption Jan 11, 2013

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A future hydrogen economy is looking less-likely, according to a Lux Research report, which find the capital cost of hydrogen fuel cells makes them impractical for adoption in homes, or in commercial/utility applications.

Lux said that, despite the benefits of the technology that make it ideal in the eyes of politicians and environmentalists, and despite an ample supply of hydrogen, the cost of the fuel cells means the market in 2030 will be just $3 billion and 5.9 GW.

The research firm said hydrogen fuel is only 35% of the total cost of ownership (TCO) for stationary fuel cell applications - most of the cost comes from fuel cell capital costs and membrane replacement costs.

"High capital costs and the low costs of incumbents provide a nearly insurmountable barrier to adoption, except in niche applications," said Brian Warshay, Research Associate with the firm.

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