Publications from the Programme

The Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells is a task-sharing programme, so most of its publications are only available to experts participating in the programme. The following publications are publicly available and can be downloaded from this site:

Deployment of Fuel Cell Vehicles and Hydrogen Refueling Station Infrastructure for 2023

Spotlight of the current deployment status of fuel cells in road transport as of end of 2022

This report provides an overview of the current status of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and hydrogen refueling station infrastructure, based on data collected by the IEA Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells. As of December 2023, the global fleet of FCVs nears 90,000, serviced by over 1,200 hydrogen stations. The report also highlights the growth of heavy-duty trucks and the continued expansion of hydrogen stations, particularly in China, South Korea, and Japan.
You can find more information on the analysis of this data and the development of the numbers of FCVs between 2017 and 2023 in the report.

You can download it directly here.

Benchmarking Performance: A Round-Robin Testing for Liquid Alkaline Electrolysis

Liquid alkaline water electrolysis holds great potential in the shift towards renewable energy sources, thanks to its lower investment costs compared to other electrolysis technologies. However, challenges persist in creating cost-effective, stable materials that can perform reliably in harsh electrolytes. One significant hurdle is the lack of standardization in experimental conditions, which hampers the comparability and reproducibility of research outcomes.

In this manuscript, researchers within the framework of Task 30 Electrolysis in the AFC TCP of the IEA address this issue. By developing a standardized setup—covering electrolysis cells, materials, testing protocols, and experimental conditions—they aim to streamline research efforts across laboratories. Initial tests across eleven institutions revealed notable disparities, with factors such as electrolyte iron content and temperature control being key contributors to performance deviations. These findings highlight the need for more rigorous control of experimental details to advance the field

You can download it directly here.

Deployment of Fuel Cell Vehicles and Hydrogen Refueling Station Infrastructure for 2022

Spotlight of the current deployment status of fuel cells in road transport as of end of 2022

This report aims to reflect the current deployment status of fuel cell vehicles for road transport and that of the hydrogen refueling station infrastructure as a result of a global data collection and analysis effort performed by the IEA Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells. Our data collection estimates a fuel cell vehicle fleet that surpassed the 70,000 unit mark (72,193) being refueled by a network of  1,022 hydrogen refueling stations.
You can find more information on the analysis of this data and the development of the numbers of FCVs between 2017 and 2022 in the report.

You can find the open access report here (ISBN 978-3-95806-704-2) (link will follow)

or download it directly here.

Recent advancements in high performance polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrode fabrication – Novel materials and manufacturing processes

The global effort to introduce polymer electrolyte fuel cells for clean and renewable energy to the market is increasing the demand for high performance, robust and affordable membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). There is not yet a standard method for large scale production of MEAs, or the methods employed are generally unsatisfactory in terms of quality and performance. A large number of published data of newly developed catalyst and electrolyte materials, claim to improve the state of the art, but are often not fully comparable due to different experimental studies and experimental designs.

This article summarizes the trends in material developments and emerging MEA-manufacturing techniques. The materials and techniques are systematically compared in terms of cell performance and scalability. Current and future scientific challenges are identified and analysed based on published findings over the past five years. Finally, the results of the cited papers have been quantitatively compared to each other and to the internal benchmarks used in each cited work to provide a complete picture of the state of the art in PEFC MEA manufacturing.

You can find the open access report here

or download it directly here.

Deployment of Fuel Cell Vehicles and Hydrogen Refueling Station Infrastructure for 2021

Spotlight of the current deployment status of fuel cells in road transport as of end of 2021

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can complement other electric vehicle technologies as a zero-emission technology and contribute to global efforts to achieve the emission reduction targets. This article spotlights the current deployment status of fuel cells in road transport. For this purpose, data collection was performed by the Advanced Fuel Cells Technology Collaboration Program. Moreover, the available incentives for purchasing a fuel cell vehicle in different countries were reviewed and future perspectives summarized.

Based on the collected information, the development trends in the last five years were analyzed and possible further trends that could see the realization of the defined goals derived. The number of registered vehicles was estimated to be 51,437 units, with South Korea leading the market, with 90% of the vehicles being concentrated in four countries. A total of 729 hydrogen refueling stations were in operation, with Japan having the highest number of these. The analysis results clearly indicate a very positive development trend for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen refueling stations in 2021, with the highest number of new vehicles and stations in a single year, paralleling the year’s overall economic recovery. Yet, a more ambitious ramp-up in the coming years is required to achieve the set targets.

You can find the open access report here

or download it directly here.

Study on the Uptake of international standards in the deployment of stationary FC systems in different countries

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Uptake of international standards in the deployment of stationary fuel cell systems in different countries

This study, funded by the AFC TCP, gives an overview of the applicable regulations, codes and standards for the installation of stationary fuel cell systems in different countries.

In particular, the proposal focuses on the analysis of the IEC 62282-3-300 "Stationary fuel cell system- installation" International Standard and IEC 62282-3-400 “Small stationary fuel cell power system with combined heat and power output”, comparing its uptake in different countries where stationary FC applications are relevant.
The main objective is thus to understand how the deployment of stationary fuel cell systems is governed by common standards that can facilitate the few industrial manufacturers in cornering emerging markets across the globe, thereby  accelerating the achievement of scale and cost reductions. The countries analyzed are: Japan (Asia) and Germany, Austria and Italy (Europe).

For further information, please contact Vivana Cigolotti (Task Manager of Task 33)
 

Stationary Fuel Cell Applications: Current and Future Technologies 2021

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Stationary Fuel Cell Applications: Current and Future Technologies - costs, performances, and potential

Stationary power and cogeneration systems will surely need research and innovative actions towards a more energy efficient and more resilient energy network. Fuel cell systems can become key technologies and system enablers, since their performance is higher than conventional systems. Efficiency, stack durability, capital expenditure, maintenance activities and potential failures need to be investigated. The present report aims to analyze the worldwide performance of these technologies, with a particular focus on PEM and SOFC, for different sizes and range of applications.
 

The Technology Collaboration Programme on the Research, Development and Demonstration on Advanced Fuel Cells (Advanced Fuel Cells Technology Collaboration Programme, AFC TCP) functions within a framework created by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The activities of the AFC TCP are coordinated by the IEA’s Working Party on Energy End-use Technologies (EUWP). Views, findings and publications of the AFC TCP do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the IEA Secretariat or of its individual member countries.