Fuel cells show greatest promise in aviation

On land, sea and air, proponents of fuel cells are promoting their favoured zero-carbon energy source. Cars and commercial vehicles, boats and aircraft are today generating propulsive power by passing hydrogen through electrochemical cells to generate electricity — with nothing but clean water vapour emerging from the process. Meanwhile, stationary fuel cells are providing off-grid and back-up power in remote locations.The underlying technology is Victorian, dating back to an invention by William Grove in 1838, and its first significant application was by Nasa to power spacecraft in the 1960s. But it is only now, after a few false starts in recent decades, that the commercial market for fuel cells is finally beginning to take off. Analysts report that it is growing at an annual rate of 25 per cent, with projected sales of $20bn or more within five years.As a technology…

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