CEA Fuel cells Infrastructure

With €6 million in equipment and a staff of 40 engineers and technicians, the fuel-cell platform takes a truly unique approach to designing and improving fuel cells. It is the only center in the world to cover materials, membrane-electrode assemblies, stacks, testing, modeling, and characterization. Around ten manufacturers from around the world—including Symbio FCell and Areva Energy Storage—conduct R&D at the platform. The mission is to speed the transfer of new fuel-cell technology to transportation and stationary applications and build a strong intellectual property portfolio, adding around 10–20 new patents per year. The platform builds demonstrators for testing in real-world conditions.

For example, the hydrogen-powered Zero CO2 vessel has been sailing since 2010, and the EPICEA and PROSPAC generators are producing 5 kW of useable electricity. 
The fuel-cells produced by the platform are at the international state of the art in terms of performance, lifespan, and form factor, all benefits that should open the door to niche market applications in the near future.