Abstract :
This paper surveys the global power industry seeking trends that might encourage greater use of full cells. The subject is broken into four basic themes: (i) an increasing demand for electricity, and this may not be solved by the traditional form of the integrated state-owned, centralised power utility, with a large infrastructure grid attached, the load curves of these integrated grids becoming unmanageable; (ii) a general trend towards privatisation and deregulation in the power sector, that is shifting its control from an engineering to a commercial paradigm, with unforseen consequences; (iii) contrary to (ii), the need for supplying security in its most basic sense is increasing rather than declining as power-dependent technology becomes progressively more important in the modern economy, and (iv) the trend in technology, particularly environmental-friendly technology, is towards smaller size of production centres. Within these inter-related themes these are encouraging prospects for the fuel cell community.
