The role of the power companies in the fuel cell market

The European power companies are concentrating their efforts primarily at increasing the competitive edge of their companies by means of cost optimization programs, leaving very little free space for new power generation techniques. Fuel cells are a new and promising technology. This article illustrates that there are good opportunities for fuel cells to gain a foothold in the market, even under the pressure of competitive conditions. The retail market in particular offers excellent preconditions for this undertaking. Success decisively depends on the development of cost-optimized systems which can be installed in the user´s plant at a low expenditure.