Canada-Germany joint research initiative on durable, cost-effective fuel cells

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are gaining significant momentum worldwide due to the increasingly urgent need for decarbonization of energy systems and zero-emission transportation systems across all sectors. Large-scale adoption of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, however, still requires significant cost reductions prior to their diffusion within the consumer market. The cost of hydrogen fuel and infrastructure availability are major factors for market adoption. For automotive fuel cells, production and operational costs are also intimately linked to material durability for the intended use conditions. The overarching goal of the proposed research is to reduce cost and enhance durability of fuel cell systems by means of strategic catalyst layer design and production methods. The project will form a new international research consortium in this field, involving leading organizations in Canada and Germany led by Simon Fraser University (SFU) Fuel Cell Research Lab (FCReL) in Canada and Fraunhofer Center for Applied Nanotechnology (CAN) in Germany, covering the required expertise, facilities, and knowledge translation to generate transformative results and outcomes. Specifically, this partnership will merge FCReL's vast expertise and research tools on fuel cell design and durability with CAN's capabilities on design and scalable synthesis of nanostructured electrocatalytic materials. The outcomes will mutually benefit Canada and Germany by strengthening the international competitiveness of the world-leading hydrogen and fuel cell industry sector in both countries, in accordance with the collective ambitions of their respective national hydrogen strategies and associated goals for decarbonization of transportation and heavy industry.