Molten carbonate and phosphoric acid stationary fuel cells

Technical and cost gap analyses were performed to identify pathways for reducing the costs of molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) and phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) stationary fuel cell power plants. No single issue was identified that could achieve major cost reductions. However, the three most important MCFC R&D areas to be addressed are 1) extending stack life to 10 years, 2) increasing power density by 20%, and 3) significantly reducing the cost for contaminant removal from fuel streams, especially from renewable fuel streams. One issue is platinum costs. At 10% to 15% of the current installed costs of a PAFC power plant, platinum costs represent an Achilles heel of the PAFC technology. In the case of the current PAFC power plants marketed by UTC Power, a reduction in fabrication costs also represents an opportunity for cost reduction. One of the most important issues is contaminant removal. Development of a cost-effective process for removing contaminants, especially those found in renewable fuels, would have an impact well beyond the fuel cell communities.