DOE Offers $100 Million for Research

Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman recently announced that DOE will provide up to $100 million over four years for research projects aimed at advancing hydrogen fuel cells. The projects will seek to improve fuel cell membranes and water transport within the fuel cell stack while minimizing the effects of impurities on fuel cell performance and durability. The research projects will also develop new hardware, innovative fuel cell concepts, and advanced cathode catalysts and supports.

Through this investment, DOE seeks to improve performance and to lower cost of these technologies by 2010. The research funding is part of the $1.2-billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative announced by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Applications are due by March 30th. For information, research specifications, and application information, visit www.hydrogen.energy.gov.

In addition, DOE announced the selection of 12 competitively awarded, cost-shared projects that will receive $19 million in federal funding over the next five years for polymer membrane research. The goal of the research is to increase the durability and shelf life of polymer membranes while simultaneously bringing down their cost. Membranes are an integral part of hydrogen fuel cells and are important to create electricity to power a vehicle.

To identify the research and development challenges that remain to be addressed, DOE also unveiled its “Roadmap on Manufacturing R&D for the Hydrogen Economy.” The 80-page document addresses challenges to the manufacturing, storage, and production of fuel cell technologies and proposes R&D solutions to overcome them, focusing primarily on technologies that are near commercialization.

Visit www.doe.gov for additional information.