The Contribution of new Production Technologies and Circular Economy Towards meeting the Future Demand of Proton-exchange Membrane Fuel Cells – A Literature Review

Abstract

The energy and mobility sectors contribute significantly towards the global CO2 emissions. The proton-exchange membrane fuel cell finds application in both sectors and represents a possible green and sustainable technology for electricity generation. Current production rates do not satisfy the predicted demand for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells as the diffusion of this technology keeps increasing. Nor does the per-part cost guarantee a globally sufficiently broad application. The industry must overcome technological and economic obstacles to enable higher production rates at a lower cost per unit. This research gives an overview of current proton-exchange membrane fuel cell production and stacking technologies and provides an outlook on processes that need to be improved to enable faster and lower-cost production. Additionally, the impact of remanufacturing as an end of life option on the circular economy, production, and ecological impact of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells is examined. The knowledge generated by this research shall support increasing proton-exchange membrane fuel cell production rates to catch up with the predicted demand. Since current research on proton-exchange membrane fuel cell remanufacturing is rare, findings on this topic will support the industry in preparing for circular production processes in the future. Results of the present work include an overview of the current state of production for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, the areas that need improvement, and the role of a circular economy.