AFC Energy completes fuel cell study

Fuel cells developer AFC Energy (LON:AFC) announced today that its HAZOP study relating to its commercial-scale fuel cell system has been successfully completed.

The firm said improvements highlighted by the study have been incorporated into the ‘Beta’ system, which is currently being commissioned at AFC’s premises in the UK.

None of the improvements have involved any significant redesign work and the company said that it is on track with its plans to deploy a Beta system into the field for testing.

The firm’s low-cost alkaline fuel cell systems use hydrogen to produce clean electricity as well as heat and water. The fuel cells are targeted at large-scale industrial applications, with the objective of producing the lowest possible unit cost electricity.

AFC claims its cells have high efficiency levels: using readily-available hydrogen and air as the source of oxygen electrical efficiency is up to 60 percent, which compares to approximately 30 percent for conventional electricity-generating technologies.

The cells are also able to operate at temperatures of less than 100 degrees centigrade, enabling AFC to use low-cost polymer mouldings for many parts.

In early July, AFC reported interim results that showed post-tax losses for its first half were £1.8 million (H1 2010: £1.3 million). The firm explained that the increased operating loss was attributable to a planned increase in expenditure relating to the further strengthening of its technical team, expansion of its Dunsfold facilities and the construction of its first two Beta systems.