• silicon.com
• Management
• CIO Insights

By Sally Watson, 12 June 2001 11:40

NEWS As petrol prices continue to rise, the popularity of fuel companies has hit an all-time low. But behind the battle over oil prices, the world's largest energy producers are keeping their researchers busy developing the next generation of fuel technology. As the UK celebrates Green Transport Week this week, there's a clear leader in the renewable fuel race - hydrogen. Fuel cell technology uses the combination of hydrogen and oxygen across a membrane to produce water and generate electricity. The method has been used for years in niche markets and was used to provide electricity to the Apollo space missions in the US, but now oil giant Shell believes it's on the verge of a mass-market breakthrough. According to Tim Ford, vice president of fuels at Shell International Oil Products, the only remaining major issue is cost. "There are demonstration vehicles up and running and people can already see the technology at work. The issues now are miniaturising it, making it cost effective and then having hydrogen facilities to supply fuel to the vehicle. "If those can be done cost effectively, I think there's a winning technology here," Ford claimed. Replacing carbon-based fuels with hydrogen has obvious environmental benefits - with car emissions ultimately being reduced to just water. But so far the technology needed to store and convert the gas has lagged behind. Shell estimates that car manufacturers and energy firms are spending over $1bn a year developing green technologies. London's Westminster Council is already using hydrogen technology to power two park vans as part of its drive to clean up the capital's air. Another leader in the renewable energy race, Iceland, uses its hot springs to generate hydrogen to power its buses. But most manufacturer's showcase vehicles remain just that, and Ford admits that mass produced fuel cell vehicles won't be seen on the streets for sometime yet. "It will be introduced at different rates in different countries because it will probably be incentivised differently," Ford admitted. "In the sense of being able to go down to your local garage and buy a fuel cell vehicle, you're probably looking towards the end of this decade or early next decade."