Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Type (Proton-Exchange, Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC)), Application (Transportation, Off- Grid- Power) and By Geography

Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Type (Proton-Exchange, Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC)), Application (Transportation, Off- Grid- Power) and By GeographyAccording to Stratistics MRC, the Global Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell Market is accounted for $61.56 million in 2022 and is expected to reach $331.64 million by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 32.4% during the forecast period. A protonic ceramic fuel cell or PCFC is a fuel cell based around a ceramic, solid, electrolyte material as the proton conductor from anode to cathode. These fuel cells produce electricity by removing an electron from a hydrogen atom, pushing the charged hydrogen atom through the ceramic membrane, and returning the electron to the hydrogen on the other side of the ceramic membrane during a reaction with oxygen.

The U.S. Department of Energy funded a USD 200,000 thousand protonic ceramic fuel cell project for FuelCell Energy. The project mainly focuses on developing protonic ceramic membranes with unprecedented electrochemical efficiency, majorly for electrochemical application. In April 2022, Doosan Fuel Cell, a U.S. fuel cell manufacturing company, teamed up with Ballard Power Systems, which is a Canadian manufacturer of PEMFC, to develop a PEMFC fuel cell system for hydrogen mobility

Market Dynamics:

Driver:

Elasticity of protonic ceramic fuel cell

It can create clean and effective energy to power numerous applications. Fuel cells use the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to produce electricity cleanly and efficiently, driving their acceptance as a clean energy source. It usually function in an in-between temperature range between 400–800⁰C, giving them the advantage of higher mobility and lower activation energy of protons. The operation at the intermediate level results in fuel flexibility. Further, their operation on uncomplicated hydrocarbons is often preferred as the access to their widespread use with hydrogen as fuel. Additionally, the PCs can also be used in different fuel sources, which act as one of the critical parameters for the improved performance of protonic ceramic based fuel cell.

Restraint:

High initial investment costs and availability of other fuel cell systems

Other fuel cell types are accessible such as proton membrane fuel cell, phosphoric acid fuel cell, direct methanol fuel cell, and others. These fuel cells are more commercially available and have extensive acceptance in numerous applications than protonic ceramic fuel cells, which is one of the main factors hampering the market growth. Furthermore, there is increasing demand for other electric vehicles, including battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. They have numerous advantages, such as higher efficiency, no polluting by-products, cost efficiency, and energy security, which are predictable to reduce fuel cell acceptance and hamper product demand.

Opportunity:

Rising research & development activities to improve product capability

Carbon emission is contributing to climate change, reflecting severe concerns for humans and the environment. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases leading to many problems such as ocean acidification, global warming, and other severe issues. This has resulted in numerous government entities and organizations across the globe to develop efficient energy technologies to diminish carbon footprints and curb other harmful emissions, further enhancing the market landscape. CoorsTek, one of the leading global engineered ceramics manufacturers, collaborated with international research associates. The company succeeded in applying the technology of ceramic membrane to develop a robust hydrogen generator, which produces hydrogen from electricity and fuels with almost no energy loss. The company's recent development has reflected on a higher efficiency of protonic membranes to produce hydrogen using fuels, such as ammonia, natural gas, and biogas, compared to other fuel types, further acting as one of the significant factors driving the growth for the market.

Threat:

Regulatory problems & raw materials cost

There are also limitations around regulatory problems regarding the structure that represents commercial deployment models. Without explicit regulatory frameworks to permit commercial projects to realize their cost and revenue basis, commercial projects can struggle to attain a financial investment decision (FID). Precious metals such as iridium and platinum are typically needed as catalysts in fuel cells and some water electrolyzer types, suggesting that the initial cost of fuel cells (and electrolyzers) can be expensive. This high cost has prevented some from investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology. Such costs require to be reduced to make hydrogen fuel cells a viable fuel source for all.

Impact of Covid- 19

Due to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak and unprecedented turbulence in the energy market owing to a significant drop in mobility, shutting down industries, reduced road transportation, and other disruptions. Besides, travel restrictions and lockdown rules also resulted in skilled labor's unavailability. However, despite the unprecedented crisis, long-term climate and environmental challenges remain primary threats to our planet and humanity, resulting in continued development of various hydrogen production technologies.

The Transportation segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period

The Transportation segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period, the demand for PCFCs in the transportation sector is likely to be stimulated as an different transportation system that overcomes the challenges of inefficiencies in fuel transport and storage. Moreover, with an upsurge in advancement/development of the protonic ceramic based fuel cell from renewable resources to increase fuel diversity in the transportation sector cost-effectively and efficiently.

The Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to increasing demand for PEMFC in portable, stationary, and automotive applications. PEMFC provides less maintenance time, improved reliability, and high operational efficiency. It operates at a low temperature and pure hydrogen. This fuel cell is really useful for material handling and lightweight vehicles. The technology for a consistent supply of high-purity hydrogen, as well as the associated infrastructure, is critical for the success of PEMFC in a variety of application fields.

Region with highest share:

Europe is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period, owing to clean power generation technologies, robust investments in low carbon distributed generation and greenhouse gas reduction targets by the countries operating across the province. European Commission, a unique economic and political union between 27 European countries, has been working on projects for developing protonic ceramic based fuel cells for better performance characteristics that is projected to improve the market landscape across the province.

Region with highest CAGR:

Asia Pacific is projected to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period owing to favourable government regulations in nations like China, Japan, and South Korea, the Asia-Pacific area is one of the most potential regional markets. The PEMFC is the most extensively used fuel cell technology in the province among the existing fuel cell technologies. China's fuel cell business has a lot of promise, as the government is increasingly focusing on methods to use sustainable energy technologies to transition to a low-carbon economy. Additionally, the hydrogen fuel cell industry in the country has been gaining steam as a result of favourable national and provincial government subsidies as well as local government incentive programs to encourage the use of hydrogen vehicles to reduce pollution. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) projects are likely to add to the PCFC market size across the province.

Key players in the market

Some of the key players profiled in the Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell Market include Ballard, Toshiba, PLUG Power, FuelCell Energy, Bosch, Doosan Fuel Cell, Horizon, Intelligent Energy, Hyster-Yale Group, Nedstack, Pearl Hydrogen, Sunrise Power.

Key Developments:

In May 2021: Solid Power successfully tested the Solid Power large stack module for high-efficiency hydrogen generation. The system is integrated with four new generation stacks for 25 kWel in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) model or 75 kWDC in Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) mode.

In May 2022: Bosch will invest USD 591 million to develop elements for hydrogen electrolysis to speed-up the adoption of inexperienced hydrogen to be used in transport and different sectors. The company is likely to start the production by 2025.

Types Covered:
• Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC)
• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs)
• Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC)
• Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC)
• Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC)
• Alkaline Fuel Cell (AFC)

Applications Covered:
• Transportation
• Off- Grid- Power
• Stationary
• Portable

Regions Covered:
• North America
US
Canada
Mexico
• Europe
Germany
UK
Italy
France
Spain
Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
Japan
China
India
Australia
New Zealand
South Korea
Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Qatar
South Africa
Rest of Middle East & Africa

What our report offers:
- Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments
- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
- Covers Market data for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025 and 2028
- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

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