Abstract
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) technology spawned in the Netherlands in the 1950s, but vigorous R&D only began in the mid-1960s in the United States followed by Japan in the 1980s. The US Department of Energy (DOE) funded R&D, enabling FuelCell Energy (FCE) to become the global MCFC leader. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI, formerly MITI) supported Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO), IHI, and Hitachi. FCE embarked on MCFC commercialization in 2003 and IHI in 2005. MCFC installations in Japan ceased in 2007, likely ending IHI’s MCFC efforts. The European Union (EU) revitalized MCFC R&D in the late 1980s. Ansaldo continues MCFC development but with little visible progress. CFC Solutions (formerly MBB) developed the HotModule based on FCE’s Direct FuelCell (DFC), but ended sales in December 2010. Since 2007, South Korea has aggressively supported POSCO to acquire FCE technology to develop domestic and export industries. Meanwhile, FCE encountered technical barriers in 2009 and its domestic sales declined.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
