At Japan’s CEATEC exhibition, Horizon Fuel Cell and Millennium Cell have teamed up to develop and show off the first 50 Watt fuel cell emergency power supply that is estimated to sell for under $400 to the consumer market. Horizon is supplying the fuel cell and licensing Millennium’s Hydrogen on Demand technology.
The two companies announced their collaboration on July 30, 2007 and in just a few weeks, were able to combine technologies in developing the working 50 W fuel cell prototype. The new fuel cell is expected to be used by emergency first responders, disaster relief professionals and consumers during blackouts. The fuel cell is also being marketed for the recreational market, providing power in remote areas.
Millennium’s hydrogen battery technology uses sodium borohydride (NaBH4), to supply the needed hydrogen to Horizon’s fuel cell. Millennium Cell is a leader in supplying hydrogen battery technology to the military for use in portable electronic devices. Horizon Fuel Cell, on the other hand, builds small, lightweight and compact PEM fuel cells for use in consumer electronics, educational products and tech toys such as the H-Racer toy hydrogen car.
A natural pairing of technologies such as this should not be underplayed. The portable hydrogen generator market is an untapped marketplace with huge potential for growth. One can expect that may savvy investors will jump aboard this development.