Hydrogen fuel cell systems are gaining ground as the cost becomes more competitive. According to Chris Griffith, CEO of Anglo American Platinum, hydrogen fuel cells are considered highly efficient in sectors where bigger vehicles are deployed over longer distances. Speaking at the recent Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Griffiths said heavy-duty vehicles were at present the biggest users of the technology. “In the heavy duty environment hydrogen fuel cells make sense. So for shipping and heavy haul trucks there is no denying the impact hydrogen can have, while over smaller distances and for smaller cars a battery-powered vehicle is a better option.”He said there was a place both for vehicles powered by hydrogen and electric vehicles fuelled by batteries.His comments came as Toyota announced it had developed the first fuel cell system for maritime applications.Previously Toyota's fuel cell system, first introduced in the Toyota Marai, the world's first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, proved its value as a propulsion system for automobiles. However, the company has more recently been exploring the use of its fuel cell system in other applications such as buses and trucks, and now ships.According to a spokesman for Toyota, the maritime-specific fuel cell system was developed by Toyota Technical Center Europe in seven months. It required a re-design of the system, followed by the build and installation of the compact fuel cell module. This was accomplished using components first introduced in the Toyota Mirai, which were fitted into a more compact module suitable for marine applications. “The project successfully demonstrates the adaptability of the Toyota fuel cell technology to a variety of applications, including those outside of land-based vehicles.”
