Analysis of Utility Hydrogen Systems & Hydrogen Airport Ground Support Equipment

Directed Technologies, Inc. has completed three analysis projects for the hydrogen program office during the past year: a detailed mass production cost estimate for stationary proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems, an assessment of the costs of producing electricity from stationary fuel cells for buildings with hydrogen and heat cogeneration, and a preliminary assessment of the use of hydrogen for airport ground support equipment. We conclude that the economic case for producing both hydrogen and electricity from stationary fuel cell systems is stronger than the economic case for selling only electricity to the building owner. This Cogeneration of hydrogen and electricity is particularly attractive for stationary fuel cell systems with greater than 50 kW of electrical capacity. The economics of small residential fuel cell systems in the 3 to 5 kW range are not promising, however, based on our current cost assessments. Three types of airport ground support equipment were analyzed in terms of converting to hydrogen fuel cell operation: a 22-foot shuttle bus, a baggage belt loader, and a baggage tractor. We compared the likely performance and cost of hydrogen-powered ground support equipment with that of battery-powered vehicles. We conclude that hydrogen-powered vehicles could be less costly to purchase and operate with large volume production, but costs would be excessive initially. However, the number of airport ground support vehicles in the United States is too low to provide the necessary volume of sales to bring costs down. Therefore airport ground support equipment will only become cost competitive if hydrogen generation equipment and fuel cell systems are mass produced for other markets first.