Alkaline Fuel Cells Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Catalyst Type (Platinum, Nickel, Others), By End-User (Military, Space, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2023 To 2028

Alkaline fuel cells are a type of electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy from a fuel (typically hydrogen) and an oxidant (usually oxygen from the air) into electrical energy. They use a basic (alkaline) electrolyte solution, typically potassium hydroxide (KOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which allows for a more efficient conversion of chemical energy to electricity compared to other types of fuel cells. They are considered a clean source of energy as they don’t emit any kind of harmful gas during energy conversion. They are used in a variety of applications, including stationary power generation. The increasing demand for clean and renewable sources of energy, growing demand for backup power sources, advancements in technology, government incentives and policies to boost the military industries, etc. are some of the driving factors of the alkaline fuel cell market.

The growth of the defence industry and the rise in military operations are believed to be key drivers of the global alkaline fuel cell markets.

Alkaline fuel cells have several potential applications in the military. For example, they provide a lightweight and portable source of power for soldiers in the field. This is particularly useful in remote locations where traditional power sources are not available. Other than this they are used to power UAVs and submarines. Alkaline fuel cells can be used as backup power sources for critical military equipment, such as communications systems, radar systems, and weapons systems. Thus, the growing defence industry proves to be a positive factor in the growth of the alkaline fuel cell market. Based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the global GDP percentage allocated to military expenditure rose from 2.2% in 2019 to 2.4% in 2020. Additionally, the United States saw an increase in military spending from US$ 7,34,344.1 million in 2019 to US$ 8,00,672.2 million in 2020. India's military expenditure was reported at US$ 76,598.0 million, while China, Germany, and France recorded military expenditures of US$ 293351.8 million, US$ 56017.0 million, and US$ 56646.9 million respectively in 2021.

The increasing concern regarding CO2 emissions from conventional energy sources for energy generation is fuelling the demand for alkaline fuel cells, which are a clean and sustainable source of energy production.

There has been an increase in CO2 emissions globally due to the use of traditional sources of energy production such as oil, coal, natural gas, etc. As a result, reducing CO2 emissions has become a global priority to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The threat of increasing CO2 levels will drive the growth of the alkaline fuel cell market as these cells generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing only water and heat as by-products. They do not emit harmful pollutants or greenhouse gases, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuels. IEA data indicates that global energy-related CO2 emissions have increased from 31.5 Gt in 2020 to 33.0 Gt in 2021. Additionally, the data also showed that CO2 emissions from coal and gas have been recorded at 500 Mt and 218 Mt respectively in 2021. Out of the total CO2 emissions globally, 29% is produced from coal, 9% from gas and 2% from oil. This has pushed governments across the globe to invest in clean sources of energy generation such as alkaline fuel cells. For instance, in August 2022, the Indian government announced its goal of meeting approximately 50% of its energy needs from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030. As a result of the escalating levels of CO2 emissions and the corresponding surge in government initiatives aimed at mitigating them, significant growth is anticipated for the alkaline fuel cell market.

The Asia-Pacific region displays promising growth potential for the alkaline fuel cell market.

 Alkaline fuel cells find their applications in the military industry as a power source. The countries of this region have a growing military industry and hence prove to show a fair growth potential in the alkaline fuel cell market. For instance, according to the Indian Ministry of Defence, the defence industry of the country received a revenue of Rs. 5.94 lakh crore in 2023 representing an increase of around 13% as compared to 2022. Similarly, World Bank’s data shows that China’s military expenditure increased from US$ 257.97 billion in 2020 to US$ 293.35 billion in 2021. As per the same source, Japan’s military expenditure as a percentage of its GDP increased from 1% in 2020 to 1.1% in 2021. Additionally, alkaline fuel cells are also used in the space industry where they act as power sources for spacecraft launches, extravehicular activity support for long-duration missions, lunar and planetary missions, etc. The growing space industry of this region is an important reason behind the growth of the alkaline fuel cell market. For instance, in March 2021, Japan announced a record space budget of 449.6 billion yen ($4.14 billion). Similarly, in September 2022, The New Zealand government made a significant announcement at the inaugural Space Summit in ?tautahi, revealing a $15.7 million boost for its space program. Thus, such developments in the military and space sector are set to boost the market growth of alkaline fuel cells in the Asia Pacific region.

Market Key Developments

• In January 2023, the prototype of Jupiter 1.0, a micro-combined heat and power ("CHP") fuel cell, was launched by Fuel Cell Power NV ("FCP NV"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp. based in Belgium.
• In December 2019, AFC Energy introduced the H-Power electric vehicle (EV) charger which operates using alkaline hydrogen fuel cell technology. This charging system is self-contained and is capable of providing quick EV charging in any location, thus resolving the challenges related to limited grid coverage.

Alkaline Fuel Cells Market Scope:

Segmentation

• By Catalyst Type
  • Platinum
  • Nickel
  • Others
• By End User
  • Military
  • Space
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    •  Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • UK
    • France
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Suadi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • India
    • Australia
    • Others