Marcus Newborough is ITM`s Business Development person
Extract from Marcus Newboroughs Report to the Carbon Trust in Feb 2005 page 89
(when he was an independent consultant)
Para 1
"A recent study has indicated unit costs of 283 $/kW for the first-generation non-optimised experimental PEME electrolyser stack, if manufactured in a production run of 100,000 [71]. Here it is estimated that unit costs in the region of 50 $/kW will be achievable for a mass produced ITM electrolyser based on a CIStack. This is an order of magnitude cheaper than conventionally produced PEM electrolysers and much less than the DOE goal of 300 $/kW by 2010."
Para 2
"A further very interesting potential development for polymer electrolysers (or fuel cells) is that of alkali-based ionomers or alkaline solid polymer electrolytes (ASPE). ITM has produced a family of alkali-based ionomer materials that would permit the development of an electrolyser operating onthe alkali electrochemistry. These would employ catalysts of much lower cost than Platinum (e.g.Rainey Nickel on Titanium or electroplated Nickel-Tin for Hydrogen evolution, and Cobalt/Lanthanum for Oxygen evolution). If successful, such a development is likely to be of major assistance in reducing the unit costs of polymer-based electrolysers. This warrants further investigation."
In Para 1 Marcus is saying that ITM should be able to get the cost of their electrolyser down to around $50/Kw ( because of the low cost membrane, one step production process, and economies of scale in a production run of 10,0000 pa)
In Para 2 Marcus is referring to the possibility of reducing the electrolyser cost even further by eliminating platinum from the two electrodes
Inferring a cost way below $50/Kw
On the same page he says that ITM had an internal target of achieving a fuel cell cost of $30/Kw to $80/Kw which again includes two platinum electrodes
So although we are all naturally concerned about whether ITM intend their 10Kw HRU to have no platinum since they have already trialled a 5Kw non platinum device , we really need to put this in perspective
Since Feb 2005 ITM have claimed cost reductions in the very areas mentioned in his report
Suggesting that even with one platinum electrode the HEU is already down to a very competitive cost
And if and when these cost reductions are replicated in a 100Kw fuel cell,
ITM will have a product which costs less than a petrol engine
