Market for fuel cell APUs forecast to reach USD 66m in 2020

Nov 29, 2011 - The global market for fuels cells used as auxiliary power units (APUs) will reach USD 66 million (EUR 49m) a year in 2020, according to Pike Research.

The cleantech market research firm estimates that between 2009 and 2020 over USD 400 million will be invested in fuel cell APUs.

Shipments are forecast to increase from slightly more than 3,100 units in 2010 to a bit above 5,000 units by 2020. Last year fuel cell APUs accounted for a fifth of all shipments of fuel cell systems.

APU refers to a production unit that mainly provides energy for the vehicle's hoteling loads, or non-propulsion energy needs, for example, heating and lighting.

Pike Research says that marine, trucking, aviation and recreational vehicles are the principal market segments for fuel cell APUs. It adds that all four sectors have the potential to make use of fuel cells at first for hoteling loads and possibly in the future to aid the main propulsion unit.

Kerry-Ann Adamson, research director, said the market's slow but steady expansion reflected the fact that in contrast to other applications of the fuel cell technology, for the marine and aviation sectors, in particular, many significant technological and regulatory obstacles needed to be dealt with.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.748)

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