Hitachi to Commercialise Methanol Fuel Cells

Hitachi is planning to commercialise a methanol-powered fuel cell for use in electronic devices in 2007, according to Japanese news reports. Small in size, Hitachi intends the fuel cells for use as battery chargers for notebook computers or mobile phones or external power supplies. The fuel cells can be used to recharge mobile phones with just one infusion of methanol, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, while it can also be connected to a laptop computer via its USB port. Hitachi's plans to take the fuel cells to market have seen the electronics giant establish facilities to produce between 2,000 and 3,000 methanol fuel cells a month, the Keizai Shimbun reported. Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC)'s have been promoted for several years as a viable alternative to the lithium ion batteries traditionally used in notebook computers as, in contrast to batteries, they can be instantly recharged with a fuel cartridge recharger.