Adaptive Process Chains for Fuel Cell Production: A Questionnaire-based Study

Fuel Cell electric vehicles using hydrogen as the main energy source are a promising alternative to conventionally powered vehicles on the road to locally emission-free mobility. However, there are still obstacles preventing the adaptation of Fuel Cell technology for widespread use in the transport sector. One major constraint can be traced back to the product costs of Fuel Cell stack and balance of plant. This is due, among other things, to the manufactory character of the production technology of Fuel Cell stacks. However, current market ramp-up scenarios forecast a significant increase in demand by 2030. Compared with the current state of the art of Fuel Cell production technology and associated volumes, industrialization tasks are foreseeable for the upcoming years. As a result, Fuel Cell stack manufacturers and research institutions are making parallel efforts to scale up production volumes of a partially unknown process chain. From the discrepancy between the market situation and the manufacturing maturity level, the practical deficit for the design of more adaptive process chains is concluded. Therefore, a questionnaire-based study was conducted to determine the current maturity of production technology and the prevailing process chain planning procedures. Roughly one hundred study participations were evaluated and weighted with regard to participant allocation.The results as well as an analysis of these with regard to future production planning procedures are presented in this paper.