There is currently strong competition between major corporations looking to develop viable fuel cell technology and governments worldwide are also getting involved by providing funds for research as well as supporting wide scale demonstration programmes and committing to support market introduction.

The US Government, for example, owns and operates some 30 fuel cell co-generation units while currently five cabinet level Departments allocate at least $100 million per year to fuel cell research, with particular emphasis on improving even further platinum's efficiency as a catalyst.

Elsewhere DaimlerChrysler recently invested CAN$450 million into Ballard Power Systems for the development of fuel cell vehicles while Ballard itself has fuel cell buses already running in Canada.

Furthermore, the development of cheaper, non-polluting sources of providing hydrogen for a fuel cell, such as solar and wind turbine generation systems, is well under way and suggests that zero-emission power is a realistic possibility in the near future.

Fuel cells powered from natural gas-based hydrogen for example reduce 40% of greenhouse gases from the average gas internal combustion engine. However, when fuel cells are powered by hydrogen that is sourced from renewable energies we begin to see perfect ratings for the elimination of these gases!