fuel cell chp passes the point of no return

There is a reference here to "a minimum of 1000 fuel cell micro-CHP units will be sold to Synergy International"
which is outdated!

http://www.cospp.com/articles/print/volume-15/issue-2/features/fuel-cell-chp-passes-the-point-of-no-return.html

The use of fuel cell technology in combined heat and power applications is commonly viewed as being at an early stage of development. However, Arjen de Jong and Martin Horstink argue that significant advances in the last 12 months mean this is no longer the case.

Anyone who believes that fuel cells are stuck in the R&D phase needs a reality check. Last year brought several remarkable key moments in fuel cell development:

Fuel cells were outselling other micro-CHP technologies for the first time in history;
The first fuel cell manufacturers began to break even;
Startup of several new production sites; and
Prolonged public funding in Europe and Asia for hydrogen and fuel cells.

And the end of these positive developments is not in sight, with 2014 promising new commercial product releases, especially in the micro-CHP field. Thus, the general outlook for fuel cell CHP is excellent. In fact, many organisations have invested heavily and will have to pursue the way up in order to keep investors satisfied.
Recent boom

Japan, and to a lesser extent South Korea, is leading the world in fuel cell CHP. Japan has come a long way, with its long-term programme called ENE-farm to develop fuel cell CHP technology and persuade end users to buy it. More than 80,000 units are installed, with sales numbers exceeding yearly sales of other micro-CHP technologies. And funding for this programme will likely be prolonged for the next few years (see Figure 1).

But the drivers for fuel cell CHP in Europe are also extensive. Germany is the European leader in the uptake of fuel cell micro-CHP systems. Callux, an extensive field test programme started in 2008, has installed and tested over 500 systems. And fuel cell micro-CHP systems can profit from several subsidies and tax exemptions in Germany, making it an economical, attractive solution.

A joint initiative of the European Commission and industry has designated fuel cells as a key technology for the EU and has set up a large R&D programme to support this development, with an expected budget increase of €1.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) for 2014–2020. CHP is an important pillar in this programme. One of the key CHP projects today is Ene-Field, in which up to 1000 fuel cell micro-CHP systems will be deployed. The first installations are installed already and the project is steadily progressing.

In the US, Bloom Energy is becoming a big player in the stationary power production market with its fuel cells. The company has announced that it could turn a profit in 2014. Although its system is not yet designed and packaged as a CHP system, the volume of production and onward technological developments hold big promise for further cost reductions and efficiency improvements. Bloom Energy sees good markets in Europe and recognises the significant opportunities for a system with heat recovery, though the first CHP system from this manufacturer has yet to come.

FuelCell Energy, another important international player in the field of large-scale stationary fuel cell power, has started a joint venture with Fraunhofer IKTS called Fuel Cell Energy Solutions (FCES). FCES has been set up to serve the European market and has recently reported that the first product from its German production site is scheduled for mid-2014.
A bright future ahead

Besides scaling up in production, several new fundamental technological breakthroughs can bring further cost reductions. A spearhead of these breakthroughs is, among others, limiting the use of rare earth materials.

Further reading: