U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program

Budget

The Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program receives appropriations from Energy and Water Development. The program's major activities and budget are outlined below.

Hydrogen Technology - thousands of dollars
Hydrogen Production and Delivery R&D	Research and develop advanced technologies for producing and delivering hydrogen. Feedstocks include natural gas and renewables; technology areas include processes and techniques such as reforming, separating, purifying, compressing, and delivering hydrogen.  This activity is reduced to zero in the FY2009 budget request. FY2006: $8,391; FY2007: $33,702; FY2008: $39,636; FY2009 Request: $0
Hydrogen Storage R&D	Develop and demonstrate compressed hydrogen tanks for near-term storage of hydrogen, and advanced materials for long-term hydrogen storage systems. FY2006: $26,040; FY2007: $33,728; FY2008: $43,501; FY2009 Request: $59,200
Safety, Codes & Standards	Support the development of applicable codes and standards for hydrogen production and delivery processes, as well as hydrogen storage technologies for both transportation and stationary applications. Activities also include development of safety sensors and safety analysis. This activity is moved to the Vehicle Technologies Program in the FY2009 budget request. FY2006: $4,595; FY2007: $13,492; FY2008: $15,854; FY2009 Request (in Vehicle Technologies Program): $12,500
Education	Develop and distribute training and education materials about fuel cells and hydrogen production, delivery, storage, and safety processes. Activities support technology early adoption efforts. This activity is moved to the Vehicle Technologies Program in the FY2009 budget request. FY2006: $495; FY2007: $1,978; FY2008: $3,865; FY2009 Request (in Vehicle Technologies Program): $4,000
Systems Analysis	Systems analysis will assess cross-cutting and overall hydrogen system issues and support the development of production, delivery, storage, fuel cell and safety technologies. FY2006: $4,787; FY2007: $9,637; FY2008: $11,395; FY2009 Request: $7,713
Transportation Fuel Cell Systems	Conduct R&D and analysis activities that address key barriers, including cost and reliability, to fuel cell systems for transportation applications. Activities support the development of individual component technology critical to systems integration, as well as systems-level modeling activities that guide R&D activities, benchmark systems progress, and explore alternate systems configurations on a cost-effective basis. FY2006: $1,050; FY2007: $7,324; FY2008: $7,927; FY2009 Request: $6,600
Distributed Energy Fuel Cell Systems	Develop high-efficiency Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell power systems as an alternative power source to grid-based electricity for buildings and other stationary applications. Activities focus on overcoming the barriers to stationary fuel cell systems, including cost, durability, heat utilization, startup time, and managing power transients and load-following requirements. FY2006: $939; FY2007: $7,257; FY2008: $7,630; FY2009 Request: $10,000
Fuel Processor R&D	Develop onboard fuel processors as an alternative to the direct hydrogen approach for transportation and stationary applications. FY2006: $637; FY2007: $3,952; FY2008: $2,973; FY2009 Request: $0
Fuel Cell Stack Components R&D	In collaboration with partners, research and develop technologies to overcome the most critical technical hurdles for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack components for both stationary and transportation applications. Critical technical hurdles include cost, durability, efficiency and overall performance of components such as the polymer electrolyte membranes, oxygen reduction electrodes, advanced catalysts, bipolar plates, etc. FY2006: $30,710; FY2007: $37,100; FY2008: $43,600; FY2009 Request: $62,700
Technology Validation	Validate component R&D in a systems-context under real-world operating conditions to quantify the performance and reliability, document any problem areas, and provide valuable information to researchers to help refine and direct future R&D activities related to fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure. This activity is moved to the Vehicle Technologies Program in the FY2009 budget request. FY2006: $33,301; FY2007: $39,413; FY2008: $29,727; FY2009 Request (in Vehicle Technologies Program): $15,000
Manufacturing R&D	Research and develop manufacturing processes to reduce the cost and enhance the reliability of critical components and systems, with a focus on distributed production and delivery, on-board vehicle storage, and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. FY2006: $0; FY2007: $1,928; FY2008: $4,954; FY2009 Request: $0
Congressionally Directed Activities Total: FY2006: $42,520; FY2007: $0; FY2008: $0
Hydrogen Technology Total: FY2006: $153,451; FY2007: $189,511; FY2008: $211,962; FY2009 Request: $177,713

Learn about the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative budget and the four Department of Energy (DOE) offices that participate in the DOE Hydrogen Program.