Unbenanntes Dokument Arno A. Evers FAIR-PR home
Arno's EnergyIdeas
http://www.aaevers.com/ https://www.sunnyhousessamalisland.com/ https://www.fair-pr.com/
english CV Arno A. Evers
english Lebenslauf Arno A. Evers
2nd Edition of International Conference on Green Chemistry and Renewable Energy
Sunny Houses @ Samal Island
VIPs from politics, science and business 1995 - 2006
Development 1995-2006
H2Back Online Consultations
deutsch My thoughts about hydrogen
filling stations
Philippines A visit at the BATAAN Nuclear Power Plant in The Philippines,
February 2019  
english NEW! Hans-Olof Nilsson's Off-The-Grid Hydrogen House near Goteborg, Sweden  
english Visit to NOORo I to III
in Ouarzazate, Morocco as part of the SolarPACES 2018 conference  
english The Hydrogen Energy Summit 2018
Chiang Mai, Thailand (via Skype)
english Arno's Interview
 @ Hannover Messe 2017
deutsch 1. Klimaschutzkongress
auf der Insel Sylt
Arno's and Juan's Interview
@ Hannover Messe 2014
Arnos und Juans Interview
@ Hannover Messe 2014
Interview with Arno: This book is the crowning of my life's work
Interview mit Arno: Dieses Buch ist der krönende Abschluss meines Lebenswerks
About "Our" Energy- Infrastructure on the way to Energiewende
Arnos Vortrag:
Sind wir noch zu retten?
kulturstudio: Klartext No 50 - Arno A. Evers - Energiewende auf der Erde
Arno's EnergieGedanken
jetzt auch auf YouTube!
Fernseh-Sendung zum Thema Wasserstoff und Brennstoffzellen
Open Letter to Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany, the founder and to all members of the German Ethics Commission "Secure Energy Supply"
Offener Brief an Angela Merkel, Bundeskanzlerin, die Gründerin und alle Mitglieder der Ethikkommisson "Sichere Energieversorgung"
Carta abierta al Angela Merkel, Canciller Federal de Alemania, fundador y miembros del Comité de Ética Alemán convocado por la Canciller de Alemania para “Asegurar el abastecimiento de energía”
Invitation to WORKerence
Visits at MagneGas™
Arno was invited speaker at WREC World Renewable Energy Congress XI
in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,
September 25-30, 2010
Arno's Activities on LinkedIn
Arno's Blog
Arno received the Hydrogen Award
for his Lifetime Contribution to Hydrogen Energy...
It`s all about Energy:
Energy Images
Objective and unbiased
Information Graphics
1. Energy Balances
1.1 World Energy Balance
1.2 Energy Balance in Germany
2. Production of hydrogen
2.1 Hydrogen from direct solar
2.2 Hydrogen from renewable energies
2.3 MagneGas™ from renewable energies
2.4 Hydrogen from fossil fuels
2.5 Hydrogen from nuclear energy
3. Production of electricity
3.1 Electricity from hydrogen
3.2 Electricity from renewable energies
3.3 Electricity from fossil fuels
3.4 Electricity from nuclear energy
4. Hydrogen and Fuel Cells on their way to commercialisation
4.1 A proposal to future energy supplies
Your Personal Power Provider (3P+)
4.2 Virtual Power Plant
5. Four steps to a new Energy Supply
5.1 Revolution in the garage
5.2 The cars are the keys
6. Energizing the world
6.1 Energy Efficiency
6.2 Global Energy Consumption
6.3 Digital Technologies and Consumer Electronics
6.4 Exampl. from Aircraft/Mining Industries
7 The 15 biggest global players
About Arno A. Evers FAIR-PR
Arno A. Evers FAIR-PR Team
Our Philosophy
Our Projects 1990-2019
Contact
HANNOVER FAIR 1995 - 2019
HANNOVER FAIR 2019
HANNOVER FAIR 2018
HANNOVER FAIR 2017
Arno's Forum Interview 2017
HANNOVER FAIR 2016
HANNOVER FAIR 2015
HANNOVER FAIR 2014
HANNOVER FAIR 2013
HANNOVER FAIR 2012
HANNOVER FAIR 2011
HANNOVER FAIR 2010
Arno's Forum Interview 2010
HANNOVER FAIR 2009
Arno's Video during HF 2009
Arno's Forum Interview 2009
HANNOVER FAIR 2008
Arno's Forum Interview 2008
HANNOVER FAIR 2007
Arno's Forum Interview 2007
HANNOVER FAIR 2006
Daily Networking evenings
HANNOVER FAIR 2005
Daily Networking evenings
International Commercial Visitors 2005
HANNOVER FAIR 2004
International Commercial Visitors 2004
HANNOVER FAIR 2003
International Commercial Visitors 2003
HANNOVER FAIR 2002
HANNOVER FAIR 2001
HANNOVER FAIR 2000
HANNOVER FAIR 1999
HANNOVER FAIR 1998
HANNOVER FAIR 1997
HANNOVER FAIR 1996
HANNOVER FAIR 1995
VIP Guest 1995 - 2006
Our 84 videos 2002 - 2009
Development 1995 - 2010
Conferences and website Documentation -Summary-  
2006 - 2009
Konferenzen und Webseiten Dokumentation -Zusammenfassung-       
 
2006 - 2009
Background Information
Articles by Arno A. Evers
H2/FC Links
Visits and Workshops
Hans-Olof Nilsson's Off-The-Grid Hydrogen House near Goteborg, Sweden
Visit at the Italian demonstration plant of MagneGas™ on February 7th and 8th, 2011
Hydrogen Plant of Emirates Industrial Gases Co. Ltd ( EIGC) at Dubai, UAE
Huerta Solar en Tabernas, Spain, October 2009
Andasol, Spain, October 2009
Antares DLR H2, Stuttgart, Germany, September 2009
German Aerospace Center (DLR) Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt eV, Stuttgart, Germany, Institute of Technical Thermodynamics (ITT) Institute of Vehicle Concepts Stuttgart, Germany, June 2009
Brennstoffzellen-Boote für den Freizeitbereich, Hochschule Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany June 2009
AFCC Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, Burnaby, BC, Canada June 2009
Powertech Labs Inc., a: "... wholly owned subsidiary of BC Hydro (a Crown corporation of the Government of British Columbia), Surrey, BC, Canada June 2009
Plataforma Solar de Almería, Spain
Observations
How Airbus conquered the
US market in the 70s
The Arecibo Observatory
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Hat Creek Radio Observatory,
Hat Creek, CA, USA
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank, WV, USA
Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kitty Hawk, NC, USA
Fuel Cell Bus Trial, Perth, Australia
California Hydrogen Highway, USA
SPACEFEST 2009, San Diego, USA
Impressions from worldwide Conferences, which we attended to promote the commercialisation of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells:
2022
#117 2nd Edition of Internationalflag
Conference on Green Chemistry and Renewable Energy
2020
#116 2020 6th International flag
Conference on Environment and Renewable Energy (ICERE 2020), 24-26 February 2020, Hanoi, Vietnam
2019
#115 4th Annual ASEAN Solar + flag
Energy Storage Congress & Expo 2019 14- 15 Nov, 2019 The Bellevue Manila, Philippines
#114 SFERA-III 1st Summer School &flag
Doctoral Colloquium at CNRS-PROMES in Odeillo, France
September 9th-13th, 2019
#113 Starmus V, June 24 – 29, 2019flag
Zurich, Switzerland a global festival of science communication and art
2018
#112 Visit to NOORo I to III in flag
Ouarzazate, Morocco as part of the SolarPACES 2018 conference, October 6, 2018
#111 The Hydrogen Energy Summit flag
2018 Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Arno's presentation: Off the Grid – Unveiling new ways for our Energy supply January 26, 2018
2015
#110 1. Klimaschutzkongress auf der
Insel Sylt
25. September 2015 Vortrag von Arno A. Evers: Eine „Insel- Lösung“ für Sylt? Neue Wege zur Energieversorgung der Insel Sylt
2014
#109 6. Hamburger Klimawoche
29. August 2014 Vortrag von Arno A. Evers: Physikalische und Gesellschaftliche Rahmenbedingungen der Energiewende
010
2012
#108
MesseKongress RegioEnergie+++ flagDreieich 2012
9. September 2012
Vortrag von Arno A. Evers: Sind wir noch zu retten?
2010
#107 WREC World Renewable Energy Congress XI
September 25-30, 2010

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Oct 2010
#106 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference WHEC 2010,
May 16 - 21

Essen, Germany

Jun 2010
2009
#105 "Bright Horizons 6" - A Journey
to the Edge of the Cosmos

Eastern Caribbean

Dec 2009
#104 2009 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition
Palm Springs, CA, USA

Nov 2009
#103 Fuel Cell Technologies:
FUCETECH 2009
Mumbai (Bombay), India
Nov 2009
#102 f-cell
Stuttgart, Germany
Sep 2009
#101 SolarPACES 2009
Berlin, Germany
Sep 2009
#100 5th Annual Hydrogen Implementation Conference
Charleston, WV, USA

Aug 2009
#99 Intersolar North America
San Francisco, CA, USA

Jul 2009
#98 European FUEL CELL FORUM 2009
Lucerne, Switzerland

Jun 2009
#97 HFC2009
Vancouver, Canada

Jun 2009
#96 telescon 2009
Vienna, Austria

May 2009
#95 Hydrogen Works
San Diego, CA, USA

Feb 2009
#94 ICEPAG 2009
Newport Beach, CA, USA

Feb 2009
2008
#93 HTE-HI.TECH.EXPO 2008
Milan, Italy

Nov 2008
#92 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition
Phoenix, AZ, USA

Oct 2008
#91 H2Expo
Hamburg, Germany

Oct 2008
#90 f-cell
Stuttgart, Germany

Sep 2008
#89 INTELEC 2008
San Diego, CA, USA

Sep 2008
#88 2008 Formula Zero Championship
Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Aug 2008
#87 HyForum 2008
Changsha, P.R. China

Aug 2008
#86 WREC X 2008
Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Jul 2008
#85 KMCM 2008
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Jul 2008
#84 Lucerne FUEL CELL FORUM 2008 Switzerland
Lucerne, Switzerland
Jun 2008
#83 17th World Hydrogen
Energy Conference (WHEC) Australia
Brisbane, Australia
Jun 2008

The role of the young generation ...
#82 Renewable Energy Asia
Bangkok, Thailand Thailand
Jun 2008
#81 Selected Hydrogen Fueling Stations in California, USA USA
Apr 2008
#80 NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference 2008USA
Sacramento, CA, USA
Mar / Apr 2008
#79 FC EXPO 2008 Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Feb 2008
#78 Der 4. Deutsche Wasserstoff Germany
Congress 2008
Essen, Germany
Feb 2008
#77 ISEPD 2008 Korea
Changwon, Korea
Jan 2008
2007
#76 20TH World Energy Congress & Exhibition Italia
Rome, Italy
Nov 2007
#75 World Hydrogen Technologies Convention (WHTC) Italia
Montecatini Terme, Italy
Nov 2007
#74 2007 Fuel Cell Seminar & ExpositionUSA
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Oct 2007
#73 KOREA ENERGY SHOW 2007 Korea
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Oct 2007
#72 Tenth Grove Fuel Cell Symposium GB
London, UK
Sep 2007
#71 Solar Tech India 2007 India
New Delhi, India
Sep 2007
#70 SES-Fachtagung
MYTHOS STROMLÜCKE Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
Aug 2007
#69 HFCE 2007 China
Shanghai, P.R. China
Jul 2007
#68 IHEC 2007 Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Jul 2007
#67 KMCM 2007 Germany
Düsseldorf, Germany
Jul 2007
#66 Kick Off Meeting zur Leitinnovation Mikrobrennstoffzelle Germany
Munich, Germany
Jun 2007
#65 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2007: International Conference &
Trade Show
Vancouver, BC, Canada

April / May 2007
#64 GENERA - Energy and Environment International Fair
Madrid, Spain
Feb / Mar 2007
#63 World Renewable Energy Congress [WREN]
Fremantle, Australia
Feb 2007
#62 Environment 2007
Exhibition & Conference UAE
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Jan 2007
2006
#61 2nd Annual Fuel Cells Durability & Performance 2006 USA
Miami Beach, FL USA
Dec 2006
#60 EDTA Conference & Exposition USA
Washington, DC, USA
Nov 2006
#59 The Fuel Cell Seminar USA
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Nov 2006
#58 Fraunhofer Symposium
Mikroenergietechnik
POWER TO GOGermany
Berlin, Germany
Oct 2006
#57 Renewables to Hydrogen Forum USA
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Oct 2006
#56 Alternative Transport Energies Conference Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Sep 2006
#55 Power-Gen Asia China
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Sep 2006
#54 World Renewable Energy
Congress IX and Exhibition Italy
Florence, Italy
Aug 2006
#53 R&D in the field of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in Germany and Europe Germany
Clausthal, Germany
Jul 2006
#52 Lucerne Fuel Cell Forum 2006 Switzerland
Lucerne, Switzerland
Jul 2006
#51 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC) France
Lyon, France
Jun 2006
#50 NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference
Long Beach, CA, USA
Mar 2006
#49 FC EXPO 2006
Tokyo, Japan
Jan 2006
#48 Wasserstoff und Brennstoffzellen im Automobil
Essen, Germany
Germany
Apr 2006
2005
#47 Fuel Cell Seminar
Palm Springs, USA

Nov 2005
#46 Internationale ASUE-Fachtagung
Essen, Germany

Nov 2005
#45 EHEC 2005
Zaragoza, Spain

Nov 2005
#44 Fuel Cell Summit:
A Road Map to Commercialization
Uncasville, CT, USA

Oct 2005
#43 2005 Grove Fuel Cell Symposium
London, UK

Oct. 2005
#42 WHTC 2005 World Hydrogen Technologies Convention (WHTC) Singapore, Singapore
Oct. 2005
#41 f-cell 2005, Stuttgart, Germany
Sep. 2005
#40 The 27th International Telecommunications Energy Conference - intelec '05
Berlin, Germany

Sep. 2005
#39 IHK Nord Wasserstoff – Tagung
Lübeck, Germany

Sep. 2005
#38 ICHS - International Conference on Hydrogen Safety , Pisa, Italy
Sep. 2005
#37 IHEC-2005
International Hydrogen
Energy Congress & Exhibition

Jul. 2005
#36 93. Bunsen Kolloquium
Jun. 2005
#35 European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform (HFP)
Brussels, Belgium

Mar. 2005
#34 Cairo 9th International Conference on Energy & Environment
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Mar. 2005
#33 1st International Fuel Cell Expo
Tokyo, Japan

Jan. 2005
 
2004
#32 H2PS: The 2004 Hydrogen Production and Storage Forum,
Washington, DC, USA

Dec. 2004
 
#31 Impressions from Shanghai
Nov. 2004
 
#30 Renewable Energies China incl. Hydrogen + Fuel Cells
Shanghai, PR China

Nov. 2004
#29 Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2004
Oct. 2004
#28 Energy Asia 2004
Oct. 2004
#27 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2004
Conference and Trade Show
Toronto, ON, Canada

Sep. 2004
#26 Meetings in Singapore,
Sep. 2004
#25 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Futures Conference, Perth, Australia
Sep. 2004
#24 Exhibiting at World Renewable Energy Congress VIII
Denver, CO, USA

Sep. 2004
#23 Arno presenting at ACS National Meeting Philadelphia, PA, USA
Aug. 2004
#22 Promotion of FP6, for European Union, Delegation of the European Commission, Shanghai
Jul. 2004
#21 IHK Energy-Podium 2004
Jul. 2004
#20 15th World Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC15)
Yokohama, Japan

Jun. 2004
#19 Impressions from the
Energy Forum 2004
Varna, Bulgaria

Jun. 2004
#18 Impressions from HYFORUM
May 2004
#17 Impressions from Dubai
United Arab Emirates

May 2004
#16 Impressions from Argentina
May 2004
#15 Promoting Hydrogen Production from Patagonia, Argentina
May 2004
#14 Impressions Zhuozheng Garden
in Su Zhou

Mar. 2004
2003
#13 H2PS: The 2003 Hydrogen Production and Storage Forum
Washington, D.C., USA

Dec. 2003
#12 Impressions from
Washington, D.C., USA

Dec. 2003
#11 Shanghai International Industry Fair (SIF), Shanghai, P.R. China
Nov. 2003
#10 Energy Asia 2003
PTC Asia 2003
CeMAT Asia 2003
Factory Automation Asia 2003
Shanghai, P.R. China

Nov. 2003
#9 2003 WATER KOREA
Nov. 2003
#8 NESC 2003 - 6th Int'l Conference on New Energy Systems & Conversions
Nov. 2003
#7 Impressions from Busan
South-Korea

Nov. 2003
#6 2003 Fuel Cell Seminar
Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Nov. 2003
#5 Impressions from Shanghai, Beijing, P.R. China
Nov 2003 - Jul. 2004
#4 f-cell forum, Stuttgart, Germany
Sep. 2003
#3 Hypothesis V, Porto Conte, Italy
Sep. 2003
#2 1st European Hydrogen Energy Conference, Grenoble, France
Sep. 2003
#1 Cooperation for Energy Independence of Democracies in the 21st Century
Jerusalem, Israel

Aug. 2003
Shanghai International
Industry Fair (SIF) 2004

International Meeting Point with Conference, Renewable Energies China, incl. Hydrogen + Fuel Cells, Shanghai, China  
In memoriam: Daniela Peschka
In memoriam: Ludwig Boelkow
Corporate Information
home
 
 

A Movers & Shakers Interview with Mr. Arno A. Evers
Fuel Cell Visionary and Head of FAIR-PR

Date Published: 29 Jul 2004

 

Fuel cells are being considered by most industry players as the future of power generation and the substitute to conventional engines because of their minimal air emissions and high efficiencies. However, while fuel cells have yet to be commercialised it is still expected that mass markets will develop before the end of this decade.
Arno A. Evers Fair PR has been organising fairs like HANNOVER FAIR since 1995. Arno’s main topic since 1995 has been the Group Exhibit – Hydrogen + Fuel Cells at the annual HANNOVER FAIR. This Group Exhibit has grown to become the largest commercial trade show serving the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. Mr. Evers was previously employed by the former Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm GmbH (MBB, now part of DaimlerChrysler AG) in Hamburg and Munich. Frost & Sullivan interviewed Mr. Evers to get his views on the development of commercial fuel cell markets and the path that should to be followed for fuel cell commercialisation.
 

Rajat Kumar: I would like to start with the main question that is occupying everybody’s mind today - when could we have commercial markets for fuel cells?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The answer is very easy, and the answer is that it can come very soon, sooner that what most people think.

Rajat Kumar: We have been researching these markets for more than 4-5 years now, we asked industry participants in 2001-2002 and they mentioned a commercialisation timeline of around 2005 and now when we talk to them they say that the commercial markets for fuel cells are expected around 2008-2009. This seems to have been continuing for some time.

Mr. Arno A. Evers (laughs): And to add to that, money is running out.

Rajat Kumar: The money indeed seems to be running out, it’s the automotive companies that are supporting the fuel cell development.

Mr. Arno A. Evers: They are also running out of money.

Rajat Kumar: So when can we expect the commercial markets to develop?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The markets can, I will not say will, but the markets can come very soon and the markets would be consumer driven. Currently the fuel cell manufacturers whole attitude is to make it technology-driven. That’s a wrong attitude. If you think only about technology, you would get nowhere. If the manufacturers would think of the demand of the people, what they really need, then they can come to a solution.

Rajat Kumar: The industry seems to be in a price-volume vicious circle. The volumes, the manufacturers cannot come until the products are competitively priced and the products cannot be competitively priced until their mass production starts. What is the way out of this vicious circle?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The way out is to think in terms of a completely new idea, a much wider perspective and a much bigger vision. You must think about what people really want. It could be something in the way of a luxury good and it could be something that in the beginning could only be afforded by a few rich people. But they are prepared; there are so many rich people – in India, China, Russia and the world. If you make something that they would want to have desperately then they would be willing to pay any money to get that.

Rajat Kumar: What can be expected of national governments in terms of support for fuel cell commercialisation, especially in terms of regulations and regulatory framework?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: Forget the government, with too much reliance on government we would not have air conditioning or colour television in our households. These were also very much luxury goods in the beginning. Life and the quality of life is changing and the mistake that most people make is that they only think in terms of the present, they don’t study the past. We need to look into the past to see the future. Through the present we can never see the future because then we become too narrow-minded. Thus, we must think of what would be the successful technology applications of fuel cells. And what we are expected to find out is that it would have something to do with "being personal". Like the computers, they were popular when they became personal computers. A similar technology is the cellular phones, they allow you to make telephone calls to whomever you like, whenever you like. Also, people customise their cellular phones in terms of ring-tones, display pictures etc. In China, the cost of a cellular phone is equivalent to one month’s salary. But still people are prepared to save their money to buy a cellular phone. And now they tend to have two cellular phones, which means that they save two month’s salary only to have cellular phones.

Rajat Kumar: So do you see more residential or more personalised usage of fuel cells in future?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The future will be in a combination application. For example, think of a car with a fuel cell. The basic purpose of the fuel cell in the car is to produce electricity. When the car is parked outside the house, office or the supermarket, the electricity produced by the fuel cell can provide power to the house, office or the supermarket. The excess electricity produced could also be sold to the utilities or the supermarket. The people would adopt such kind of innovation. People like to save some money; it’s human nature. So, the future fuel cell applications must be such that they allow people to save some money.

Rajat Kumar: When I was talking about the role of the government, I was not expecting a lot of support from them in terms of funding. What I expected was some support from government in terms of establishing regulations and allowing access to the grid and power trading?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: Forget about it, this must come automatically. There was no government support to set up the framework for cellular phones. The network can be made with the demand of the people. The industry will follow very soon and cope with this demand. This is also not restricted to only developed countries. There are also rich people in developing countries and they would be the first users and as the popularity of the system increases its cost would decline just like it happened in the case of air conditioners or cars. In the beginning there were no cars or air conditioning or the Internet and life was not what it is now. It is important that we think of the past to understand the future.

Rajat Kumar: You are correct in saying that rich people would be willing to pay a premium price for the service, but would there be enough rich people for the companies to target with their products?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The situation was the same with cars and the same with computers. An IBM study not so long ago predicted the sales of only five computers. But look at now. The same is the case with other innovations like the television set. cont. above ...

 

cont ... Nobody once believed that every household would have a television set but as the masses adopt the innovation, the prices decrease very fast. The prices of fuel cells similarly would go down very soon and very fast and their use would go up very soon. The Chinese market could help in bringing such a change. The people there are very educated and they have demand for new things.

Rajat Kumar: But, fuel cell manufacturers seem to be targeting markets in North America, Japan and Europe for their products.

Mr. Arno A. Evers: These markets are too small. The fuel cell manufacturers seem to be too short sighted, they should think on a global scale and should find out where the progress is currently and then target those markets.

Rajat Kumar: Do you see a lot of interest in China, are a lot of people manufacturing and researching this technology?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: Of course, there are many activities there. There are students and companies active in China but they are also on the wrong way. They also think in terms of technology possibilities. Nobody seems to be thinking about the market or the delivery time or the guarantee time. But this will soon change. I hope that those companies and individuals who are involved with this technology worldwide would soon consider these things. If they don’t realise the importance of these factors, then completely different companies would make the big business. And it’s also not necessary that the big companies would dominate the market. The big business could also go to the small companies who are able to meet the needs of the customers very quickly. The big companies tend to react more slowly to the changes in demand slower than the smaller companies.

Rajat Kumar: What kinds of applications are likely to drive the fuel cell markets?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The future will be in completely different and new applications. The manufacturers must think of completely new applications. It must be a combination of existing applications to get the advantages of synergy. It could be something very simple and easy that would make us wonder why we never thought of it earlier.

Rajat Kumar: Would the combination be only in terms of applications or also in terms of technology like the development of a turbine-fuel cell hybrid.

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The combination would be also in terms of technology, also in terms of personalised production of hydrogen, so that the individuals are completely independent. We are moving towards distributed energy generation technologies and hydrogen and fuel cells could play a very important role in it.

Rajat Kumar: What are the developments in other developing countries like Argentina and Bulgaria?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The developments are all the same. They are all technology-focused. Only thinking of technology would lead them nowhere. They could work on the technology for the next hundred years and still get nowhere. They need to have a completely different view of the picture. Progress in the last ten-eleven years has not been much. The systems are getting smaller and the density is getting higher but it’s not a breakthrough. The breakthrough will be completely different. It could also come from the completely different, smaller companies. Like Bill Gates when he started Microsoft, it was a small company, which defeated big companies like IBM.

Rajat Kumar: We are talking of a new paradigm. But the people who are working on fuel cells are technologically-focused.

Mr. Arno A. Evers: Of course, we need the improvements in technology. I do not want to undermine their efforts. But the technology would always follow; it can never be the leader. The leader will be the demand of the people. Then the mass production will start, luxury goods first and then day-to-day products. It will be completely different from what we see or think today.

Rajat Kumar: But are the consumers aware of the potential and the working of fuel cells, because if they are not then how can we expect the demand to come from their side?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: The demand would come from the new applications; it would not be product but the new service. Maybe something which has to do with education or with elderly or disabled people. But it shall be a completely new service that does not exist today. If I knew I would do it myself (laughs). I don’t know it myself. The demand would drive the technology and ensure that the products are created to satisfy their requirements. It would not require too much government support. In the end it would come from the demand of personal power by people. There are a lot of small companies that are researching the technology and developing applications but even they don’t know the value of their research and applications. It also takes the right individuals to do it. It’s not a problem of technology but the problem of imagination.

Rajat Kumar: I am sure you would have conveyed this message to the fuel cell manufacturers as well, what was their reaction to it?

Mr. Arno A. Evers: Most of them don’t understand it as they are too narrow-minded towards their technology problems. Some of them understand it to some extent, it’s a hard job to do and I hope to carry on with my mission.

Rajat Kumar: Frost & Sullivan would like to be a part of this vision and we will try our best to communicate the need of being more market-focused and understanding the needs of consumers to the industry players. It was very interesting talking to you about the marketing and the customer demand perspective and we wish you all the best for all your endeavours.

Frost & Sullivan are currently investigating the potential of the European stationary fuel cells markets. For further information, please contact us on energy@frost.com

Print Version (pdf)

 

 
Exhibitor List '05
International Conference
April 12, 2005
Official Opening Ceremony with
Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schröder
Who attended
Orientation:
Exhibitors Floorplan
Layout Hall 13
Hannover Fair Ground
Forum Program
VIP-Visitors HANNOVER FAIR 2005
Daily News by Fuel Cell Today
Daily News by Werner Stützel
Panoramic Overview  
Movie Gallery
Photo Gallery
Exhibitor Statements
Visitor Statements
Networking Evenings '05
Our Team HANNOVER FAIR '05
Download visitors brochure
VIP-Visitors 1995 - 2005
Development 1995-2005
MEDIA INFORMATION
HANNOVER FAIR '05
 
Releases / Mitteilungen
Clippings / Pressespiegel