Solvay announces today that it has decided to increase its stake in the UK-based fuel cell developer ACAL Energy by investing GBP 1.5 million (EUR 1.75 million). ACAL will use the funds to accelerate the next stage in the development of ACAL Energy's FlowCath platinum-free cathode technology for low cost fuel cell systems.

This technology uses a proprietary low cost liquid catalyst in the cathode instead of the more expensive precious metal catalyst used in the cathode of conventional fuel cells.

Solvay and ACAL Energy are currently preparing to install the world's first demonstration fuel cell system using FlowCath at Solvay Interox's industrial site at Warrington, Cheshire, UK. This installation will be a major step on the commercialization road map for this innovative technology. The project represents an investment of £1.9 million and has been awarded funding by the Technology Strategy Board.

The system is expected to become operational in the second half of 2010 and will consist of three demonstration fuel cell stacks with an electric power of 5 kilowatt per unit. One of the fuel cell stacks will be equipped with membrane electrode assemblies containing Solvay's innovative special polymers. These assemblies are manufactured by SolviCore, a European leader in its field and a 50-50 joint venture of Solvay and Umicore.

"Solvay expects fuel cells to quickly become one of the new important energy conversion technologies. The FlowCath fuel cell in Solvay's Warrington plant gives Solvay and SolviCore an industrial stage to demonstrate the efficiency of their fuel cell technology in view of a significant upscale of this promising technology", comments Leopold Demiddeleer, Executive VP Future Businesses at Solvay.

Fuel cells are a highly efficient and clean energy conversion technology, with a wide variety of applications including remote and distributed power, residential cogeneration, as well as automotive and mobile applications. In fuel cells hydrogen binds with oxygen into water in a catalytic reaction and this reaction produces electrical energy and heat.

ACAL Energy is a developer of a new fuel cell technology that will enable low cost and highly reliable fuel cell systems for a wide variety of applications. The company was founded in August 2004 by FlowCath inventor Dr Andrew Creeth and is headquartered in Runcorn, United Kingdom.