German engine maker Tognum exits fuel cells, says market not viable

29 December 2010 16:34  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS)--German engine maker Tognum has decided to exit its fuel cells activities as the business is not likely to become commercially viable, it said on Wednesday.

Tognum said its fuel cells business, focused on stationary power generation, was “unlikely to become commercially viable in the medium term, given current market conditions and subsidy schemes.”

The company had been trying, without success, to find a partner for the fuel cells business in Asia, it added. 

However, the talks failed earlier this month and management therefore decided to discontinue the business.

Friedrichshafen-based Tognum is described as a leading supplier of engines and propulsion systems for off-highway applications, and of distributed energy systems.

A number of chemical firms have invested in fuel cells as a market for their products.

Last year, for example, German chemicals major BASF started production in the US of the world’s first high-temperature membrane electrode assembly units for commercial use in fuel cell technology.

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
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