ENERGY - LOW-COST FUEL CELLS:LOW-COST ceramic-based solid oxide fuel cells that run on renewable fuels are being developed by a secretive clean-technology startup in the US that venture capitalists have valued at €1.1 billion.

It is understood cells made by Bloom Energy can run on a variety of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and methane from landfill. When mixed with air, these fuels can produce enough electricity with a single cell to power a house, while also creating hydrogen for use in other applications and generating heat. Multiple units could be combined and used to power small and medium-sized business premises and for larger industrial operations.

Individual cells can produce between 50kw and 200kw of electricity but a cluster can provide up to 2MW. Individual cells can also fail without stopping the flow of power altogether and they are made of relatively low-cost materials.