Global Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (Outlook to 2028)

Countries such as the US, Japan, China, Germany, and the UK are among a few major investors in fuel cell technology and its advancements. For example, in 2018, the US Department of Energy announced a USD 39 million investment in fuel cell technology companies for R&D. Similarly, as part of the HyLAW EU Project, 23 European countries worked together to identify and remove legal and administrative obstacles to fuel cell and hydrogen deployment.

The transition of green electricity to fuel such as methanol and green hydrogen. It is possible to reuse the existing oil and gas infrastructure for storage, transportation, and distribution to reduce fossil fuel consumption, thereby reducing CO2 emissions. 

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) units are feasible to other energy sources such as batteries and diesel-powered engines. While DMFC can be refueled within minutes, batteries take hours to recharge. Therefore, replacing batteries with DMFC would also eliminate the need for battery charging infrastructure within the facility.

A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts the chemical energy of liquid methanol into electrical energy directly.

The DMFC is a step-by-step swapping of batteries for material taking care of uses in forklift trucks. Expanding mindfulness about clean energy and interest for zero outflow fuel sources drives the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market. Moreover, strict ecological guidelines would go about as an impetus in driving the interest in this market. The guidelines would constrain nations to move their essential energy blend towards cleaner energies, such as power devices.

Some of the Supportive Policies:

• Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, Spain, The Netherlands each promoted hydrogen fuel cells for road transport.
• Increasing anti-idling laws on diesel trucks in various countries
• More than 14 countries are planning to ban the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2035.

The DMFC is gradually replacing the batteries in forklift trucks. Increasing awareness of clean energy and the demand for zero-emission energy sources is driving the demand for DMFC. Moreover, strict environmental regulations and hydrogen vehicle targets of various countries would act as a catalyst for the growth of the DMFC market.

The gradual increase in methanol fuel cell vehicles (DMFC) compared to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (PEFC) is due to price, storage, and state.

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are energy converters and have key features such as simple construction, low operating temperature, and easy storage of methanol fuel.

DMFC is used today in a range of applications, from providing power to homes and businesses, keeping critical facilities like hospitals, grocery stores, and data centers up and running, and moving various vehicles.

DMFC has several additional advantages, including:

• Low vibration
• Compact size 
• Rapid response to changes in electrical demand
• Low maintenance costs
• Long lifetimes
• Flexibility in installation and operation

Some of the Opportunities:

• Practical alternative to conventional batteries for laptop computers and other portable power applications.
• The DMFC can be used for portable electric power generation and onboard propulsion systems in automobiles due to its low voltage and high energy density.

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market Restraints:

• Lack of Commercialization.
• Operational constraints along with the availability of other fuel cell systems hamper growth.

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Market Challenges:

• High cost compared to Li-ion batteries.
• The DMFC did not satisfy zero carbon emissions at low operating conditions.

Some of the Recent Developments:

• In January 2021, Ronald Gumpert released the DMFC car.
• Blue World Technologies collaborates with AIWAYS, a Shanghai based personal mobility provider developing a methanol fuel cell system.

DMFC end-use industries, such as electronics, automotive, and other industrial applications, are expected to grow rapidly in developing regions such as the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Therefore, these regional markets show promising growth estimations and offer abundant opportunities for the industry participants. 

The DMFCs are still nascent, and there are only a few companies on the market. High R&D costs are expected to ward off new entrants from entering the fuel cell industry. However, this scenario is expected to change once the technology commercializes and the initial investments decrease.

The global direct methanol fuel cell market comprises direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) used for backup and storage applications, utilities, industrial and residential, and commercial projects. Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) sales in portable instruments and fuel cell vehicles.

Blackridge Research's Global Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) Market report provides insights into the current global and regional market demand scenario and its outlook.

The study presents a detailed analysis of various factors that affect direct methanol fuel cell market revenue. The study also comprehensively analyses the direct methanol fuel cell market by segmenting it based on geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Rest of the World), based on type (Serpentine flow field design, Multi-Serpentine flow field design, Parallel flow field design), based on end-user () and based on Application (Portable, Stationary, Transportation).

The report also addresses present and future market opportunities, market trends, developments, and the impact of Covid-19 on the solar inverter market, critical commercial developments, trends, regions, and segments poised for the fastest-growing, competitive landscape.

Further, the report will include global direct methanol fuel cell market size (CAGR), demand forecast, growth rates, exports, and imports.