The industry ministry says it will use public money to fund research into extending the lifespan of fuel cells, a technology ballyhooed as the energy source of the future.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans from fiscal 2005 to provide billions of yen in subsidies to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an independent administrative agency. NEDO will channel the funds into a consortium of seven companies set up specifically to prolong the durability of fuel cells.

The ministry has set a target of 2.1 million kilowatts of fuel-cell power for household and corporate use by 2010. The figure is equivalent to the energy generated by two nuclear power plants.

The bar is set at 10 million kilowatts by 2020.

Fuel cells produce electricity by converting hydrogen and oxygen into water through a proton exchange membrane.

The lifespan of the membrane is currently about 13,000 hours, or roughly two to three years of standard use. Most experts agree that for the technology to achieve household penetration, the lifespan of the membrane needs to be increased to at least 40,000 hours, or over five years.

The seven consortium members, which include Osaka Gas Co., Tokyo Gas Co., and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., will conduct joint research into the membrane's deterioration mechanism.

The industry ministry plans to add 5.4 billion yen in public subsidies to NEDO's budget in fiscal 2005. By investing in the research, the ministry hopes to ignite rapid fuel-cell product development.(IHT/Asahi: February 1,2005)