UK fuel cell power plants stepping closer...

..."You can buy these ceramic catalyst materials, which used to be around 30 pounds a gram, at around 30 pence per gram, which has changed the economic argument," ...

The alkaline fuel cell developer plans to test a 50 kilowatt block next year...

Hydrogen can be produced from processing natural gas -- with the carbon removed and buried -- and is also produced in some chemical manufacturing such as the chloralkali process.

AFC, based in Cranleigh in south England ... estimated the capital cost of the fuel cell will be under 400,000 pounds ($635,300) per megawatt hour of output.

"This is substantially less than a fossil fuel turbine based plant," White said.

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