Global Fuel Cell Stack Supply Chain Value to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2017
The fuel cell supply chain, made up of companies that provide high-quality, economically competitive critical components for the fuel cell stack, is an area that has been somewhat overlooked. Indeed, the fuel cell industry faces a fundamental quandary: without a growing industry, the supply chain cannot benefit from component standardization, volume manufacturing and cost-downs.
In terms of cost-downs and volume manufacturing, however, the fuel cell industry has limited growth potential, which could limit the development of a robust and expanding network of suppliers. The entire fuel cell stack supply chain was worth only a little more than $200 million in 2011, according to a new report from Pike Research. By 2017, however, that figure will grow to $2.2 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 58.5%.