We are all fortunate that these leaders are here today and will tell us more about the progress and promise of the direct methanol fuel cell. My job this afternoon is to give you an idea of where methanol fits in the emergence of fuel cell technologies. Since methanol's position is that of the fuel source, I will concentrate my talk on methanol and other fueling infrastructure issues, our experience fueling alternative fuel vehicles, supplying new markets for fuel blending products like MTBE, and some projections on where the fuel methanol industry is heading. I also will discuss what can be characterized as the three methanol fuel cell interfaces. I will conclude with a few suggestions on what needs to be done today to allow the public to more quickly reap the benefits of these emerging methanol fuel cell technologies.
Methanol is a chemical commodity.
It's used in a wide range of products from solvents and paints, refrigerants and particle board, to windshield washer fluid and car bumpers, plastic soda bottles and Spandex bicycle shorts. As an alcohol, methanol has proven to be an excellent combustion fuel. The Indy 500 converted to methanol in 1965 for both performance and safety reasons. Both have been achieved beyond expectations. When the oil shortages of the 1970s first set us on the search for alternative fuels, methanol became the center of attention.