Panasonic officially welcomed to Cardiff

Technology company’s new research and development center finds a home in Wales

Panasonic has been developing hydrogen fuel cells that have been used in Japan to power homes for several years. The company believes that other markets are prepared for its fuel cell products and is taking steps to enter into the UK and European sectors. In the UK, The Welsh government has responded well to this move, embracing Panasonic in Cardiff, where a new fuel cell research and development center is taking root. Edwina Hart, an official with the Welsh government, has praised Panasonic’s decision to choose Wales as the ideal location for its new research and development facility.

Facility to advance the development of hydrogen fuel cells

The facility is scheduled to open in September of this year. Through the facility, Panasonic will make changes to the fuel cell products it had launched in Japan to be more suitable for the European market. Panasonic has a goal of making its fuel cells capable of accounting for the majority of a household’s heating and energy needs. The fuel cells are expected to run on natural gas, though some may be designed to run on other forms of energy.

Wales is the home of the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell

Panasonic notes that its decision to choose Wales as the location for its new research and development center is due o the country’s historic ties with fuel cell development. The first fuel cell ever demonstrated was developed by Sir William Robert Grove, a Welsh scientist. Grove’s work was based on a concept that had been developed by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schonbein. In 1839, Grove produced the world’s first working hydrogen fuel cell.

Panasonic aims to make fuel cells attractive to European homeowners

Though fuel cells have faced a multitude of challenges since their inception, technology has finally reached a point where these challenges may be overcome. Panasonic believes that the time is right for hydrogen fuel cells to be introduced as residential energy systems around the world. The company will continue to develop its fuel cell technology, hoping to produce more efficient and affordable fuel cell products that are attractive to homeowners.

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