European Fuel Cell (EFC) will on Saturday demonstrate a fuel cell unit in Trafalgar Square, London, designed for home heating and power generation.

The company, a member of the Baxi group, said its polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) unit generates 1.5kW of electricity and 2.9kW of heat. Providing 15kW of output for peak heat demand, it is suitable for a one-family house, just requiring an extraction system.

The cell’s bipolar plates are compression moulded by graphite products company Schunk Kohlenstofftechnik in Germany using an 80% graphite filled thermoset polymer.

The plates were designed by Schunk and Freudenberg Fuel Cell Component Technologies. The seal is integrated in the moulded plate, preventing leakage at low contact pressures.

Schunk started moulding bipolar plates in 2001. It said that it can produce 1,000 to 2,000 plates cost effectively by using a modular tool, while a multi-cavity tool is used for medium-sized plates.

The maximum size is currently 415x415mm and the company said it was considering injection moulding the plates in future.