04.09.03 The "Energies of the Future" journalists' trip organized by the NRW Energy Ministry also took Minister Axel Horstmann and the journalists accompanying him to Masterflex AG on September 4, 2003. Masterflex reported on the status of the fuel cell project and presented the revised prototype of a 50-watt PEM fuel cell. Compared with the fuel cell presented in the spring of 2003, the size has now been reduced by around 50%. The Masterflex fuel cell has also passed the long-term test: the test cell has been running trouble-free for more than 1,500 hours.
As of 2004, the hydrogen-based Masterflex fuel cells are to be used in a first step as an alternative to rechargeable batteries for external, mains-independent power supply in mobile office systems (notebooks, printers, etc.) of the Masterflex subsidiary Dicota GmbH. Due to the modular design of the fuel cell, Masterflex sees great opportunities for its future use in a wide range of industrial applications. Masterflex AG's goal is to develop a production technology that is adapted to the market volume and also allows smaller batch sizes from approx.10,000 units/year at acceptable prices.