There has been bad news for the UK clean tech sector in recent days as fuel cell developer Ceres Power and a solar panel plant in Wales hit difficulties.

The fuel cell pioneer, which is based in West Sussex, announced last week that it will wind up its business if a buyer cannot be found.

In a statement, the company said “despite extensive efforts it has been unsuccessful in securing sufficient funding for the business going forward”.

The company was founded in 2001 to commercialise research undertaken at Imperial College London in the 1990s. Ceres Power had developed mass producible fuel cells based on its solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology.

But the company has been hit by delays in the launch of its combined heat and power (CHP) offering based on its fuel cell technology.

Meanwhile, there are growing concerns that Japanese company Sharp is planning to halt production of photovoltaic panels at its Wrexham plant after posting global losses of $4.8 billion last year.

The move could be part of a larger withdrawal by the company for photovoltaic manufacturing in Europe and the US.

In the US, media reports indicate that the troubled manufacturer may also sell the solar project development company, Recurrent Energy, which it acquired in 2010.

For further information:
www.cerespower.com
www.sharp-solar.com/

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