BOULDER, Colo. — Driven, in part, by the increased incidence of major natural disasters, the fuel cell industry is seeing a resurgence, notes Navigant Research. Rising demand and new policy initiatives from countries including China, South Korea and South Africa made 2012 a pivotal year for the fuel cell market. According to a report from the research firm, the industry topped the $1 billion mark in revenue from the sale of fuel cell systems in 2012, growing from $847.5 million in 2011 to $1.3 billion in 2012.

“Resilience, distributed energy, and energy independence are the key terms increasing the demand for fuel cell technology today,” said Kerry-Ann Adamson, research director with Navigant Research. “Any reduction in environmental impact through the adoption of fuel cell technology in the portable, transportation, and stationary sectors is now seen as a side benefit.”

Globally, Asia Pacific still leads in terms of manufacturing and adoption, shipping more than 22,000 of the more than 28,000 fuel cell systems shipped in 2012. According to the report, Asia Pacific will likely remain the leading market, in terms of shipments, for the short term. With increasing activity in the United States and Europe, however, the Asia Pacific region’s leadership position is likely to be challenged in the coming years.