The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE’s) Fuel Cell Technologies Office has extended the deadline for the Request for Information (RFI) entitled "Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Manufacturing: Identifying Specific Components for Manufacturing Standardization." Interested parties are requested to provide responses to this RFI electronically to fctomanufacturing@ee.doe.gov no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 31, 2017.

Meeting the demand in certain markets in the U.S. and around the world is helping contribute to a resurgence of manufacturing. In an effort to streamline manufacturing, DOE has issued this RFI to obtain feedback from stakeholders regarding how and which components in the hydrogen and fuel cell manufacturing process can and should be standardized. The intent of the RFI is to identify manufacturing pathways to reduce costs in both the near and longer-term, as well as how to address any critical barriers regarding manufacturability and supply chain development.

While not all components can or should be standardized, the cooperative development of certain components with universal sizes, functions, and materials will encourage competition and advanced manufacturing to drive down costs and increase product durability. Standardization can also help to maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, and quality.