Bend company develops technology to advance hydrogen fuel cells

Element 1 founders Robert Schluter and Dave Edlund know a lot about hydrogen gas — and the Bend entrepreneurs are about to share that with the world.

After more than a decade, the pair are ready to market their hydrogen fuel cell technology, which can power ships, trains and stationary applications like cellular networks, data centers and hospitals that rely upon a steady supply of power. The technology uses methanol to create hydrogen through a process that avoids the need for large tanks to store hydrogen, which is a clean source of energy.