Fuel supply is one important problem to be solved for commercial appli
cation of fuel cell technology. Conventional fuel-cell types require h
ydrogen as the fuel, which has to be free from impurities when operate
d at temperatures below 100 degrees C. The storage and distribution of
this explosive and extremely fugitive gas is one of the open question
s in the context of a customer-orientated broad commercial market. The
direct-fuelled fuel cells (DMFCs) overcome the hydrogen specific rest
rictions. They are capable of directly using natural gas or fuels whic
h are liquid under ambient conditions. In this paper the different opt
ions from direct-fuelled systems are described and their general aspec
ts discussed. The state-of-the-art at Siemens in this held, and also t
he remaining technical questions are outlined as a basis for assessing
future applications.