Characteristics of molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) were critically compared to these of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), alkaline fuel cell (AFC), phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). In comparison to the other fuel cells, the MCFC operates with the lowest current densities due to limited zones of effective electrode reactions and low solubilities of oxygen and hydrogen in molten carbonates; also it has a thickest electrodes-electrolyte assembly. In consequence, the applications of MCFC are almost limited to stationary power generators. Although the MCFC stationary power generators have now approached high technological level of precommercialization, in the future they may face a serious contest from SOFC and PEMFC, for which improvement of operational parameters is believed to be achieved easier. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.