NOVELTY - The system (200) comprises a fuel supply component (202) that supplies the fuel to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a regeneration component (204) comprising a plasma generator that provides a reducing agent comprising a mixture of hydrogen (20-80 wt.%) and nitrogen (20-80 wt.%) or a reducing plasma to a cathode catalyst of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell to reduce the cathode catalyst, and a device for measuring a quantity of hydrogen in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The fuel supply component is connected with the regeneration component to provide hydrogen.    USE - The system is useful for operating a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, and in a hydrogen station such as a hydrogen filling station, hydrogen home station and/or hydrogen highway (all claimed), where the proton exchange membrane fuel cell or a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is an energy conversion device useful for: transportation such as automotive, aircrafts, public transportation, commercial transportation e.g. truck and tractors, marine and military; portable/battery substitution such as portable appliances and power tools, small personal vehicles, consumer electronics e.g. laptops and fuel cell phones, roadway and traffic signage, backup power, generators, snow-blowers, lawn mowers and small watercraft engines; and distributed power such as homes and small businesses, commercial and industrial sites, remote and off-grid locations e.g. telecom towers and weather stations; stationary applications; and construction vehicles and machinery such as diggers, front end loaders, trucks, cranes, fork lifts, pavers, graders, bulldozers and the like, boats, ships, helicopters, trains, motorbikes, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, the hydrogen home station includes solar powered water electrolyzing device containing solar cells, power converter, water purifier, electrolyzer, piping, hydrogen purifier, oxygen purifier, compressor, pressure vessels, and a hydrogen outlet, and the hydrogen highway is a chain of hydrogen-equipped filling stations and other infrastructure along a road or highway.    ADVANTAGE - The system is capable of easily and economically operating the proton exchange membrane fuel cell without the intermediate conversion into mechanical power thus exhibiting high efficiency and low emissions and increasing the life time and the performance of the fuel cell.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The system (200) comprises a fuel supply component (202) that supplies the fuel to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a regeneration component (204) comprising a plasma generator that provides a reducing agent comprising a mixture of hydrogen (20-80 wt.%) and nitrogen (20-80 wt.%) or a reducing plasma to a cathode catalyst of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell to reduce the cathode catalyst, and a measuring device for measuring a quantity of hydrogen in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The fuel supply component is connected with the regeneration component to provide hydrogen to the regeneration component. The plasma generator is an argon plasma generator and a hydrogen plasma generator. The reducing agent comprises reducing gas species consisting of a hydrogen containing plasma, a helium containing plasma, a neon containing plasma, an argon containing plasma, nitrogen containing plasma, ammonia, amines, imines and 1-4C hydrocarbons and less than 50 volume ppm water and/or hydrocarbon.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows schematic view of a system operating a proton exchange membrane fuel cell.    System (200)    Fuel supply component (202)    Regeneration component. (204)