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February
11, 2007
Ballard: solid 2006
results, 2007 objectives
Ballard
Power Systems announced its 2006 operating achievements,
and provided performance targets for 2007. The 2006
financial achievements include: Ballard grew revenues by
15% to US $62 million from US $53.7 million in 2005,
meeting its guidance of US $55-$65 million. The company
shipped 315 Mark 1030 fuel cell products to customers in
the residential cogeneration market, with a backlog of
65 units, against a target of 280 units shipped or
booked. It also shipped 147 Mark 9 SSL(TM) fuel cell
products to customers in the materials handling market,
and signed a two-year supply agreement with General
Hydrogen for 2,900 units, against a target of 300 units
shipped or booked. Achievements in product and
technology development included: Ballard delivered the
next generation residential cogeneration fuel cell
prototype, designed to meet the Japanese government’s
targets for longer life and reduced cost. The company
delivered the next generation automotive fuel cell
prototype, designed to meet customer requirements for
longer life and improved freeze start capability. In its
automotive technology development activities with
respect to the U.S. Department of Energy’s high-volume
commercialization targets, Ballard met or exceeded its
goals for cost (US 65/kW), freeze start (-30 °C
in 195 seconds) and volumetric power density (1,500
Wattsnet/Litre). Ballard's 2007 specific performance
targets include: an increase in revenues by up to 30%
over 2006 to between US 55-$65 million, on a pro forma
basis, to adjust for the sale of Ballard’s electric
drive operations. The company plans to reduce operating
cash consumption by up to 20% from 2006 to between US
$40-$50 million. With regards to product shipments,
Ballard aims at: 700 Mark 9 SSL fuel cell products,
primarily for the materials handling market; 400 Mark
1030 fuel cell products, primarily for the residential
cogeneration market; 100 Mark 1020 ACS fuel cell
products, primarily for the backup power market. In the
field of product and technology development the company
plans to: reduce Mark 9 SSL product cost by 25%;
transfer Mark 1030 assembly to Ballard’s joint-venture
company in Japan by year end, to prepare for volume ramp
requirements; continue to advance core automotive fuel
cell technologies toward the demonstration of the U.S.
Department of Energy’s 2010 targets.
Source: Ballard
January
26, 2007
H2-powered
lawnmowers?
In a breakthrough that could make fuel cells practical
for such small machines as lawnmowers and chainsaws,
researchers have developed a new mechanism to
efficiently control hydrogen fuel cell power. Many
standard fuel cell designs use electronics to control
power output, but such designs require complex systems
to manage humidity and fuel recovery and recycling
systems to achieve acceptable efficiency. The new
process controls the hydrogen feed to match the required
power output, just as one controls the feed of gasoline
into an internal combustion engine. The system functions
as a closed system that uses the waste water to regulate
the size of the reaction chamber, the site where the
gasses combine to form water, heat and electricity.
National Science Foundation (NSF) awardee Jay Benziger
of Princeton University developed the new technique with
his student Claire Woo, a recipient of an NSF Research
Experiences for Undergraduates award and now a doctoral
candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. The
researchers believe the first applications for their
technology will be in smaller engines. Fuel cells are
currently inefficient on such scales due to the need for
fuel recycling and excess hydrogen in standard designs.
The researchers' new design is closed, so 100 percent of
the fuel is used and there is no need for a costly fuel
recycling system.
Source:
National
Science Foundation
January
26, 2007
Hydrogen
production at ethanol facilities
The Energy
& Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the
University of North Dakota is leading a project to
demonstrate the production of hydrogen at existing and
future ethanol facilities in a unique, economical way,
providing a near-term path toward a hydrogen economy.
The hydrogen produced could be used on-site in fuel
cells to provide additional power for the plant or as
fuel for hydrogen vehicles. "Hydrogen production
integrated with an ethanol facility will provide an
important source of renewable energy for both stationary
and transportation fuel cell applications in a
hydrogen-based economy," said Chad Wocken, EERC
Research Manager. "This technology will help
facilitate regional and national growth in hydrogen
utilization." Under the multiyear contract, the
EERC's Centers for Renewable Energy and Biomass
Utilization are testing the technical feasibility of
integrating hydrogen production with ethanol production.
Activities include optimizing the ethanol-reforming
process, demonstrating utilization of the produced
hydrogen for power generation, optimizing the design for
future ethanol plants, and conducting a full economic
evaluation of the technology. The information gathered
from these efforts will be used to better define system
integration, energy input, and the operational
conditions required to produce hydrogen at an ethanol
facility. The hydrogen becomes either a low-cost energy
source for the facility or a value-added product
enhancing the overall facility's economics.
Source: UND EERC
January
16, 2007
H2-powered motorsport: "Hydrogen 500"
In a potentially historic occasion for the automobile
industry and international motor sport, a new racing
entity, the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation,
unveiled "The Future of Racing"(TM) and
embarked on a compelling first step into the realm of
on-track competition for hydrogen electric fuel
cell-powered racing machines here today. Speaking to an
impressive gathering of leading auto industry executives
from Audi, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda,
Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota, senior executives from
Bridgestone-Firestone and Michelin, as well as such
motor sports luminaries as Tony George, the CEO of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League
and Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le
Mans Series. Peter M. DeLorenzo, the President and CEO
of the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation, introduced
"The Future of Racing" in a speech at The
Townsend Hotel in suburban Birmingham. "The concept
of racing hydrogen fuel cell-powered machines is
unprecedented and historic, simply because for the first
time in many, many years, racing will undertake a key
role in the development of radical new technologies for
production vehicles that are still on the horizon,"
DeLorenzo said. DeLorenzo then introduced the
"Hydrogen 500"(TM) -- a concept developed
specifically for machines powered by hydrogen electric
fuel cells. The Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation
plans on presenting on-track competition for electric
vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells beginning in
2009, with additional races, including international
events in 2010 and 2011.
Source: Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation
December
28, 2006
Fuel
Cells 2000 projects database
A State Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Policy and Demonstration
Database is now available on
WWW.FUELCELLS.ORG
. This database catalogues initiatives,
policy and partnerships in the fuel cell and hydrogen
arena. It also includes all stationary fuel cell
installations, hydrogen fueling stations and vehicle
demonstrations in the United States. 47 states and the
District of Columbia have some sort of fuel cell or
hydrogen legislation, demonstration or activism taking
place today. Fuel Cells 2000 hopes that this database
sparks even more activity to help bring fuel cells to
commercialization and the hydrogen economy to
realization. The database only includes installations,
vehicle demonstrations and hydrogen fueling stations
that are either open right now or that have already
ended. For planned hydrogen fueling stations a
"Hydrogen Fueling Station Chart" is available,
and for planned stationary fuel cell installations, a
"Worldwide Stationary Fuel Cell Installation
Database" can be viewed. Further, the "State
Activities that Promote Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Infrastructure Development" report provides a
comprehensive state-by-state analysis of state programs
and incentives that specifically include hydrogen, fuel
cells and zero emission vehicles.
Source: Fuel Cells 2000
December 28, 2006
First
H2 fuel cell demonstration in South America
Hydrogenics,
a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen and
fuel cell products, is providing a hydrogen fueling
station for an urban demonstration in Brazil of hydrogen
fuel cell-powered mass transit buses, the first hydrogen
fuel cell demonstration in South America. The Hydrogen
Fuel-Cell Buses for Urban Transport in Brazil project
includes a hydrogen refueling station and a small fleet
of hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses, which will be put
into service in Sao Mateus and Sao Paolo. Sao Paolo is
one of the largest cities in the Western Hemisphere. The
project is scheduled to begin on November 14, 2006 and
will span four years. Hydrogenics will supply a
HySTAT-60 hydrogen electrolyzer to the project, as well
as compression, storage and dispenser modules. The
fueling station is planned to begin operation in the
latter half of 2007. Working as part of an international
consortium of companies and alongside two Brazilian
companies, Petrobras Distribuidora and Eletropaulo,
Hydrogenics will provide the hydrogen fueling station
and provide training for maintenance staff. The project
is supported by the United Nations Development Programme
(GEF Implementing Agency) and Global Environment
Facility (Multilateral Financing Mechanism).
Source: Hydrogenics
November
27, 2006
First public H2
retail station for Hessen (Germany)
In Hessen, Germany, the first public hydrogen filling
station for the region recently opened. There, owners of
H2-powered vehicles can now purchase gaseous and liquid
hyrogen fuel 24/7. This step marks the transition from
the beta-phase of the "Zero Regio" project to
practical implementation. 16 companies from Germany,
Italy, Danmark and Sweden participate in the project,
which foresees the building of a complete hydrogen
infrastructure in the Germany Rhein-Main area and the
Lombardia region in Italy. The complete project is
estimated at a total of 21 million Euros, of which 7,5
million were granted by the EU.'
Source: IWR
November
27, 2006
BMW
Hydrogen 7 goes into series production
After several years of successful testing and continuous
development BMW has started series production for its
Hydrogen 7 sedan. The
Hydrogen 7 is powered by an H2 internal combustion
engine and has gone through the complete process of
series development. The vehicle reflects the BMW Group's
consistent strategy of using hydrogen as the ideal
source of energy for everyday motoring already in our
day and age. The H2-powered car is a revolutionary
development within the BMW 7 Series as a whole: the
engine, suspension and body of this new model are based
on the overall vehicle concept carried over from the BMW
760i and BMW 760Li sedans. At the same time the Hydrogen
7 features a dual-mode twelve-cylinder combustion power
unit able to run on both hydrogen and conventional
gasoline. Maximum output is 191 kW/260 hp, accelerating
the vehicle to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds. Top speed of the
Hydrogen 7 is limited electronically to 230 km/h or 143
mph. The dual-mode drive concept featured requires the
integration of two separate fuel tanks in the car. To
ensure the range car buyers have come to expect, the
Hydrogen 7 is equipped with a conventional gasoline tank
for 74 litres or 16.3 Imp gals and an additional fuel
tank for up to 8 kilos (about 114 litres/25 Imp gals) of
liquid hydrogen (LH2).
The BMW Group chose liquid hydrogen because the amount
of energy contained in liquid fuel in relation to the
car's tank capacity is more than 75 per cent higher than
for gaseous hydrogen stored in a compressed gas tank at
a pressure of 700 bar. The Hydrogen 7 is the first
H2-powered vehicle to go into series production and will
be delivered to selected customers in 2007.
Source: BMW Group
November
08, 2006
First
U.S. retail H2 facility
HyRadix
Inc., a leading provider of on-site hydrogen generation
systems and supply solutions, and SunLine Transit
Agency, a leader in clean-fuel public transit celebrated
the successful installation and commercial operation of
the first, large-scale hydrogen facility in the United
States using commercialized technology and available for
third-party refueling purposes. The event was held at
SunLine’s facility in Thousand Palms, California and
was attended by dignitaries, media and interested
business parties. "This is a celebration of
research to reality and realizing the potential of
hydrogen as a genuine alternative fuel," said Mikel
Oglesby, SunLine General Manager. "Our partnership
with HyRadix serves as a shining example of what can be
achieved with government support for technology research
in developing a feasible energy solution for our
country." The relationship between SunLine and
HyRadix began with the installation of a prototype
HyRadix "Adeo" hydrogen fuel generator in
2004, which was funded through the U.S. Department of
Energy and the South Coast Air Quality Management
District (SCAQMD). Based on the success of the project,
HyRadix was awarded a contract this summer to install a
commercial H2 fuel generator to support future plans for
the expansion of SunLine’s hydrogen fleet. The new
system was installed in August. "We are pleased
with the progress HyRadix and SunLine have made over the
last 3 years to bring hydrogen fuel as a viable and
available energy source to the Coachella Valley region
and the state of California," said HyRadix CEO and
President Robert L. Gray, Jr.
Source: HyRadix
November
07, 2006
ECD
awarded $1.7 mil DOE contract
Energy
Conversion Devices, Inc. announced that it was recently
awarded a cost-shared contract by the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) to continue its work on small hydrogen
internal combustion engines. The estimated total cost of
the project is approximately $1.7 million, with DOE
providing $1.2 million toward the project. Under the
contract, ECD Ovonics will develop a low-cost method to
convert small gasoline internal combustion engines
(under 25 hp) to run on H2 fuel, while maintaining the
performance and durability of the unmodified engines.
"This is a great opportunity for us to advance the
work done to date on hydrogen-ICE fueled scooters and
three-wheeled taxis, both of which use our proprietary
solid-state metal hydride storage systems on-board. We
appreciate the DOE’s support and look forward to our
collaboration," Stanford R. Ovshinsky, President
and Chief Scientist and Technologist of ECD Ovonics
said. The Ovonic three-wheeled taxi developed under a
cost-shared project with the USAID has been demonstrated
in the US and in India. There is a significant potential
market for reliable, low-cost engines with near zero
emissions in stationary and mobile applications which
include two- and three-wheeled vehicles, lawn and garden
care equipment, and small back-up generator sets.
Source: ECD
November
07, 2006
US$ 2.4 mil for
Jadoo Power
Jadoo
Power Systems Inc. (Jadoo), a leading supplier of
portable fuel cell systems, announced today that its
SOCOM Power Program will be allocated $2.4 million in
additional funding as part of the U.S. Military 2007
Defense Appropriations Bill. The bill was signed into
law by President Bush on September 29, 2006. "This
funding will allow Jadoo to continue their advanced
development efforts on fuel cell technologies,"
said Congressman Dan Lungren (CA-03), who represents
Jadoo’s district in California. "Their product
offerings will support our soldiers in the field by
significantly reducing the carry weight of legacy
battery technology during mission critical deployments.
I am pleased that the House recognizes the innovative
work that Jadoo is conducting in taking fuel cell
technology from the lab and delivering the critical
power necessary to protect our homeland." Building
upon other successful contract awards, Jadoo has been
able to push forward into many other power support
markets and applications such as emergency preparedness,
portable radio and laptop battery recharging, as well as
a battery replacement for emergency lighting and
critical communication devices like satellite phones and
modems. "I was impressed by the quality of work
performed by Jadoo to deliver the initial prototypes for
our radio system," said Mitch Wathen, SOCOM´s
Naval Air Systems Command representative. "Success
in this program will open the potential for widespread
adoption of such technology for additional military
needs."
Source: Jadoo Power
October
27, 2006
NHA
members selected for bus program
Eleven
member companies of the National Hydrogen Association
are on teams receiving portions of $43.5 million in
awards from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) in
support of a program to make ten percent of all bus
purchases in the US hydrogen fuel cell buses by 2015.
The program represents a large step in the development
of a zero-emissions public transportation system.
“While national and international hydrogen attention
is largely focused on transforming the personal vehicle,
much of the public is likely to first experience quiet,
zero-emission, fuel cell buses,” said NHA President
Jeff Serfass. “We are very proud that so many of our
members are leading the way in implementing the use of
hydrogen in the public transportation market.” The NHA
members include Ballard Power Systems, Daimler-Chrysler,
GE Research, Hydrogenics, ISE Corporation, New York
Power Authority (NYPA), Nuvera Fuel Cells, Shell
Hydrogen, South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA),
University of South Carolina (USC), and UTC Power. In
addition, NHA Affiliate Weststart/CALSTART was selected
by the FTA to receive a share of the funding.
Source: NHA
October
16, 2006
US$ 49 mil for fuel cell busses
Following
a tour of SunLine Transit’s Sunfuels Fueling Station
in Thousand Palms, CA Federal Transit Administrator
James Simpson and Congresswoman Mary Bono announced $49
million in federal grants for researchers around the
country to explore new ways to make commercially viable
hydrogen fuel cell buses a reality.Three nonprofit
organizations from around the country were competitively
selected by the FTA to receive a share of the $49
million: the Center for Transportation and the
Environment in Atlanta, the Northeast Advanced Vehicle
Consortium in Boston and Westart/CALSTART of Pasadena,
California. "By funding this program, Congress has
allowed the transit industry to continue its long
tradition as an innovator in the areas of alternative
fuels and technology," said FTA Administrator James
Simpson. "Through this national program, we can
consolidate - and accelerate - the process of making
hydrogen buses commercially feasible as cleaner, more
energy efficient alternatives". Transit officials
expect that clean, quiet, energy-efficient transit buses
will enhance the attractiveness of public
transportation, lead to increased ridership, and move
the nation toward energy independence. SunLine Transit,
along with its research partners will receive $2.8
million to design and demonstrate 40-foot fuel cell
buses, and to evaluate their performance in a hot desert
climate.SunLine is also among those receiving $3.6
million to test the life expectancy of an existing line
of fuel cell buses. Another example on the East Coast
includes the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (WMATA).WMATA and with its research partners
will receive $8.4 million for advanced bus development
and in-service evaluation of hybrid fuel cell buses. The
multimillion dollar national grant announcement was made
possible through the National Fuel Cell Bus Technology
Development Program, which was part of the recently
enacted Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU).
Source: FTA
October
16, 2006
US$ 1.25 mil
contract awarded to Proton Energy Systems
Proton Energy Systems announced that it has been awarded
a US$1.25 million follow-on contract from the U.S.
Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The Small Business
Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III contract calls for
continued development of regenerative fuel cell
technology for high altitude airships. The research
project is part of a Department of Defense initiative to
develop a lighter-than-air, high-altitude airship
Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD),
prototype. According to the Missile Defense Agency, this
ACTD plans to demonstrate the engineering feasibility
and potential utility of an unmanned, untethered,
gas-filled, solar-powered airship that can fly at 70,000
ft. Research will proceed during a one-year period
designed to test the efficiency and performance of
Proton’s hydrogen-generating "core stack."In
addition, its proton exchange membrane (PEM) stack
technology will be monitored closely as it is scaled up
to the size required for high-altitude airship
deployment. "By working with the MDA on the
high-altitude airship application, Proton will be better
able to advance its expertise in regenerative fuel cell
technology for this and many other government and
commercial applications," said Rob Friedland,
senior vice president and head of the Hydrogen
Technology Group."In addition, all of us at Proton
are grateful to Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman
for their strong support of this important technology
program."
Source: Proton Energy Systems
October
16, 2006
Linde opens new
Hydrogen Center
The Linde Group officially inaugurated the "Linde
Hydrogen Center" in Lohhof near Munich in the
presence of the German Federal Minister of Transport,
Wolfgang Tiefensee. The usage concept of the center is
unique, combining the functions of a hydrogen filling
station with those of a technology test center, a
training center and a presentation platform. A total of
3 million Euros was invested in the state-of-the-art
hydrogen center. "Our new hydrogen center not only
demonstrates our willingness to invest in especially
promising future technologies", explained Professor
Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, President and CEO of Linde AG.
"But most importantly, it is a further step on the
long, but rewarding path towards hydrogen-based
sustainable mobility." The heart of the facility is
a filling station, which supplies a test fleet of
hydrogen fueled cars and buses with both liquid hydrogen
(LH2) and compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH2). Linde
expects to be filling on average of around 10 hydrogen
vehicles a day, thus making the Linde Hydrogen Center
one of the busiest H2 filling stations in the world. The
center's innovative measuring and control equipment also
provides Linde's engineers, customers and partners with
valuable insights for further research and development.
The site will also be used as a training facility and
meeting center.
Source:
Linde
September
27, 2006
U.S. funding
opportunities, information resource
According
the U.S. Government, it is readily apparent that
national economic stability is heavily dependent on
reliable energy supplies. It is also clear that there is
growing worldwide interest in hydrogen and fuel cell
technology, as reflected in the dramatic increase in
public and private spending since the mid-1990s. Along
with the United States, governments in Europe, Asia, and
Canada are investing heavily in H2/FC research,
development, and demonstration. The economic stakes for
the hydrogen economy are high: a recent report by
PriceWaterhouseCoopers projects global demand for all
fuel cell products (portable, stationary, and
transportation power applications) to reach $46 billion
per year by 2011 and to grow to more than $2.5 trillion
per year in 2021. A website initiated by the Federal
government is now available as a central source of
information on hydrogen and fuel cell activities. The
site was developed to further the goals of the
President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative and to encourage
greater collaboration and sharing of information among
government departments and agencies; commercial
entities; state, regional, and international
organizations; and the general public. The website
includes government wide hydrogen related funding
opportunities; programs that ensure safe handling
practices and assist in the development of codes and
standards for hydrogen use; the regulations, rules and
orders that govern hydrogen powered vehicle fuel
systems; and important regional and international
initiatives that partner with federal programs.
Source:
WWW.HYDROGEN.GOV
September
25, 2006
Chevrolet to launch
world's largest FC vehicle fleet
General
Motors announced its next-generation fuel cell vehicle,
the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, thus showing its
commitment to building the world’s largest fuel cell
vehicle fleet. According to the company, GM will build
more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles and
will begin placing them with customers in the fall of
2007, as part of a comprehensive deployment plan dubbed
“Project Driveway.” Designed to gain comprehensive
learnings on all aspects of the customer experience,
Project Driveway is said to constitute the first
meaningful market test of fuel cell vehicles anywhere. A
variety of drivers, in differing driving environments,
will operate these vehicles and refuel with hydrogen in
three geographic areas: California, the New York
metropolitan area and Washington D.C. “General Motors
is demonstrating its commitment to hydrogen fuel cells
as the answer for taking the automobile out of the
environmental debate and reducing our dependence on
petroleum,” said
Larry Burns, GM vice president, research &
development and strategic planning. “The
Equinox Fuel Cell is powered by GM’s most advanced
fuel cell propulsion system to date, and demonstrates an
important milestone on our pathway to
automotive-competitive fuel cell propulsion technology
development.” Enabled
by GM’s fourth-generation FC propulsion system, the
Equinox Fuel Cell is a fully-functional crossover
vehicle, engineered for 50,000 miles of life.
Importantly, the Equinox Fuel Cell is able to start and
operate in sub-freezing temperatures during its
50,000-mile life. It is expected to meet all applicable
2007 U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and is
equipped with a long list of standard safety features
including driver and passenger frontal air bags and roof
rail side-impact air bags; anti-lock braking system
(ABS); StabiliTrak stability enhancement technology and
OnStar, while providing all of the environmental
benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Source: General Motors
September
25, 2006
Jadoo Power
introduces FC system for
emergency responders
Jadoo
Power Systems Inc. (Jadoo), a leading supplier of
portable fuel cell systems, announced the XRT, a
powerful new addition to the lineup of fuel cells and
accessories available from Jadoo. The XRT delivers the
power density demanded by the emergency preparedness
market. The system provides critical support power when
the grid is either unavailable or unreliable. It can be
used for power-hungry emergency response applications,
such as portable radio and laptop battery recharging,
and as a battery replacement for emergency lightning and
communication devices like satellite phones and modems.
The XRT weighs only 50 pounds but supplies the energy of
four 45-Amp hour batteries weighing over 100 pounds.
Jadoo will exhibit at Hydrogen Expo US 2007 in San
Antonio, Texas.
Source: Jadoo
September
08, 2006
BMW announces first
public H2 fueling station
in Munich
Construction work for the first public hydrogen fueling
station in Munich, Germany has just started with the
positioning of the H2 tank. The fueling station is
located close to the BMW Group Research and Innovation
Center. For the first time in Germany, the storage
vessel for liquid hydrogen will be installed
underground. The difference between conventional retail
units and this H2 station operated by TOTAL will hardly
be noticeable. Says Daniel LeBreton, Director of
Transportation and Energy for TOTAL: "We therewith
push the integration of hydrogen as the fuel of future
into the everyday fuel infrastructure one step
further." In addition to hydrogen the retail
station will sell gasoline and diesel. Operation is
expected to start at the end of this year.
"Concurrently to the building of a hydrogen
infrastructure the BMW Group consequently develops
hydrogen vehicle technology. The BMW 7 series with
hydrogen internal combustion engine is in the series
production development process." adds Prof. Dr.
Burkhard Goeschel, Vice President for Development and
Purchase at the BMW Group. In accordance with an
agreement between BMW and TOTAL from May 2006, the
energy company will build and operate three H2 fueling
stations in Europe until the end of 2007.
Source: BMW
September 08, 2006
Micro fuel cells
for reliable power supply
The
bugbear of notebook technology has always been its power
supply. Travelers take their laptop computer along so
they can work while on the road, but before they have
accomplished anything worthwhile, the battery has gone
flat. Developers have heralded micro fuel cells as the
solution to this problem, but users are still waiting
for affordable miniaturized fuel cell available for
everyday use. One reason for this situation, believes
Dr. Michael Stelter of the Fraunhofer Institute for
Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden, is
that the tiny power sources are put together from
hundreds of parts: "That makes them complicated to
develop and expensive to manufacture." The
researcher and his colleagues are pursuing a completely
new approach, producing fuel cells from a new type of
ceramic film called LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired
Ceramic). The material has been in use in the chip
industry for some time as a substrate for
microelectronic components. The IKTS researchers say
they have successfully developed cost-effective ways of
integrating additional “non-electronic functional
elements” into the ceramics. Their task is facilitated
by a special feature of the material: Structures can be
applied not only to the surface of the ceramic, but also
to the inside. The micro fuel cells are criss-crossed
with tiny channels that transport hydrogen or fluids.
They are simple and cheap to produce, says Stelter:
"We can produce a fuel cell out of LTCC in one go.
Not only is the process economical - it is reliable as
well." A further advantage is that the LTCC fuel
cell can run on various types of fuel - mainly hydrogen
and methanol, but also less conventional fuels such as
formic acid. "Formic acid is an excellent power
source, but it corrodes ordinary fuel cell materials",
says Stelter. The ceramic material, in contrast, is
resistant to the acid. The IKTS researchers are pressing
ahead with the new generation of micro fuel cells in
collaboration with several German industrial
enterprises.
Source: IKTS
August
21, 2006
US$
1.4 mil for nuclear to hydrogen research
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it
intends to fund approximately US$ 1.4 million for two
projects to partner with industry to study the economic
feasibility of producing hydrogen at existing commercial
nuclear power plants. Teams selected by DOE for
funding will be headed by Electric Transportation
Applications and GE Global Research. Both teams include
DOE national laboratories and nuclear utility companies
as partners. "Hydrogen
is important to our economy today and will be even more
important in the future as a potential clean, renewable
carrier of energy, particularly in the transportation
area,"
DOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis
Spurgeon said. "Finding
efficient ways to produce hydrogen by using
emissions-free nuclear power has long been an important
part of President Bush’s energy strategy." Electric Transportation Applications plans to perform a study looking at
the economics of producing hydrogen at existing nuclear
power plants using commercially available production
technology. ETA will partner with DOE’s Idaho
National Laboratory and Arizona Public Service. GE
Global Research proposes a feasibility study of hydrogen
production using alkaline electrolysis powered by
existing nuclear power plants. Their proposal is
based on the low-cost alkaline electrolyzer technology
developed by GE, in part under DOE’s Hydrogen Program. Partners
for this project include DOE’s National Renewable
Energy Lab and the Entergy Corporation. These studies
support President Bush’s Advanced Energy and Hydrogen
Fuel Initiatives, as well as the Energy Policy Act of
2005, the first piece of comprehensive energy
legislation in over a decade. Funding for these
studies is provided by the DOE Office of Nuclear
Energy’s Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, with industry
sharing a minimum of 20 percent of the cost.
Source: DOE
August 21, 2006
North
America's first solar hydrogen home
The first solar/hydrogen home in North America received
all necessary permits and is now scheduled to be
completed in the fall of 2006. The home is located in
Hopewell, NJ, approximately 70 miles from Manhattan. It
features an advanced residential solar/H2 fuel-cell
storage and generation system that converts energy
between electricity and hydrogen, and will be integrated
into an existing solar and geothermal system at the home
of Mr. Michael Strizki. Major funding for this project
has been provided by a grant from the New Jersey Board
of Public Utilities (NJBPU). Part of a statewide clean
energy initiative, the objective of the NJBPU program is
to transform the energy marketplace in New Jersey toward
more energy-efficient and renewable-energy technologies.
Home owner Mr. Strizki explained, "When the house
was built fourteen years ago, it was designed to be
energy efficient. But, no compromises were made to limit
modern conveniences. My house boasts a host of amenities
not normally seen in ecologically-sensitive homes,
including a swimming pool, hot tub, and flat- screen
television." Electrical energy generated by solar
panels in amounts that exceed immediate household
requirements is used to convert water into H2. The clean
energy carrier is stored until it is converted back into
electricity through a fuel cell when demand for power is
greater than the capacity of the solar panels can
provide. So, in effect, on summer days the system
collects hydrogen that is used on winter nights. H2
generated by the system will also be available for
on-site fueling of vehicles as well as for a variety of
uses in the home such as generating hot water, powering
appliances, and cooking. A "Hogen RE"
generator, manufactured by the Proton Energy Systems
subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp., is being
used to make the system's hydrogen. "This is
exactly the kind of groundbreaking project that
demonstrates quite compellingly the emerging
practicality of renewable energy technology," said
Rob Friedland, Sr. Vice President for Proton's Hydrogen
Technology Group.
Source: Proton Energy Systems
August
02, 2006
Hydrogen
from chocolate
Scientists
at the British University of Birmingham's School of
Biosciences have found a way to extract hydrogen from
confectionery waste - a process that could have a major
impact on the future handling of food waste and its
potential as a supplier of renewable energy. Using E.
coli bacteria, identified by the researchers as having
the right sugar-consuming, hydrogen-generating
properties, a fermenter is set up containing the
bacteria along with the caramel-like waste product and a
gas such as nitrogen. Under these conditions, the E.
coli ferments the sugars, generating a range of organic
acids. To alleviate this toxicity in their environment
they convert formic acid to hydrogen. Hydrogen is one of
the cleanest fuels available and when used to power a
fuel cell, the only byproduct is water. The hydrogen
generates clean electricity via a fuel cell. Thus, food
factories could use their own product waste to generate
energy for the manufacturing process; they might even be
able to fuel their own vehicles from the hydrogen
generated in this way. And it's a technology that could
be adapted for use with most forms of food waste, making
it internationally applicable.
Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com
July
28, 2006
Hydrogen Production
Oasis
The
National Hydrogen Association's H2U Student Design
Contest gives multi-disciplinary teams of motivated
students the opportunity to develop innovative design
concepts using hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. For
this year’s contest the NHA has selected a site in
Rice, California for the design of a “Hydrogen
Production Oasis” and is still looking for sponsors.
The site is a 3,334 acre plot of land, located on the
Arizona border in the Mojave Desert, for the development
of a large-scale solar and wind power park with a nearby
interstate H2 fueling station. In conjunction with local
developers, the NHA will guide the student teams to
create their vision of a solar- and wind-to-hydrogen
production facility at this location, making use of its
natural resources for production and utilizing the
location for distribution. The site design will include
a basic implementation plan for the development of a
small modular village (50-100 people) for the workers
and their families to live while the production facility
is built. This “Hydrogen Production Oasis” provides
a real-life location at which the winning design could
be constructed in the near future. All contributions
will be tax-exempt,
subject to IRS approval of the 501(c)3 charitable
designation of the NHA’s new Hydrogen Education
Foundation. To
sponsor or for additional information, please contact
Rex Hazelton at HazeltonR@hydrogenassociation.org or
tel. 202-223-5547 x 322 by
Friday, August 11.
Source: NHA
July
27, 2006
First
Dutch Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car
The
Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) in
Petten has built the first car to be powered by a Dutch
fuel cell system. The key component, the PEM fuel cell
stack, has been developed entirely in Petten. The car
itself is a modified version of an existing electric
service vehicle, the DaimlerChrysler GEM. The standard
GEM is powered by a traction battery, the capacity of
which restricts the car's operating range and
necessitates regular and lengthy recharging from the
mains. But the new version developed by ECN and
christened the HydroGEM has a far greater range and can
be refuelled quickly. The fuel cell produces sufficient
power to supply electricity to utensils such as electric
tools as well. The HydroGEM is quiet and extremely
clean, making it suitable for use at airports, railway
stations, distribution centres and other industrial
locations, not to mention on nature reserves and even in
hospitals. According to Frank de Bruijn, unit manager
Hydrogen & Clean Fossil Fuels, the main purpose of
the HydroGEM at this stage is to investigate how the
fuel cell technology developed at ECN performs in
practice. "Our own General Services Department
starts using the HydroGEM this autumn," he
explains, "making it the first Dutch hydrogen
vehicle to enter operational service." Compared
with battery-powered vehicles, the HydroGEM has a
considerably wider operating range. Lengthy recharging
periods are also a thing of the past. Refuelling with
hydrogen takes no more than ten minutes. The vehicle has
an electronically limited maximum speed of 40kph and a
payload of up to 400kg. The propulsion system developed
by ECN consists of a 5kWe fuel cell, which is used in
combination with the original 6.5kWh battery pack. The
hydrogen is stored in a 76-litre tank at a pressure of
200 bar. That is sufficient fuel to enlarge its range to
at least 200km (124 miles).
Source: Fuel Cell Today
July 27, 2006
Development
of fuel cells slow but steady
The
partnership among the U.S. government, the auto industry
and energy companies to develop a hydrogen economy is
making progress but still faces challenges to meet its
goals, a Bush administration official said recently.
Energy Undersecretary David Garman told a Senate panel
that the partnerships to develop hydrogen are "on
track" to meet technical goals within the next nine
years and to have hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in
showrooms by 2020. Researchers have reduced the
high-volume cost of automotive fuel cells from $275 per
kilowatt in 2002 to $110 per kilowatt in 2005
and lessened the cost of producing hydrogen from natural
gas. But Garman said more research is required to meet
the cost target of $30 per kilowatt, improve hydrogen
storage capacity and lower the expense of producing
hydrogen. "We need time. More money doesn't
necessarily help. There is a learning process that has
to happen," he told a subcommittee of the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sen. Lamar
Alexander, R-Tenn., said lawmakers are trying to work
with industry to help develop the hydrogen economy,
given the increase in fuel prices and the need for
long-term energy solutions. "Anything that has
promise for reducing our dependence on oil from overseas
is welcome," said Alexander, who is chairman of the
Senate panel. "Since low volume equals high cost in
the automotive business, early vehicles even at moderate
volumes will still be expensive," said J. Byron
McCormick, executive director of fuel cells activities
for General Motors Corp. "So we face the proverbial
'valley of death' for new technologies as we attempt to
grow the market."
Source: Reliable Plant Magazine
June
20, 2006
HPI
converts ICE vehicle to H2 hybrid
Hydrogen
Power Inc. (HPI) has successfully completed the first
phase of converting an internal combustion engine (ICE)
vehicle to a hydrogen hybrid. According to a news
release by the company, the vehicle is to be ultimately
powered by AlumiFuel(TM) for on-board H2 production. The
conversion marks a milestone in HPI's efforts to address
the automotive and transportation sectors with its
hydrogen production technology. HPI's advancements in
the Seattle-based facility have been rapid since proving
both the company's Hydrogen Now(TM) technology and
AlumiFuel powder as viable and controllable entities.
Hydrogen Now is a patented H2 production process that
involves a chemical reaction between water, aluminum,
and an enviornmentally friendly catalyst to cleanly and
efficiently produce the clean energy carrier on-site and
on-demand. The high energy density AlumiFuel technology
is a product derivative of this process and powers the
chemical reaction. It extracts and releases the energy
from the aluminum once the water is added. According to
HPI, key problems faced by other H2 conversion methos
for ICE vehicles, such as cost, storage, and safety,
asre addressed by AlumiFuel.
Source: Hydrogen Power Inc.
June
16, 2006
Hydrogen
fueling station database
The
National Hydrogen Association is delighted to announce
the release of a new interactive Hydrogen Fueling
Station Database. Research
has shown that this database is the most comprehensive
data for U.S. fueling stations. The database contains
detailed information on existing and planned stations
around the country, including maps,
operational & planned stations, dispensing
pressure, capacity,
production
feedstock (on-site production), number of dispensers, contact
information and
more. You can search the database using a variety of
features, and see how many fueling stations are existing
or planned for your state:
WWW.HYDROGENASSOCIATION.ORG
Source:
NHA
June
12, 2006
Californians can get driver's license
in a fuel cell vehicle
Over
the last year some lucky individuals have had the
opportunity to drive a zero-emissions Mercedes-Benz fuel
cell-powered passenger car to the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) in California to complete their driver's
test. President Bush has stated, "I believe that
today's children will one day take a driver's test in a
hydrogen-powered, pollution-free car. That's the goal of
the United States." DaimlerChrysler is taking that
step today. "It was an experience to see the look
on the evaluator's face at the DMV," said Peter
Friebe -- who recently passed his exam. "I'm sure
it made his day to ride around in the F-Cell giving me
my driving test." According to DaimlerChrysler the
car manufacturer has spent more than $1 billion in fuel
cell vehicle research and development. No other
manufacturer is said to have accumulated more data or
driven more zero-emissions miles -- almost two million.
The DaimlerChrysler fuel cell vehicle fleet is diverse
-- in addition to several research vehicles, it also
includes medium-duty fuel cell Dodge Sprinter vans and
more than 35 Mercedes-Benz Citaro fuel cell buses, which
operate in Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia
and Singapore. As part of the world's largest fleet of
fuel cell vehicles, DaimlerChrysler has more than 25
fuel cell vehicles with customers in California and more
than 100 around the world.
Source: DaimlerChrysler
June 12, 2006
New theme pavilions at Hydrogen Expo
For developers of portable power & small fuel cells
and stationary FC systems the next Hydrogen Exp US
offers a unique marketing opportunity. Two new theme
pavilions provide turn-key packages which include
exhibit space, booth design, PR services and a speaking
opportunity. NHA members and "early birds"
benefit from discounted rates. The pavilion exhibitors
will particularly benefit from a targeted marketing
campaign drawing visitors from sectors such as the
consumer electronics and communications industry,
residential heating and grid-independent power. For more
information go the "Options and Pricing"
section under "Application" on:
www.hydrogenexpo.com
March
20, 2006
As
market
matures,
Hydrogen Expo US grows
New Business for Exhibitors - Standing in Line for the
Ride & Drive:
Long Beach/CA, Alpen/Germany, 20-March-2006 - The fourth
Hydrogen Expo US, held again as part of the National
Hydrogen Association's Annual Hydrogen Conference 2006
in Long Beach, California is still on the growth path.
From March 12 to 14, 92 exhibitors (2005: 65) showcased
the latest in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies,
drawing almost 2,000 attendees (2005: 1,500) into the
exhibit hall. A growing international participation on
the exhibitor side proves the importance of the leading
gathering of industry professionals committed to clean
energy in North America. One of the event's highlights
was the "Ride & Drive", hosted by the
National Hydrogen Association and organized by the
California Fuel Cell Partnership. Twelve vehicles were
available for test-rides, including a new version of
Honda's FCX, the Toyota FCHV, DaimlerChrysler's F-Cell,
the GM HydroGen3, and a Pick-Up converted to hydrogen
combustion by ETEC. Due to the great interest, standing
in line for a spin in one of these cars could hardly be
avoided. The concept of converting conventional vehicle
engines to hydrogen fuel was also presented in the expo
hall. There, a highway patrol car from Hydrogen Labs and
Quantum's Prius-based hybrid with a fuel cell and an H2
internal combustion engine stood out. BMW, whose
presentation was regarded as the most attractive booth
by many, among other things playfully visualized the
compression of the clean fuel for the combustion engine
of the new H2-7series. Compressor, valve and sensor
technologies comprise another growing segment of
Hydrogen Expo US. "This demonstrates how the expo
grows with the market", says Ines Freesen, Managing
Director of expo organizer Freesen & Partner GmbH.
"For a number of exhibitors the event has helped to
pave their way into market." Pdc Machines for
example, a manufacturer of diaphragm compressors for
various uses of hydrogen, was able to generate some US$
5 million in new business from Hydrogen Expo US since
2003. Exhibitor
General Physics (GP) was enthusiastic about their
participation, too: "Hydrogen Expo US was a great success for us", commented Mary Cyr, responsible for GP's
booth. "We were able to make many new contacts and
network with new and existing clients." - "Not
only the big players such as Air Products, Linde,
Ballard, Hydrogenics or UTC benefit from the expo",
concludes Ines Freesen. "Smaller suppliers have
also been successful in strengthening their foothold in
this growth sector, which currently offers the best
potential in the United States."
The next NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference and Hydrogen
Expo US 2007 will be held in San Antonio, Texas. The
expo is open on March 19-21, the conference takes place
from March 19-22.
Around 60% of the exhibit space for
this event is already gone. Companies interested in
having a presence should contact the organizer as soon
as possible at tel. +49-2802-948484-0, or in the US
& Canada at tel. 207-236-6196.
|
|
 |
March
07, 2006
Governor
Schwarzenegger speaks at
NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California and
"Hydrogen Highway" visionary is confirmed to
speak at the upcoming NHA Annual Hydrogen Conference on
Monday, March 13 during the opening plenary
(8.00-10.15am). The plenary is held under the header
"National and State Progress". Other speakers
include: Alan Lloyd from the California Environmental
Protection Agency, Cynthia Verdugo-Peralta from the
South Coast Air Quality Management District, and Vilas
Muttemwar, Minister for Energy Sources from India. To
view the complete program and to register for the
conference, go to:
WWW.HYDROGENCONFERENCE.ORG
March 06,
2006
Linde
acquires BOC
Linde
AG, headquartered in Wiesbaden/Germany, has agreed to
make a pre-conditional offer to acquire the entire share
capital of The BOC Group plc, headquartered in
Windlesham/UK, for 1,600 pence in cash per share. The
board of directors of BOC intends to recommend BOC
shareholders to accept the offer. The offer represents a
premium of 39 per cent to the closing price of 1,151
pence per BOC share on 23 January 2006, being the last
business day prior to the announcement by BOC that it
had received an approach from Linde. The transaction
will create a leading worldwide industrial gases and
engineering group with combined gas and engineering
sales of approximately Euro 11.9 billion. Both companies
have complementary geographic positions and products.
With the acquisition of BOC, Linde will in particular
enhance its position in the fast growing Asian Pacific
region and in key future growth sectors such as
hydrogen. The enlarged group will have a complementary
worldwide footprint with a presence in approximately 70
countries. The transaction also carries significant
potential on the product side: Jointly with BOC, Linde
will have a leading market position in the cylinders,
liquid gas and onsite segments. In addition, Linde and
BOC together will cover key market segments in
industrial gases in a leading position.
Source: Linde
March
03, 2006
Increased
funding opportunities in California
The California Air Resources Board's Innovative Clean
Air Technologies (ICAT) grant program is soliciting
applications for grants to be approved in November 2006. Instructions
on how to apply are now available at:
WWW.ARB.CA.GOV
This year, the ARB has received additional funding for
the ICAT program. As a result, greater
consideration will be given to grants of larger amounts
than historically awarded under ICAT. The increased
funding is available for qualified projects involving
innovative air-pollution-control technologies and
air-monitoring technologies. An application in the form
of a pre-proposal, as described in the instructions,
must be emailed to ARB by March 31, 2005.
Source: NHA
March
03, 2006
Ballard
lands US$8.3M deal
Ballard Power Systems has secured an US$8.3 million
contract to service 27 Ballard powered Mercedes-Benz
Citaro fuel cell buses that will run on European roads
this year as a one-year extension to the CUTE (Clean
Urban Transport for Europe) / ECTOS (Ecological City
Transport System) Project, the two-year fuel cell bus
demonstration that began in late 2003. "The
success of the CUTE / ECTOS demonstration is a testament
to the importance of having strong partnerships,"
said Noordin Nanji, Ballard’s Vice President,
Marketing & Business Development. CUTE / ECTOS,
and the one-year extension, is a collaboration among a
diverse group, including DaimlerChrysler, Ballard,
energy companies and fuel providers, transit agencies
and all levels of government across a number of
countries. Together, these organizations are
working to demonstrate a sustainable mass transportation
solution, showing that there is an alternative to the
incumbent technologies that power transit fleets around
the world today.
Source: Ballard
February
22, 2006
Air
Products opens new H2 filling station in California
Air Products' newest hydrogen fueling station in
Riverside, California has been busy filling hydrogen
converted vehicles as the City of Riverside since the
dedication ceremony officially declaring the station
open at the beginning of February. It is the second
hydrogen fueling station Air Products has opened within
a week as another station in Santa Ana, CA was dedicated
on January 26. These two stations are part of a
five-city hydrogen fueling alternative energy
demonstration program being implemented by the South
Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) where the
respective cities involved will use Air Products'
fueling technology to fuel electric hybrid Toyota Prius
vehicles converted to be hydrogen capable by Quantum
Technologies. At Riverside, Air Products' Series 200(TM)
system, a totally integrated vehicle fueling
system, is providing the storage and dispensing of the
clean fuel to H2-powered vehicles with internal
combustion engines modified to burn gaseous hydrogen. This
model station and proprietary technology provides
customers flexibility in using H2 generated at the site,
or delivered hydrogen, integrated with storage and
vehicle dispensing capabilities. On-site hydrogen
is provided to the fueling system from a production
model HOGEN 6M Electrolyzer manufactured by
Proton Energy Systems. Proton, a subsidiary of
Distributed Energy Systems Corp., is a key supplier to
Air Products, and the companies have a preferred
supplier arrangement for electrolyzer based fueling
stations. Air Products and Proton Energy Systems will be
exhibiting at Hydrogen Expo US 2006 in Long Beach, CA.
Source: Air Products
February
13, 2006
BP
to build clean, H2 power plant in California
BP and Edison Mission Group (EMG), a subsidiary of
Edison International, today announced that they are
planning a new US$1 billion hydrogen-fueled power plant
in California that would generate clean electricity with
minimal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The
first-of-its-kind plant would be located alongside
BP’s Carson refinery, about 20 miles south of Los
Angeles, and would be capable of producing 500 megawatts
(MW) of low-carbon generation, enough power to serve
325,000 Southern California homes. The plant is designed
to provide 500MW of new clean generating capacity
for Southern California at a time when state agencies
are predicting possible power supply shortages during
the coming years. The
proposed Carson project would combine a number of
existing industrial processes to provide a new option
for generating electricity without significant CO2
emissions. Petroleum coke produced at California
refineries would first be converted to hydrogen and
carbon dioxide gases and around 90 percent of the CO2
will be captured and separated. The hydrogen gas stream
would be used to fuel a gas turbine to generate
electricity. The captured CO2 would be transported by
pipeline to an oilfield and injected into reservoir rock
formations thousands of feet underground, both
stimulating additional oil production and permanently
trapping the CO2.
Source: BP
February
09, 2006
NHA
applauds President's hydrogen budget
Washington, DC
-
Announced February 6, the
President's 2007 fiscal year budget request demonstrates
continued and growing support for developing the
hydrogen economy. This is shown both by increases in the
hydrogen program budget and by increases for the Solar
America, Biofuels, Wind Energy, FutureGen and Nuclear
Hydrogen Initiatives. These advanced energy programs
represent an essential group of clean energy
technologies that will help achieve the full benefits of
using hydrogen. "It
is crucial to understand that the increased use of
hydrogen will support the growth of other clean energy
technologies. They are both compatible and essential,"
said Jeff Serfass, President of the non- partisan,
National Hydrogen Association (NHA). "With this
budget request and the passage of the Energy Policy Act
this past summer, we are very happy to see continuing
support for hydrogen development from both the
Administration and Congress." The $289 million
request for hydrogen programs includes an 18% increase
from the $236 million appropriated by Congress for
spending this Fiscal Year. Increases in companion
advanced energy programs, mentioned in last week's State
of the Union Address, include 79% for the Solar America
Initiative, 65% for the Biofuels Initiative and 13% for
the Wind Energy Initiative. FutureGen (clean received
$54 million (up 200%) and although Nuclear Power 2010
experienced a 25% reduction, the new Global Nuclear
Energy Partnership ($250 million) was added in the
President’s budget. Technology
developed in these advanced energy programs will work
with the suite of equipment developed by the hydrogen
industry to produce clean hydrogen that can be used to
fuel everything from cell phones and cell phone towers
to vehicles and buildings. These technologies include
electrolyzers, reformers, storage and distribution
equipment and a variety of components and products like
fuel cells and hydrogen engines. "It's very
encouraging to see continued recognition that hydrogen
is worth our investment now for the benefits it will
provide today and down the road," said J. Michael
Davis, Chairman of the NHA. "Increased use of
hydrogen as a fuel benefits energy security, the
environment and economic growth." In
the coming months, debate on the budget and eventual
appropriations will reveal how robust these requests
will be. For the past two years, up to 27% of the
hydrogen program has been redirected by congressionally
identified activities. In addition, the FY07 budget
requests only 53% ($246 million out of $467 million) of
the spending authorized by Congress in the Energy Policy
Act. Planned activities recognize the authorization of
Title VIII of the Energy Policy Act, but no money was
requested to fund activities for Title VII. (Titles VII
and VIII are the two main hydrogen titles in the Energy
Policy Act.)
Source: NHA
February
01, 2006
President
Bush announces increase for H2/FC budget
In
His State Of The Union Address on January 31, 2006,
President Bush Outlined "The Advanced Energy
Initiative To Help Break America's Dependence On Foreign
Sources Of Energy". The President has set a
national goal of replacing more than 75% of U.S. oil
imports from the Middle East by 2025. The Advanced
Energy Initiative provides for a 22% increase in
clean-energy research at the Department of Energy (DOE)
and is meant to accelerate breakthroughs in two vital
areas: stationary power for homes and businesses and
power for automobiles. The President's 2007 Budget will
provide $289 million - an increase of $53 million over
FY06 - to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel
cells and affordable hydrogen-powered cars. According to
the White House, through the President's program, the
cost of a hydrogen fuel cell has been cut by more than
50% in just four years. Three years ago, President Bush
announced a $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to
develop technology for commercially viable
hydrogen-powered fuel cells, which would power cars,
trucks, homes, and businesses with no pollution or
greenhouse gases. Through private-sector partnerships,
the Initiative and related FreedomCAR programs will make
it practical and cost-effective for Americans to use
clean, H2/FC by 2020. The complete speech can be viewed
on: WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV
Source: White House
January
30, 2006
Bush administration outlines more H2/FC funding
Energy Secretary
Samuel W. Bodman announced US$ 119 million in funding
and a research “roadmap” aimed at identifying and
overcoming the technical and manufacturing challenges
associated with the further development of commercially
available hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The goal of
developing clean, hydrogen fuel vehicles is part of the
Bush Administration’s ongoing effort to reduce
America’s dependence on foreign oil. Secretary
Bodman announced that the Department of Energy (DOE)
will provide up to US$ 100 million over four years for
research projects seeking to improve FC membranes, water
transport within the stack, advanced cathode catalysts
and supports, cell hardware, innovative fuel cell
concepts, and effects of impurities on FC performance
and durability. Through this investment, DOE seeks to
improve performance and to lower cost of these
technologies by 2010. In addition, the Secretary
announed $ 19 million in federal funding over five years
for polymer membrane research. The goal of this research
is to advance membrane durability and extend shelf-life,
while simultaneously bringing down the cost. To
identify the research and development (R&D)
challenges that must be further addressed, Secretary
Bodman also unveiled DOE’s "Roadmap
on Manufacturing R&D for the Hydrogen Economy".
The 80-page document addresses challenges to
manufacturing, storage and production of fuel cell
technologies and proposes R&D solutions to overcome
such challenges, focusing primarily on near commercial
technologies. The Roadmap is based on the results of a July, 2005 hydrogen workshop made up
of hydrogen and fuel cell experts from industry,
universities, and national laboratories.
Source: DOE
January
30, 2006
H2 on demand from biomass
Virent Energy System announced that it has successfully
started up the first ever demonstration system capable
of directly converting sugars and glycerin into power.
The system, purchased by Madison, Gas & Electric
(MGE), is based on Virent's patented Aqueous Phase
Reforming (APR) process, a carbon neutral, one-step
method for on-demand production of hydrogen, natural gas
and/or other fuel gases for distributed power systems
from widely available renewable biomass. The MGE system
integrates an APR System with an H2/natural gas fueled
generator set provided by City Engines. The system has
demonstrated the ability to deliver a minimum of 10kW of
environmentally friendly power to the MGE grid since its
startup at the beginning of this year at Virent's
location in Madison, Wisconsin. Virent was able to
customize the gas production from its APR system to
deliver desired compositions of hydrogen, natural gas
and other fuel gases to the generator set. The system
currently operates on pure glycerin. In the future, the
Company will use a lower grade of glycerin that is
generated as a byproduct of the biodiesel production
process. Virent also intends to use sugar in the form of
sorbitol and glucose as a feedstock for this initial
unit. Over the next 18 months, this system will generate
needed reliability and performance data for an APR
system in a live environment. Virent's APR system offers
a cost effective method for low temperature production
of H2 and/or fuel gas. Virent Energy Systems will be
showcasing its technology at the upcoming Hydrogen Expo
US.
Source: Virent
January
23, 2006
Patent
awarded for GTI H2
dispenser technology
Gas
Technology Institute (GTI) has completed the development
of a new hydrogen dispenser control technology and
received notification from the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office that a U.S. patent will be awarded on this
technology. The H2 dispenser control technology and
algorithm, called HydroFil(TM), was developed as part of
a collaborative initiative between GTI and the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and
Infrastructure Technologies Program. Rapid temperature
rise that occurs when charging hydrogen into a cylinder
can result in less energy density, therefore lowering
the amount of fuel stored and reducing vehicle driving
range. The GTI-developed HydroFill technology provides
H2-powered vehicle operators and hydrogen station
operators with a cost-effective solution to accurately
and completely fill vehicles with compressed H2 gas. The
patented technology resulted from extensive
thermodynamic modeling and high-precision empirical
testing from -20°F to 115°F (-28°C to 46°C) ambient
temperature conditions using GTI’s large-scale
environmental chamber for testing high-pressure gas
systems. The technology was also incorporated into a
real-world hydrogen dispenser for a wide range of
precision validation tests. The HydroFill hydrogen
dispenser control technology is available for licensing
to interested parties. GTI will be an exhibitor at the
upcoming Hydrogen Expo US in Long Beach, CA.
Source: GTI
January
20, 2006
South
Carolina launches H2/FC alliance
The
South Carolina Department of Commerce announced the
introduction of the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel
Cell Alliance, a statewide initiative designed to
promote the development and use of quality, cost
effective and accessible hydrogen, fuel cells and
related technologies. The Alliance will serve as the
primary facilitator on hydrogen initiatives within the
state, with stated goals of developing a governing
strategy for hydrogen initiatives and associated
economies to enable long-term growth; providing
education on the state’s available hydrogen resources
and facilities; initiating and evaluating potential
partnerships and collaborations for research
initiatives; and supporting viable hydrogen
demonstrations and projects for the state. South
Carolina has a number of resources that can make a
significant impact on growing the hydrogen economy:
Savannah River National Laboratory, Center for Hydrogen
Research, University of South Carolina, Clemson
University, and South Carolina State University. The SC
H2/FC Alliance will for the first time exhibit at
Hydrogen Expo US 2006.
Source: SC Dept. of Commerce
January
10, 2006
Schwarzenegger
proposes further activities
for clean air in California
In his State of the State Address on January 5, Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a strategic growth plan
for California. The plan foresees investment into
"clean air as part of our critical
infrastructure". Over the next ten years the
Governor wants to set aside 222 billion US dollars for
activities including infrastructure programs without
raising taxes. "We have the technology to clean our
air", said Schwarzenegger, "so I say: build
it!"
The complete speech and a video of the address can be
viewed on:
WWW.GOVERNOR.CA.GOV
January
05, 2006
Quantum receives million-dollar funding
for military H2 vehicle
Quantum
Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. today
announced that its Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV)
and Mobile Hydrogen Infrastructure (MHI) programs are
allocated to receive a total of US$ 6.95 million in
funding under the fiscal year 2006 Appropriations Bill
for the Department of Defense, signed into law by
President Bush on December 30, 2005. These programs
follow on Quantum's successes with the U.S. Army,
wherein Quantum developed and demonstrated the
"Aggressor AMV," a high performance light-duty
off-road fuel cell hybrid vehicle, and the recently
completed "HyHauler MHI," a transportable
hydrogen refueling station designed for rapid refueling
of military vehicles and silent watch power generators.
In line with Quantum's new initiatives in hybrid
electric drive technology, the military AMV program will
develop an advanced second generation (Aggressor II)
high performance light-duty off-road hybrid electric
vehicle platform incorporating special undisclosed
modifications, based on the results of and feedback from
the U.S. Army's testing and evaluation of the Aggressor.
The propulsion system for this next phase of AMV
development will be an advanced internal combustion
engine hybrid electric drive system, which would provide
a cost-effective, near-term solution and provide common
shared vehicle architecture with future fuel cell
applications of the vehicle. Several pre-production
prototypes will be developed and built for testing and
evaluation by selected military commands to assess
mission suitability, supportability, performance
objectives, and guidance on final vehicle configuration.
"Quantum's military business and our strategic
initiatives in hybrids continue to gain momentum. Our
funding for Defense related programs will more than
triple this year to almost $7 million, up from $2
million in 2005." said Alan Niedzwiecki, President
and CEO of Quantum. "We believe that the AMV and
MHI programs offer innovative solutions to meet
the mission of the national defense effort while
reducing the fuel logistic burden," added Mr.
Niedzwiecki.
Source: Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide
December
13, 2005
DOE
supports FutureGen Alliance, US$ 1 bn project
The FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc. announced that
it has entered into a cooperative agreement with the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and site in
the United States the cleanest coal-fueled power plant
in the world with a target of zero emissions, hydrogen
production and carbon dioxide sequestration
capabilities. The Alliance and the DOE are partnering in
all development aspects of the US$1 billion FutureGen
project, including siting, technology selection,
construction and operation. The Alliance and DOE seek an
aggressive schedule that includes announcing a site
selection process next year, beginning construction
within three years and targeting plant operations in
2012. The FutureGen initiative is a multiple year
project comprised of several budget periods. The first
budget period, which will end Jan. 31, 2007 and cost
$10.2 million, will focus on establishing the
configuration and cost of the facility and developing a
short list of potential sites. The facility
configuration and siting process will take into
consideration a full range of U.S. coal types. The
Alliance is a non-profit corporation that represents a
global coalition of the world's largest coal and energy
companies with operations on five continents. Members of
the Alliance have voluntarily committed more than $250
million to help fund project development and include
American Electric Power; BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng
Group; CONSOL Energy Inc.; Foundation Coal; Kennecott
Energy, a member of the Rio Tinto Group; Peabody Energy
and Southern Company. The U.S. government would invest
about $700 million in the project.
Source:
Peabody Energy
December
13, 2005
Korea-US
joint nuclear H2 development center
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KOERI)
recently opened the Korea-US Joint Nuclear Hydrogen
Development Center at its International Nuclear Training
and Education Center in Daejeon. Amid the global efforts
to advance utilization of nuclear H2, the center will
focus on developing the very-high temperature gas-cooled
reactor (VHTR), a key to putting nuclear hydrogen into
practical use. Joining forces are Doosan Heavy
Industries and Construction and General Atomics from the
US. General Atomics is expected to provide full
financial support as well as its accumulated know-how to
develop VHTR system, which is a high-efficiency system
that can supply process heat to a broad spectrum of
high-temperature and energy-intensive, non-electric
processes. The center will contribute to raising Korean
expertise in the field, helping shorten the development
period of the VHTR and thus save money.
Source: Korea.net
December
02, 2005
Information
system on worldwide hydrogen
refuelling stations
As per 1st December this year, Germany based strategy
and technology consultant L-B-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST)
has launched an information system on worldwide hydrogen
refuelling stations. The database contains more than 220
hydrogen refuelling stations. Its compilation took
several months. Access to the information system
through WWW.H2STATIONS.ORG
is open to any interested party and free-of-charge. The
major share of hydrogen refuelling stations is found in
Europe, North America and Asia. Especially California,
Western Europe and Japan are the front runners in
infrastructure development for automotive hydrogen
applications. The number of newly erected hydrogen
refuelling stations has rapidly grown during the last
couple of years. Past as well as future infrastructure
developments mostly rely on broad-scale regional roadmap
initiatives. LBST's new information system comprises all
hydrogen refuelling stations, be they operative, planned
or decommissioned meanwhile. Browsing through the world
of hydrogen refuelling stations is supported by a
graphical user interface. Starting from the world map,
users may navigate through various geographical
aggregation levels down to the individual hydrogen
refuelling station. Each hydrogen refuelling station is
described in a profile sheet. This comprises technical
as well as organisation information, such as the year of
erection, financiers, operator and the system components
applied. Images of many hydrogen refuelling stations
complete this database which is unique in terms of
international coverage and completeness.
Source: LBST
November
24, 2005
U.S. DOT Hydrogen
Roadmap now available
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta has
approved the Department of Transportation's (DOT)
Hydrogen Roadmap. The Roadmap serves as the guiding
document for DOT's Hydrogen Safety Research,
Development, Demonstration, and Deployment programs. It
outlines the roles and activities of each participating
DOT operating administration, and serves as an outreach
document for communication, coordination, and
collaboration with other Federal agencies, Congress,
industry, and the public. The Roadmap delineates four
major topic areas for DOT: Safety Codes, Standards, and
Regulations; Infrastructure Development and Deployment;
Safety Education, Outreach, and Training; and Medium-
and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Development, Demonstration, and
Deployment. Describing current and projected DOT
activities supporting President Bush's Hydrogen
Initiative, the Roadmap illustrates the paths and
timeframes necessary to enable a successful hydrogen
infrastructure for the transportation enterprise. It
also provides a concise and consistent document for
future program direction. As a "living
document," the DOT Hydrogen Roadmap will be updated
as necessary.
Source: U.S. DOT
WWW.RITA.DOT.GOV
November
24, 2005
H2 plant in Indiana
supported by economic
development agency
ForeverGreen Enterprises Inc. announced plans to
construct a new high-technology hydrogen production
facility in Dekalb County with the support and
assistance of the state of Indiana through the Indiana
Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). While other
producers of hydrogen use natural gas as a feedstock,
the company
will manufacture Green Hydrogen from materials
that would otherwise be regarded as waste, therefore
reducing manufacturing costs and the negative impact
this waste would otherwise have on the environment.
Using a process known as plasma-induced molecular
dissociation, the company will break down waste
materials into their basic elements to extract hydrogen.
The production facility, to be located in Dekalb County,
will produce H2 for industrial and alternative fuel uses
and create more than 150 new jobs in the process. With
plans to have construction complete sometime in 2006,
co-founder and native Hoosier Randy Cole expects
ForeverGreen’s production capabilities to induce the
development of a hydrogen business cluster in the
surrounding area, where a high demand for hydrogen
already exists. The economic development incentives
offered by the IEDC include: approx. $110,000 to train
Indiana resident employees; up to $50,000 in training
grants for technology professionals; and up to a total
of $4.5 million in tax credits.
Source: ForeverGreen Enterprises
November
14, 2005
LAX adds H2 vehicle
to its alternative fuel fleet
The
Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved an
agreement between DaimlerChrysler's subsidiary Mercedes
Benz USA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to
evaluate the use of the zero-emission, hydrogen-fueled
F-Cell vehicle in the real-word setting of Los Angeles
International Airport (LAX). The agreement calls for LAX
to become the only U.S. airport to participate in the
"Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure
Demonstration and Validation Project" awarded to
DaimlerChrysler by the DOE. The project is going to
include two other field test sites in California, where
some of the 30 F-Cells that are placed throughout the
nation, will be operated. An important prerequisite for
the selection of LAX in this project was the existence
of an H2 fueling station on airport property. Already in
2004, the 10,500-square-foot compressed hydrogen station
was opened as a joint project between Los Angeles World
Airports, Praxair, BP, South Coast Air Quality
Management District, the California Energy Commission,
and the DOE. This partnership helped to fund the nearly
US$ 2 million construction cost.
Source: FuelCellWorks
November
14, 2005
Ethanol-to-hydrogen
fueling station for Chicago
U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel and Senators Richard
Durbin and Barack Obama announced that they
secured US$ 2 million in the Energy and Water
Appropriations Bill for the world's first
ethanol-to-hydrogen fueling station to be located in the
City of Chicago.
This
new technology converts renewable liquid ethanol into
hydrogen gas. The City of Chicago will use the station
to fuel a small test-fleet of hydrogen powered vehicles.
"Replacing oil from the Middle East with ethanol
from the Midwest is a win for all Americans.
Investing taxpayer dollars in clean and efficient energy
allows us to reward Illinois farmers and consumers
instead of big oil company executives. By funding
the world’s first Ethanol-to-Hydrogen Fueling station,
Illinois is setting a global example and putting our
nation on the road to energy independence," said
Durbin.
Source: Congressman Rahm Emanuel Press Release
October
31, 2005
Funding in
California: US$ 6.5 million for
transportation & infrastructure
"Hydrogen means business in California" is the
theme of the California Hydrogen Highway Network. On
July 21, 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed
Senate Bill 76 (SB 76) that provided the necessary
funding and legislative guidelines to implement
recommendations of the California Hydrogen Highway
Network (CA H2 Net) Blueprint Plan. SB 76 provides US$
6.5 million in funding for state-sponsored hydrogen
demonstration projects until January 1, 2007.
Specifically, the funds will: 1) establish up to 3
hydrogen fueling station demonstration projects - the
stations must meet or exceed certain environmental
goals, must be open and accessible to the public and be
conveniently located to enhance the CA H2 Net; 2) assist
State lease and purchase of hydrogen vehicles - the
State my lease up to 12 hydrogen vehicles and purchase
up to 2 hydrogen internal combustion engine shuttle
busses. SB 76 further requires funded projects to
contribute to energy and environmental goals by 2010 as
follows: a) greenhouse gas emission reductions -
projects must achieve a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions relative to current-year vehicles; b) new
renewable resources - 20% new renewable energy resources
must be used in hydrogen production for each station,
contributing to the achievement of the 2010 energy and
environmental goal of 33% new renewable resources; c) no
increase in toxic or criteria pollutant emissions - the
projects must not increase toxic or smog forming
emissions compared to fossil vehicle use. The bill also
addresses specifications for hydrogen fuel, by
requiring: development of specifications for use of
hydrogen fuel - the Department of Food and Agriculture
(DFA), with the concurrence of the State Air Resources
Board (ARB), will establish specifications for hydrogen
fuels for use in internal combustion and fuel cell
vehicles until standards are formally adopted by an
accredited standards development organization.
Source: California Hydrogen Highway Network
Website
WWW.HYDROGENHIGHWAY.CA.GOV
October
31, 2005
Number of H2
fueling stations, vehicles increases
in California
According to information provided by the California Fuel
Cell Partnership (CaFCP), there are currently 16
hydrogen fueling stations in operation in the State of
California. Nine of these stations supply fleets.
Further 15 fueling stations are in the planning phase,
including sites in Oakland, Emeryville, Burbank, Camp
Pendleton, Ontario, San Carlos, Santa Ana, Santa Monica,
and others. 95 fuel cell vehicles are being operated in
California at the moment, with more to come. CaFCP has
created a map of existing and planned H2 stations and
provides detailed technical description of the
individual sites on their website:
WWW.CAFCP.ORG
October
18, 2005
Carwash powered by
fuel cell
Canadian Federal Government & Sustainable
Development Technology Canada announced
a $12.2 million contribution to support the
demonstration of the Integrated Waste Hydrogen
Utilization Project (IWHUP) in the Vancouver area. IWHUP
will demonstrate innovative clean energy solutions that
make use of an existing but currently untapped source of
hydrogen fuel – H2 emitted as the by-product of a
sodium chlorate manufacturing plant in the North
Vancouver area. As part of IWHUP Easywash, a local
carwash company, will make a sizable cash contribution
to the project and be the host for the demonstration of
the fuel cell system fuelled with hydrogen from the
project. This phase of IWHUP is in partnership with Sacré-Davey
Innovations Inc. and Nuvera Fuel Cells. The FC will
provide the majority of the electricity demands for the
carwash as well as heat the building and water used to
wash vehicles at Easywash. This is the first such
application of a hydrogen fuel cell in the carwash
industry. Other participants in IWHUP include: Clean
Energy, Dynetek Industries Ltd., Great West Life Realty
Advisors, Hydrogen Technology & Energy Corporation,
Powertech Labs, Questair Technologies Inc., and
TransLink.
Source: Easywash
October
13, 2005
First
hydrogen fueling station for India
India's first hydrogen fueling station was officially
opened on October 9 by Mani Shanker Aiyar, Honourable
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Panchayati
Raj. The facility, a hydrogen/compressed natural gas
(HCNG) blend and pure hydrogen dispensing station, is
located at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited's (IOCL)
R&D centre, in Faridabad, just north of New Delhi.
The event was hosted by Sarthak Behuria, Chairman of
IOCL. The fueling station has been supplied by Air
Products and its Indian joint venture company INOX Air
Products Ltd. Air Products and INOX won the contract
after an open tendering process. The equipment consists
of a HCNG mixing unit, and dual dispensing unit which
has the ability to fuel vehicles with either a HCNG
blend or with pure H2. The unit will enable IOCL to
reduce the carbon and NOX emissions from compressed
natural gas vehicles, by adding hydrogen to natural gas.
IOCL plans to run at least four vehicles as part of its
test programme. This installation is the first step
towards building an infrastructure required for pure
hydrogen based fuelling systems.
Source: Air Products
October
13, 2005
Chevron
partners with U.S. Army for H2 R&D
Chevron
Technology Ventures LLC has signed its first Cooperative
Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S.
Army's Tank and Automotive Research, Development and
Engineering Center (TARDEC) to further hydrogen fueling
technologies. This agreement is the first CRADA for the
development of H2 infrastructure technologies between a
major international energy company and TARDEC. It
establishes a formal relationship under which Chevron
Technology Ventures and TARDEC can collaborate and share
knowledge and resources to install, test, evaluate and
demonstrate integrated hydrogen production and
infrastructure technologies. "The goal is to ensure
that the potential of hydrogen fueling technology is
explored and can be applied where practical in military
and civilian applications as a new source of energy for
transportation and power needs," said Rick Zalesky,
president of Chevron Technology Ventures' Hydrogen
business unit.
TARDEC's expertise in the testing and evaluation
of vehicle platforms and fueling infrastructure provides
an excellent testing ground for this promising new
technology and fuel." Dennis Wend, Executive
Director of the TARDEC's National Automotive Center,
added: "We were particularly interested in creating
this CRADA because of the opportunities that hydrogen
infrastructure can provide at military facilities.
Public/private collaborations such as the U.S. Army and
Chevron Technology Ventures are necessary to help
support this type of development."
Source:
Chevron Technology Ventures
October
04, 2005
Breakthrough
for H2 storage?
A novel technique for producing hydrogen from water and
organic material has been found recently at Purdue
University in Lafayette, Indiana - a discovery that
could help speed the creation of viable H2 storage
technology. Though the method has not yet been evaluated
for economic feasibility on a large scale, chemist Mahdi
Abu-Omar said it could offer solutions to several
problems facing developers of fuel cells, which are
looked upon as a potential replacement to fossil-fuel
burning engines in automobiles. The technique requires
only water, a catalyst based on the metal rhenium and an
organic liquid called an organosilane, which can be
stored and transported easily. "We have discovered
a catalyst that can produce ready quantities of hydrogen
without the need for extreme cold temperatures or high
pressures, which are often required in other production
and storage methods," said Abu-Omar, an associate
professor of chemistry in Purdue's College of Science.
"It is possible that this technique could lead to
fuel cells that are safe, efficient and not dependent on
fossil fuels as their energy source." Abu-Omar's
team estimates that about 7 gallons each of water and
organosilane could combine to produce 6 1/2 pounds of
hydrogen, which could power a car for approximately 240
miles.
Source: Purdue University
September
21, 2005
Danish
researchers introduce hydrogen tablet
Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
have invented a technology which may be an important
step towards the hydrogen economy: a hydrogen tablet
that effectively stores hydrogen in an inexpensive and
safe material. The researchers say that ith the new
hydrogen tablet it becomes much simpler to use the
environmentally-friendly energy of hydrogen. Hydrogen is
a non-polluting fuel, but since it is a light gas it
occupies too much volume, and it is flammable.
Consequently, effective and safe storage of hydrogen has
challenged researchers world-wide for almost three
decades. At the Technical University of Denmark, an
interdisciplinary team has developed a hydrogen tablet
which enables storage and transport of H2 in solid form.
“Should
you drive a car 600 km using gaseous hydrogen at normal
pressure, it would require a fuel tank with a size of
nine cars. With our technology, the same amount of
hydrogen can be stored in a normal gasoline tank”,
says Professor Claus Hviid Christensen, Department of
Chemistry at DTU. The hydrogen tablet is safe and
inexpensive. In this respect it is said to be different
from most other H2 storage technologies. According to
the DTU research team, consumers could literally carry
the material in their pockets without any kind of safety
precaution. The reason is that the tablet consists
solely of ammonia absorbed efficiently in sea-salt.
Ammonia is produced by a combination of hydrogen with
nitrogen from the surrounding air, and the DTU-tablet
therefore contains large amounts of H2. Within the
tablet, hydrogen is stored as long as desired, and when
it is needed, ammonia is released through a catalyst
that decomposes it back to free hydrogen. When the
tablet is empty, another a “shot” of ammonia is
necessary to make the tablet ready for use again.
Source: DTU
September
16, 2005
New
FC investments by Chrysalix Energy
Chrysalix Energy Management, a global venture capital
firm focused on early-stage clean energy technologies,
announced two new investments by Chrysalix Energy II
U.S. Limited Partnership in the field of hydrogen &
fuel cells. Each of the companies receiving the funds
has identified new, unique, large market opportunities
within the rapidly developing global clean energy
industry.
SiM
Composites is creating unprecedented proton exchange
materials based on multifunctional silica and polymer.
Mike Walkinshaw, Managing Director at Chrysalix Energy
said, “We expect to see SiM’s membranes
revolutionize many proton exchange membrane markets due
to their improved performance and lower cost. Their
technology could have a significant impact on
fuel cells for stationary and automotive applications as
well as membranes for water desalination”. Ardica
Technologies is producing a simple, low cost fuel cell
system with a unique fuelling solution, remarkable
energy density and several new consumer product
concepts. This innovative micro fuel cell company’s
development is attracting eager potential partners. The
team and early technology direction are originally from
Stanford University. Investors
in the Chrysalix Energy Partnerships include Ballard
Power Systems, BASF Venture Capital, BOC, The Boeing
Company, Mitsubishi Corporation, Shell Hydrogen, Robeco,
WestAM and Teachers’ Private Capital.
Source:
Chrysalix Energy Management
September
13, 2005
Air
Products begins repairing of New Orleans H2 plant
Air Products announced an update on its liquid hydrogen
supply and the status of its New Orleans, LA production
facility impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The company
reported that it has been able to secure additional H2
supplies from other sources and find different ways to
improve the liquid hydrogen shortage situation with
product management.
Air Products is in the process to begin repairing
its New Orleans facility, but water must be drained from
the site area to regain road access and power supply.
"To date, we have been able to maintain supply to
the majority of our customers.
While we will not be able to meet full demand of
all customers, the situation has improved, and we
informed our customers of this a few days ago,"
said Mark Bye, group vice president, Gases and Equipment
Group for Air Products.
"We have been working closely with our
customers to understand their precise requirements and
identify options to best manage their current and future
hydrogen supply." Air Products is encouraged that
it has been able to continue supplying customers with H2
by converting some customer operations from liquid to
gaseous hydrogen supply.
The company is also securing product from other
sources, such as customers without immediate needs
releasing their stored hydrogen back to Air Products.
Additionally, the company has determined that
some inventory at its New Orleans facility is undamaged
and can be distributed when safe road access becomes
available. Air
Products is also working on arrangements for alternative
feedgas supply to its liquid hydrogen facility in
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
Source: Air Products
September
13, 2005
Rifkin
predicts oil price of US$ 90 a barrel
Controversial
US thinker Jeremy Rifkin told the EU that the world will
witness the end of the oil era in the present
generation's lifetime, as Members of the European
Parlament launched a new initiative to promote hydrogen
fuel. The chief of the Washington-based Foundation on
Economic Trends indicated that the world will have used
up over half its oil reserves by 2027 at the latest or
between 2010 and 2020 at the earliest. "Let's hope
and pray that we don't peak in the next two to three
years, or we are going to be in trouble like we have
never been before in human history", he said.
Rifkin urged world leaders to focus research and
investment on developing renewable energy over the next
25 years in order to usher in a third industrial
revolution after steam and oil power. He predicted that
oil might soon cost over US$ 90 dollars a barrel,
blaming hurricane Katrina, global warming and the
consumption of fossil fuels. According to International
Energy Association (IEA) chief economist Fatih Birol
hydrogen fuel cells could become financially viable in
the next few decades and that world leaders should not
become complacent over oil. IEA oil markets analyst
Lawrence Eagles added that things could get worse before
they get better. "We are still at the beginning of
the hurricane season", he pointed out, adding that
European consumers are beginning to slow spending in
other areas, as high petrol prices bite.
Source: EU Observer
September 13, 2005
Ballard
secures order for 100 fuel cells
Shares
of Ballard Power Systems Inc. gained about 12 per cent
after the company signed a deal to sell fuel cells to
power electric forklifts to General Hydrogen Corp. and
signalled the potential for future sales. Dennis
Campbell, Ballard's president and chief executive, said
such use of fuel cells is a practical near-term
application of the company's technology. "A lot of
people think of us just as a car fuel cell company, but
we've always had a strong presence and interest in
non-automotive," Campbell said. "What we're
doing here is really the best of all worlds where we're
applying our automotive technology into a related
non-automotive product." Ballard shares gained 81
cents or roughly 12 per cent to trade for $7.65 on the
Toronto Stock Exchange on Friday afternoon. Under the
deal announced Thursday, Ballard expects to begin the
deliveries in the fourth quarter of this year and
complete them in the fourth quarter of 2006. Ballard and
General Hydrogen also have the option to negotiate a
follow-on supply agreement in 2007 and beyond.
Source: CDC News
September
04, 2005
Toyota
introduces H2-powered race car
Toyota
has introduced a computer game-inspired, environmentally
friendly Toyota concept car. The Motor Triathlon Race
Car (MTRC) is a hydrogen-powered race car concept that
combines influences from Toyota’s involvement in
Formula One, rallying, sports car racing and other forms
of motor sport. The MTRC - which will be familiar to
Sony Playstation users thanks to its inclusion in the
Gran Turismo 4 game - was conceived to compete in a
“triathlon” of different driving environments: an
off-road course, a smooth racetrack and a narrow city
street circuit. Featuring avant-garde styling from
Toyota’s ED2 Studio in France, the MTRC seats driver
and passenger astern, wrapped in open-wheeler style
downforce-producing bodywork. The company’s heritage
in four-wheel-drive vehicles is demonstrated by the
drivetrain, in which all four wheels are powered by
individual electric motors. Penned by Toyota's ED2
Studio in France, the open-wheeler offers seating for
two, but the occupants sit line astern, rather than
abreast, so conversations may have to wait until the
journey is over. The unusual hoop-shaped wing is
designed to produce aerodynamic downforce, while four
electric motors - each assigned to an individual wheel -
provide propulsion. These motors, in turn, are powered
by a fuel cell stack that produces no harmful emissions,
with water the only by-product. The vehicle uses an
electronically controlled suspension system that
constantly monitors the road conditions and raises the
ride height and other settings accordingly, and it is
complemented by 'intelligent' tyres with built-in
sensors that are claimed to maximise grip on any
surface.
Source: Fuel Cell Works
August 11, 2005
New energy bill to spur growth for renewables
President Bush has signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law
in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The signing of this bill
represents the culmination of years of Congressional
stalemate over a vast energy policy package, and a
central policy goal of the Bush Administration since the
president's first term in office. A number of supportive policy wins for renewable energy
could usher in a new business cycle for the clean energy
industries. The package includes a two-year extension of
the wind power industry's coveted Production Tax Credit
(PTC), which will also be extended to a wide array of
other renewable energy technologies. The solar industry
receives an unprecedented two-year investment tax credit
for solar PV, thermal and Concentrating Solar Power
(CSP). The first such legislation in decades, the
national tax credit would be capped at US$ 2,000 per
residential project and have no limit on commercial
projects. With their strong farm-belt constituencies,
biofuels, and particularly ethanol, made out well
through the inclusion of an expanded renewable fuels
standard that will effectively double the amount of
biofuels being produced. Ocean energy, a particularly
undeveloped technology in the U.S. received a host of
policy items to help propel new projects. Geothermal and
hydropower also received helpful policy items, as did
hydrogen and fuel cells.
Source: Renewable Energy Access
August 10, 2005
49 million funding for U.S. bus program
Congress approved US$ 49 million in funding for the
National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program as
a component of the just-passed $287-billion
Transportation Equity Act of 2005. The four-year
hydrogen and fuel cell bus research and development
program will speed work to make hydrogen and fuel cell
buses commercially viable, focusing on critical areas of
technology development. WestStart-CALSTART, together
with a national team of more than 30 bus makers,
operators and technology developers, formed the National
Fuel Cell Bus Technology Initiative (NFCBTI) and led the
effort to ensure funding for this effort to keep America
competitive in these new technologies. In contrast to
the Clean Urban Transportation for Europe (CUTE) program
which funded hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell bus
demonstrations in 11 cities, the U.S. program will focus
more on the key technical challenges preventing fuel
cell buses from becoming commercially viable. It will be
a competitive, national program that will identify and
support the nation's best hydrogen and fuel cell teams
and technologies for transit. The US$ 49 million program
runs from 2006-2009 to develop and validate systems that
can lead to commercialization.
Source: Renewable Energy Access
July 31, 2005
Schwarzenegger honors brewery's commitment
to FC technology
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sierra
Nevada Brewing Co. joined officials from three
participating companies to dedicate a one-megawatt fuel
cell power plant that is the largest commercial
high-temperature FC installation in the state and is
classified as an Ultra-Clean technology under California
law. "Like any business, Sierra Nevada was looking
for stable, affordable, reliable power, and they wanted
to limit the environmental impact of their
operation," said Schwarzenegger. "They found
the answer in a hydrogen fuel cell that generates power
on site." Designed to create energy without
combustion, the 1 MW power plant consists of four
250-kilowatt "Direct FuelCell" power plants
from FuelCell Energy, Inc. Its waste heat will be
harvested in the form of steam and used for the brewing
process as well as other heating needs. 1 MW of
electricity (equivalent to the power needed to support
approximately 500-1,000 homes for a year) will supply
essentially 100% of the brewery's base load power
requirements. With this power plant, Sierra Nevada not
only lowers its overall energy costs but also eliminates
air pollutant emissions equivalent to removing 500
gasoline-powered cars from the road every year. When the
fuel cells generate more power than the brewery
requires, Sierra Nevada sends excess electricity back to
the grid system and receives credit for a portion of its
generation costs.
Source: FuelCell Energy
July
29, 2005
NHA
announces 2006 H2U Student Design Contest
The
planning for the National Hydrogen Association's 2006
H2U Student Design Contest has begun and the organizer
needs sponsorship support for this rewarding program.
Helping the H2U Student Design Contest is a unique
opportunity for any organization to directly support
some of the most motivated students in the nation to
develop innovative hydrogen technology. The contest
engages students to design hydrogen systems while
teaching them real-world, hands-on lessons they would
unlikely encounter in class. The work involved is
realistic, relevant and it calls for students to
collaborate creatively on a variety of subjects. The
2006 theme is "Applications for Hydrogen
Storage".
Student teams will design a system whose use of
H2 as a means to store energy provides a particular
advantage where other energy storage systems would be
less adequate.
These systems can be anything from a power-system
for a water-well to a power system for a major
metropolitan hospital.
A great deal of flexibility will be allowed with
regard to the type of application, but there will be
many requirements to meet - students will be encouraged
to think creatively! For more information on the contest
please contact: Andrew Cotter, NHA, at 202-223-5547 x360
or by email at:
cottera@hydrogenassociation.org
July 29, 2005
Never
lost on the hydrogen highway
Honda announced that all hydrogen fuel cell-powered 2005
FCX vehicles will be equipped with a proprietary
navigation system. This new navigation system is the
first to incorporate the location of hydrogen filling
stations, including stations being developed as part of
California's "Hydrogen Highway" Initiative.
Based on the company's navigation system offered in many
Honda and Acura models, this voice-activated system will
be standard on all second generation FCX vehicles
equipped with the FC stack also developed by the car
manufacturer. It includes features such as the
capability to find and display H2 stations through voice
commands, including directions and driving distances.
Offering national navigation coverage, the system
currently includes a total of 26 H2 stations in its
database with nine of them outside the state of
California. There is also a feature included that will
allow the user to add stations to their personal address
book. As the infrastructure develops further, periodic
system updates will be performed by Honda to include any
new stations to the directory.
Source: Honda
July
18, 2005
Australian
researchers introduce
diesel hydrogen engine
Engineers
from the University of Tasmania (UTAS), Australia,
report that they have created a way for diesel engines
to have hydrogen running through their veins. The
Hydrogen and Allied Renewable Technology research group,
based at the UTAS School of Engineering, has discovered
that running a combustion engine with a combination of
diesel and hydrogen increases power output, drastically
cuts emissions and massively reduces diesel consumption.
The discovery, at the specially-designed Hydrogen
Laboratory the building of which was sponsored by Hydro
Tasmania, has the potential to be used for both domestic
and commercial purposes. According to Associate
Professor Vishy Karri of the Intelligent Car Program at
UTAS, adding just a just a “spoon full” of diesel
and running the generator with hydrogen resulted in a 20
per cent increase in power output. “The mixing of both
hydrogen and diesel in the same combustion chamber is a
revolutionary world-first", adds Karri. "Other
conversion kits on the market are designed to be ‘all
or nothing’ - either 100 per cent diesel or 100 per
cent hydrogen. There is nothing available for diesel
engines that is specifically for diesel-hydrogen gas
mixtures.”
The system is said to give any diesel engine the
ability to generate 20 per cent more power, and to also
reduce ongoing diesel consumption by up to 80 per cent.
An innovative Mechatronic Controlled Injection Unit,
developed by the UTAS team, controls the flow of
hydrogen into the engine, which could have a huge
environmental influence. The modular aspect of this
system means that remote areas with a large established
diesel infrastructure will be able to conform to current
and future emissions regulations.
Source: UTAS
July
12, 2005
Grants
for H2 production, storage projects
Jin Zhang, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at
the University of California, Santa Cruz, will receive
US$ 535,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) for his part in two research projects aimed at
developing new technologies for the production and
storage of hydrogen fuel using nanostructured materials.
The production of H2 from water using solar energy is
the focus of one of the projects. Zhang is leading that
effort and is also a coinvestigator on a second project
to develop a method for highly efficient hydrogen
storage. Both of the three-year projects rely on a novel
approach to create nanostructured materials with special
properties. Using solar energy to split water and
generate H2 is not a new concept, but Zhang says his
team's approach could lead to a device efficient enough
for practical use. The device will integrate two
kinds of solar cells - a photovoltaic cell to produce
electricity and a photoelectrochemical cell to produce
hydrogen from the electrolysis of water. Both will use
specially designed materials based on arrays of
nanowires with uniform orientation. The main focus of
the project will be on developing these nanostructured
materials to optimize the efficiency of both the
photovoltaic cell and the photoelectrochemical cell. The
researchers will use a technique called glancing angle
deposition (GLAD) to fabricate the nanowire arrays. The
hydrogen storage project will also involve using the
GLAD technique to fabricate nanostructured materials.
One of the problems with H2 as a fuel is that it is a
bulky gas that is not easily transported and stored. A
promising solution is to store it in a solid form as a
metal hydride compound. Metal hydride nanostructures
could greatly improve the efficiency of this type of
storage, Zhang said. The researchers plan to find the
optimum conditions for fabricating metal hydride
nanostructures to achieve highly efficient hydrogen
storage.
Source:
UC Santa Cruz
July
07, 2005
Hydrogen
energy could save lives
Standford researchers have published an article in the
journal Science about the health impact of a conversion
of all vehicles now on the road in the United States to
hydrogen fuel, under the assumption that the hydrogen
was generated from wind energy by electrolysis.
According to Associate Professor Mark Z. Jacobson and
postdoctoral fellow Whitney Goldsborough Colella (both
in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department),
and Consulting Professor David M. Golden (Mechanical
Engineering Department), such a conversion could prevent
millions of cases of respiratory illness and tens of
thousands of hospitalizations every year and save more
lives than were lost in the World Trade Center attacks.
"Converting all the current vehicles to fuel cell
vehicles powered by wind would save 3,000 to 6,000 lives
in the United States annually, and it could be done at a
fuel cost that's comparable to the cost of gasoline, and
less than the cost of gasoline when you consider the
health effects of gasoline," said Jacobson.
Source: Renewable Energy Access
July 07, 2005
8
hours talk time with FC mobile phone
Japanese telecom company NTT
DoCoMo, Inc. announced that they, together with Fujitsu
Laboratories Ltd., have developed a new and improved
prototype methanol fuel cell for 3G "FOMA"
handsets. According to the release, the new prototype
enables eight hours of continuous talk time, three times
the capacity of the existing prototype, while weighing
the same, 190g. The new device is expected to greatly
extend usage time once it goes into commercial
production. DoCoMo improved the capacity by increasing
the methanol concentration from 30% to over 99% and
developing a method of recycling the generated water.
The company unveiled a prototype micro fuel cell using
methanol as an inexpensive source of fuel last September
to meet user demands for more convenient handsets with
greater power capacity and reduced environmental impact.
Power consumption demands are rising as mobile phone
users take advantage of new services and handset
features such as videophone and flat-rate monthly
billing for value added data services. Further work on
the prototype, a cradle-shaped device, is expected to be
completed by the end of March 2006.
Source: NTT DoCoMo
July 07, 2005
Hydrogen
powered observer plane
AeroVironment (AV), a developer of unmanned
High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) aircraft, released
news about the successful completion of the world’s
first liquid hydrogen powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) flight tests. The fifty-foot (15m) wingspan
prototype aircraft accomplished a major milestone in
AV’s Global Observer HALE system development. The
"Global Observer" demonstrates the
practicality and operational robustness of the enabling
technologies and concept of operations for the system.
According to AeroVironment, the new platform will be
able to operate at 65,000 feet (19.800m) for over a week
with a flexible payload-carrying capacity of up to 1,000
pounds (450 kg). Using only two aircraft in rotation,
with one Global Observer replacing the other on station
once per week, this capability will provide seamless
communication relay and remote sensing systems at
breakthrough affordability. Government and commercial
applications include: persistent, global, near-space
loitering capability for defense and homeland security
missions; low cost, rapidly deployable
telecommunications infrastructure and GPS augmentation;
hurricane/storm tracking, weather monitoring, and
wildfire detection/support; environmental monitoring,
agriculture optimization and aerial imaging/mapping
capabilities.
Source: AeroVironment
July
06, 2005
First
family fuel cell vehicle
American Honda Motor Co., Inc announced the lease of its
FCX, an advanced hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle, to
the world's first individual customers, Jon and Sandy
Spallino of Redondo Beach, California. The Spallinos
become the world's first fuel cell family, having signed
an agreement to lease a 2005 Honda FCX for a period of
two years. Honda is the only automotive manufacturer to
certify its fuel cell vehicle for regular daily use and
the first to offer its technology to an individual
customer. The Spallinos will use the FCX in everyday
normal use, including commuting to work to Orange
County, trips to school for their children, shopping and
household errands. The Spallino family will be among the
first individuals to begin utilizing the first of
California's Hydrogen Highway refueling stations, a
statewide infrastructure build out underway to offer
hydrogen refueling station access to private
individuals. As the next natural step in deployment of
Honda fuel cell technology, the lease of the FCX to the
Spallino family will be the first of several FCX
vehicles to be leased to individual customers over the
next year.
Source: Honda
July
06, 2005
Fuel
cell sports car
A British partnership has announced plans to develop an
environmentally clean, fuel cell powered sports car.
QinetiQ, Morgan Motor Company, Cranfield, Oxford
Universities, BOC, and OSCar Automotive want to build
the "LIFECar" at an estimated cost of 1.9
million British pounds (US$ 3.3), some of which is
sponsored by the UK Department of Trade and Industry.
The architecture of the vehicle will be based on the
Morgan Aero Eight. QinetiQ will supply the PEM fuel cell
which powers four separate electric motor. BOC develops
the hydrogen refueling station for the new sports car.
Source: The Engineer Online
June
30, 2005
U.S.
Senate passes Energy Bill
The
U.S. Senate passed the 2005 Energy Bill. Nationwide, the
political will to address core energy issues is
improving, with the escalating energy prices catching
the attention of constituents. This year alone, crude
oil prices have increased nearly 40%, with U.S. crude
oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange reaching
$60 per barrel. The bill does include approximately $18
billion in energy tax incentives encouraging greater
energy efficiency and renewable resources such as wind
and solar. It also foresees five year hydrogen spending
at approximately $3.27 billion over the five years,
including $1.06 billion for hydrogen supply, $860
million for fuel cell technologies, $1.31 billion for
demonstration programs, and $38 million for codes and
standards. A
30%
tax credit will be granted for the purchase of solar,
photovoltaic, and fuel cell systems for residential use.
Source: U.S. Senate
June 08, 2005
Solar
H2 and landfill gas project
to prevent CO2 emissions
SHEC-Labs
from Saskatchewan, Canada, announed plans
o move ahead on a demonstration project that involves as
many as 30 prototype solar units tapping
landfill-generated methane for solar powered hydrogen
production. The company has been developing a dish-style
solar thermal concentrator for the production of
electrical power and H2 production. SHEC Labs'
prototype solar hydrogen generator has operated for
approximately 1,200 hours with no noticeable coking or
degradation of the catalysts. Hydrogen production is
near the theoretical maximum at approximately 66% in the
product gas stream with a 98.2% mol conversion of the
feed methane. The estimated maximum H2 production with
the unit is approximately 3,500 kg per year with minor
modifications to the operating pressure and reactor
configuration and an increase in the solar mirror area.
The next stage of development is anticipated to be a
commercial-scale demonstration at a landfill gas site
using 40,000 kg per year hydrogen production modules.
This one project (a small-to-medium sized landfill gas
project) will prevent more than 1.6 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)
from entering the atmosphere over the next twenty years
and will significantly improve local air quality and
reduce smog. This one plant would consist of 30 modules
for a total annual production of 1.2 million kg of
hydrogen per year. (550 million cubic feet). SHEC-Labs
is currently in the process of capitalizing to deploy
its first commercial-scale plant. Once this plant is
operational, it can be repeatedly duplicated. The next
generation of solar hydrogen involves direct water
splitting with only water as the primary feed component.
According to scientists at the lab, six of the ten steps
needed for this process are already integrated into the
current system.
Source: SHEC
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