FuelCellsWorks

GRAND FORKS–After 6 years of diligent prosecution, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) Foundation in Grand Forks, North Dakota, allowance for a patent application on a system that produces high-pressure hydrogen on-demand. The final patent will be approved in the very near future.

The EERC technology converts alcohols or liquid fuels, such as ethanol, methanol, and gasoline, to high-pressure hydrogen at the time of fueling. Utilizing this state-of-the-art process, the prohibitive infrastructure costs of nationwide hydrogen transportation and storage will be eliminated so that hydrogen refueling will be accessible and affordable. The hydrogen is produced on-site, on-demand at the fuel pump, rather than at a separate location.

“Through the hydrogen programs at the EERC, we are breaking down barriers, bringing down the costs, and shortening the timetable to the point where hydrogen will be a major component of our national energy future,” said EERC Director Gerald Groenewold. “The high-pressure hydrogen production technology is a cornerstone technology for achieving those goals.”

Researchers in the EERC’s National Center for Hydrogen Technology, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory and over 85 corporate partners, have proved the conversion of methanol into hydrogen and are working toward obtaining similar results for ethanol and hydrocarbon fuels, including military jet fuel.

This technology is a cornerstone for the EERC’s proposed United States-Israel Hydrogen Fueling and Fleet Demonstration, which proposes to demonstrate hydrogen as a fuel for transit buses in North Dakota and Tel Aviv, Israel. The EERC is currently seeking federal cofunding for that project.

Tom Bechtel, EERC Foundation Board President and the Principal at TFB Consulting Services in New Bern, North Carolina, said, “The EERC Foundation Board of Directors is extremely proud of this milestone. It is a marvelous example of the ever-increasing portfolio of EERC technologies the Foundation is bringing to commercial deployment.”

The technology is also being commercialized for many other different applications as well as with a variety of corporate and governmental partners and includes industrial applications that provide near-term commercial opportunities for North Dakota in manufacturing and cold-weather testing.

“This patent allowance will clearly strengthen the ability of the EERC Foundation to license the technology,” said Carsten Heide, Associate Director for Intellectual Property Management and Technology Commercialization. “We are continually making design advancements to this technology and are broadening the patent to protect those new developments.” The EERC Foundation houses the rights to technologies developed by the EERC and promotes business relationships with strategic partners interested in commercializing those technologies. The patent term expires on December 13, 2024.

Vasilios Manousiouthakis, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been awarded $2.1 million in grant funding to build a state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling station on the UCLA campus.

A $1.7 million grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and a $400,000 grant from the state’s Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) will go toward the construction of one of the largest hydrogen fueling stations in California, with a capacity to produce 140 kilograms of hydrogen a day for use in hydrogen-powered vehicles.

“The grants will enable UCLA to achieve a number of its long-term goals for promoting sustainability, both on campus and in the greater Los Angeles region,” said Michael Swords, executive director of Strategic Research Initiatives at UCLA. “The development of this hydrogen fueling station will also provide our students with a state-of-the-art learning and research facility where they can study and evaluate the logistics of hydrogen generation, distribution and supply — all of this while also providing a much needed boost to the development of the ‘hydrogen highway’ here in California.”

The station, which will be available for use by the public, will be run by UCLA Engineering’s Hydrogen Engineering Research Consortium (HERC), which Manousiouthakis directs. The consortium was established in 2005 after UCLA partnered with DaimlerChrysler Corp. and global energy company BP to help demonstrate elements of the hydrogen economy infrastructure.

“The goal of HERC is to accelerate the onset of the hydrogen economy through the development and demonstration of technologies for the production, storage, transportation and use of hydrogen,” Manousiouthakis said. “The new UCLA hydrogen fueling station will prove to be another milestone achievement in our efforts.”

UCLA has been at the forefront of hydrogen-related research since the 1970s, first with its student-built hydrogen-fueled car, which won the national Urban Vehicle Design Competition, and more recently with its novel cycle to produce hydrogen through the thermochemical decomposition of water.

Major energy providers and automotive manufacturers view hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles as the most sustainable mobility solution in the long term. Manousiouthakis, a systems engineering expert who focuses on the development of novel hydrogen production methods, believes that hydrogen production based on the reforming of natural gas — a process that involves the endothermic transformation of natural gas and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide — is the most economical route for hydrogen production today.

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles generate minimal to no pollution and emit 50 percent less greenhouse gases and 90 percent less volatile organic, smog-forming and toxic emissions than today’s gasoline-powered vehicles, even when powered by hydrogen produced from natural gas.

“With this station, we aim to show that methane reforming–based stations essentially provide an answer to the question of hydrogen infrastructure,” Manousiouthakis said. “The proposed fueling station will demonstrate that we can effectively utilize the existing natural gas infrastructure to deliver hydrogen on-site. We won’t have to build new pipelines for hydrogen.”

The current environmental outlook for California is grim, and change is critical. California’s air pollution is among the worst in the world, and, according to HERC, if the state were a country, it would be world’s fifth-largest producer of global warming emissions. More than 60 percent of the state’s air pollution comes from mobile sources.

The grants from CARB and MSRC are part of a statewide initiative to help defray the costs of expanding and improving California’s network of natural gas and hydrogen fueling stations. CARB in particular is helping to advance Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “hydrogen highway” initiative to promote the creation of a hydrogen refueling network.

Furthermore, with recent amendments to the state’s Zero Emissions Vehicle program, automakers will be required to place 7,500 zero-emissions vehicles on the road by 2014. Depending on the availability of hydrogen fueling stations, some of them will be fuel-cell vehicles.

Today there are 27 operational hydrogen fueling stations throughout the state, with 17 additional stations in the planning stage. Manousiouthakis hopes the new station, to be located near UCLA’s transit facility at the corner of Veteran and Kinross avenues, will be up and running by the end of this year.

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, established in 1945, offers 28 academic and professional degree programs, including an interdepartmental graduate degree program in biomedical engineering. Ranked among the top 10 engineering schools at public universities nationwide, the school is home to five multimillion-dollar interdisciplinary research centers in wireless sensor systems, nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing and nanoelectronics, all funded by federal and private agencies.

Here is the complete list of 16th District investments:

Army Applications of Direct Carbon Fuel Cells: $2.8 million to deliver in 36 months an improved energy conversion method to reduce the energy burden of Army forward operating bases. Recipient: Stark State College, Canton.

Military Fuel Cell Genset Technology Demonstration: $3 million to create tactical generator sets used by the Department of Defense which consume 357 million gallons of fuel annually because of use by soldiers for electrical power needs ranging from command post C2 systems, to air conditioning tents, to field kitchens. Recipient: Stark State College of Technology, North Canton.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems PVL Pilot Line: $2 million to upgrade the clean room at the Stark State Fuel Cell Prototyping Center (FCPC) to accommodate Print Verification Line (PVL) equipment for the development of the manufacturing process, begin the PVL and conduct fuel cell stack tests with the active tubes that are produced. Recipient: Stark State College of Technology, North Canton.

Fuel Cell Services Learning Center: $2 million to grow Phase III of a fuel cell campus at Stark State College. Recipient: Stark State College, North Canton.

DHAHRAN–Fuel cells will be an important component in the energy industry in the near future and the Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy (CoRERE) will help develop the industry in the Kingdom, said Abdul Aziz Al-Suwayyan, vice rector for Academic Affairs at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), while inaugurating a workshop on renewable energy here recently.

Al-Suwayyan said CoRERE, which organized the workshop, is geared to commission research on the subject.

The workshop brought together representatives of private companies, university officials, policymakers, scientists, engineers and academicians who exchanged ideas and information on the advancement of fuel cell technology.

Fuel cells generate electrical power quietly and efficiently without pollution. Simply put, a fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts fuel — such as hydrogen and methanol — into electricity directly.

Pure water is the only byproduct. Fuel cells claim to solve the two most important problems of the modern era — environment and energy.

Habib Abulhamayel, director of CoRERE, presented an overview of the activities of the center. He said the Saudi National Center for Renewable Energy has actively engaged researchers and engineers to develop the technology in the Kingdom.

“We are currently working on a new device that converts carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons, which would help in cleaning the environment and producing usable materials,” said S.U. Rahman, assistant director of the center, during a presentation.

Key speaker Vinu Ajayan, senior scientist from Japan’s National Institute for Material Sciences, spoke on the use of advanced functional nano-materials for energy and environment. Paul Dickerson, senior partner at Haynes and Boone’s Clean Tech, US, emphasized the commercialization of fuel cells technology and expanded on the current status of commercialization in the US.

S.M. Javaid Zaidi, head of the Fuel Cell Research Group at CoRERE, spoke on the fuel cell research activity of his group at KFUPM that is being carried out in collaboration with laboratories in Japan and India.

S. Basu, Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, explained the usefulness and development requirements of the solid oxide fuel cell.

Shakeel Ahmad, research engineer at CRP, Research Institute, KFUPM, touched on the production of hydrogen by using the technology.

The Ministry of Higher Education established CoRERE in 2007 with the aim of furthering research and development in all major areas of renewable energy, especially solar energy.

University of Waterloo claims top prize for the Hydrogen Student Design Contest

WASHINGTON, DC–The Hydrogen Education Foundation announced today the top winners of the 2008-09 Hydrogen Student Design Contest.  The University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada won the Grand Prize, while two different teams from the Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan claimed honorable mentions.  This year’s Hydrogen Student Design Contest challenged teams of university students from around the world to design a green student center powered by hydrogen for the State University of New York – Farmingdale Campus, using a theoretical budget of $28 million dollars.

Teams of students from Canada, Turkey and the U.S. worked for over 6-months to develop detailed designs to show how hydrogen products, which are for sale today, can be used to create a green student center.  Although the focus of this year’s design was specific to the planned SUNY-Farmingdale Student Center, the winning teams designed systems that can be used in student centers and similar buildings around the world.

The Grand Prize design from the University of Waterloo featured a three-level, 76,000 square feet student center, powered primarily by renewable energy produced from solar, wind, and biomass resources.  Hydrogen was used to alleviate the challenges associated with the intermittent solar and wind resources by using daily and seasonal excess electricity in an electrolyzer to make hydrogen from water.  As long as hydrogen is stored, it can be used on-demand to power the building when the primary electricity generation cannot meet the building’s demand. The Waterloo design also used hydrogen to fuel a campus vehicle.

“The judges of this year’s Hydrogen Student Design Contest were thrilled to see students show how today’s hydrogen products can increase the value of renewable energy by addressing the irregular supply challenges associated with wind and solar energy,” said Patrick Serfass, Vice President for the Hydrogen Education Foundation. “The designs the students submitted to this Contest represent the future of our built environment.”

Since 2004 the Hydrogen Education Foundation’s Hydrogen Student Design Contest has challenged teams of university-level students from around the world to develop and design hydrogen systems for real world use.  Although nothing is built during the Contest, the Grand Prize winning hydrogen fueling station design from 2004 and the power park design in 2005 each attracted the funding necessary for actual development and implementation.   That fueling station opened in California in September 2008.

This year’s Contest would not have been possible without support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Chevron, American Wind Power and Hydrogen, NYSERDA, Fuel Cell Energy, and the State University of New York – Farmingdale. As part of their award, the team from the University of Waterloo received an all-expenses paid trip to Columbia, SC for the NHA Conference and Hydrogen Expo in Columbia, SC to present their design as a keynote address. For a complete list of the submissions, and to see the designs, visit www.HydrogenContest.org.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Replace Internal Combustion Engines in Lift Trucks Throughout Facility

LATHAM, N.Y.– Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, announced today that Nestle Waters North America has installed 32 GenDrive(TM) hydrogen fuel cells, purchased in 2008, to use at their Dallas, Texas bottling facility. As a result, Nestle Waters has converted its entire fleet of sit down counterbalanced lift trucks from internal combustion (IC) engines powered by liquid petroleum gas to Yale(R) class I electric lift trucks powered by GenDrive power units.

Rising fuel costs coupled with high greenhouse gas emissions have companies searching for alternative solutions to internal combustion engines. Electric lift trucks powered by GenDrive units provide a cost effective alternative to traditional power sources.

Nestle Waters evaluated both hydrogen fuel cells and lead acid batteries as potential replacements for their current fuel source. In the end, Plug Power’s GenDrive allowed them to make the full site conversion without incurring heavy labor and equipment costs associated with buying, storing, maintaining and changing batteries. They have lower operational costs than the incumbent technologies and allow for increased worker productivity.

“Nestle Waters assessed all their IC engine replacement options and found that the GenDrive fuel cell solution was less expensive than investing in lead acid batteries and costly battery equipment,” said Tony Troutt, Director of Sales at Plug Power. “Fuel cells were also found to be more efficient. Most importantly, converting their fleet to hydrogen fuel cells allows Nestle Waters to eliminate exhaust emission issues, ultimately creating an improved working environment for their employees as well as a reduced carbon footprint.”

Air Products (NYSE:APD), a global leader in hydrogen fueling and infrastructure, provides the hydrogen and infrastructure to power the GenDrive units. The fueling infrastructure consists of an outdoor liquid hydrogen storage and compression system, as well as multiple indoor fueling dispensers for operator refueling. The GenDrive power units can be quickly refueled by the lift truck operator in less than 5 minutes, completely eliminating lead acid batteries and the related charging and storing infrastructure.

About Plug Power Inc.

Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), an established leader in the development and deployment of clean, reliable energy solutions, integrates fuel cell technology into motive, continuous and backup power products. The Company is actively engaged with private and public customers in targeted markets throughout the world. For more information about how to join Plug Power’s energy revolution as an investor, customer, supplier or strategic partner, please visit www.plugpower.com.

The Plug Power Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4446

About Nestle Waters

Central to the leadership of Nestle Waters North America Inc. is its 33-year experience and single-focus on producing bottled water products.

The company’s dedication to product quality control, manufacturing expertise, employee development and environmental stewardship, especially in the areas of water use, energy and packaging, has led Nestle Waters to the number one bottled water position in the U.S.

Simply said, to reach success the company follows its credo: Respect for each other, respect for the environment and respect for the community.

Founded in 1976, Nestle Waters North America is noted for having seven of the top ten bottled water brands sold in the U.S. The nation’s number one ranked bottled water brand is Nestle(R) Pure Life(R) Purified Water which is available nationally. Other market-leading regional domestic brands include Poland Spring(R), Arrowhead(R), Ozarka(R), Deer Park(R), Zephyrhills(R), and Ice Mountain(R). Rounding out the company’s portfolio of bottled water brands are popular imports such as Perrier(R), Contrex(R), Acqua Panna(R) and S.Pellegrino(R).

Nestle Waters North America Inc., with 8,400 employees, is based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It is a corporate affiliate of Nestle S.A., of Switzerland.

Please visit www.nestlewatersnorthamerica.com for more information.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE:APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. Air Products has annual revenues of over $10 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 21,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

About Yale Materials Handling Corporation

Yale Materials Handling Corporation markets a full line of material handling lift truck products and services, including electric, gas, LP-gas and diesel powered lift trucks; narrow aisle, very narrow aisle and motorized hand trucks. Yale offers comprehensive Fleet Management services, as well as Yale(r) service, parts, financing and training. Yale(r) trucks are manufactured in an ISO 9001:2000 registered facility and range in capacity from 2,000 to 36,000 pounds. For more information, or to find the Yale(r) lift truck dealer nearest you, call 1-800-233-YALE or visit www.yale.com.

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.– Air Products (NYSE:  APD), a global leader in hydrogen fueling and infrastructure, today announced the signing of a long-term agreement with Nestle Waters North America, Inc. to supply hydrogen and hydrogen fueling station technology for Nestle’s Dallas, Tex. facility, where it will be used to fuel a fleet of approximately 32 Class I hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts to be used in daily operations. Nestle Waters is in the process of expanding its bottling and warehousing operations in Dallas and is converting its materials handling equipment to hydrogen fuel cell forklifts. The fueling station is to be installed and operational during the second quarter of 2009.

“This is a leading edge decision made by Nestle Waters to convert its materials handling system and use hydrogen as an energy carrier. It is a move that will provide operational, economic and environmental benefits for this bottling facility. Hydrogen fueling technology for materials handling applications is proven and cost-effective,” said Tom Joseph, business development manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products. “This project also further strengthens our collaboration with Plug Power in providing alternative energy solutions.”

“This project is consistent with our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable ‘green’ solutions for which Nestle Waters North America, Inc. aspires. I continue to be encouraged by the enthusiastic support from the front lines to senior leadership to introduce this capability and explore the responsible alternative energy options,” said Christopher Lyon, process improvement manager for Nestle Waters Fleet Services. “We look forward to this site proving the viability of future conversions.”

“The new hydrogen fueling association with Nestle is an extension of existing business relationships in supplying industrial gases and services to a familiar customer,” said Todd Geis, strategic account manager at Air Products. “We’ve been providing industrial gases and related services to Nestle at other locations around the United States for nearly 20 years. Hydrogen fueling, which is using our liquid hydrogen as its feed at this site, is an innovative offering that in the eyes of the customer sets us apart from our competition.”

Air Products’ fueling infrastructure at Nestle includes an outdoor liquid hydrogen storage and compression system, along with multiple indoor fueling dispensers for operator refueling. Air Products’ will fuel the fleet of new lift trucks fitted with Plug Power’s (Nasdaq: PLUG) GenDrive(TM) hydrogen fuel cell power units. The GenDrive systems can be quickly refueled by the lift truck operator in less than five minutes, completely eliminating the need to change, store, charge and maintain multiple lead acid batteries per lift truck.

There are many advantages to using hydrogen powered forklifts and other materials handling equipment. Hydrogen fuel cell-powered equipment needs refueling once or twice daily, depending on use. In contrast, traditional battery-powered equipment must be placed temporarily out of operation for battery replacement and required battery recharging approximately every four to six hours. Hydrogen fuel cell-powered equipment provides consistent power strength during use and do not experience decreased performance or wear down as traditional lead-acid battery units do as they near a required battery change out or recharge time. Additionally, hydrogen fuel cell forklifts are not adversely impacted by temperature or by operating in coolers and freezers, in comparison to traditional battery performance. Further, hydrogen-powered fuel cell equipment is more environmentally friendly because they do not involve lead-acid battery storage and disposal issues.

This announcement follows closely Air Products’ recent news of its hydrogen fueling project at the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna Pennsylvania (DDSP) in New Cumberland, Pa., where it is powering a fleet of 40 of Plug Power’s GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts used in daily warehouse operations. Additional related materials handling projects powered by Air Products’ hydrogen technology include installation of indoor hydrogen fueling infrastructure to fill a fleet of over 200 fuel cell powered lift trucks, working with Plug Power and Yale Equipment Services, which will operate at Central Grocers’ new distribution center in Joliet, Illinois in 2009, and similar work at a grocery chain warehouse in Texas since 2007, and manufacturing and assembly plants in Tennessee and South Carolina since 2006.

Air Products, the leading hydrogen supplier to refineries to assist in making cleaner burning transportation fuels, has completed over 85,000 hydrogen fills and has placed over 90 hydrogen fueling stations in the United States and 16 countries worldwide. Cars, trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts and other materials handling equipment, and even submarines, have been fueled with this trend-setting technology that involves Air Products’ know-how, equipment, and hydrogen, and use of the technology is increasing at over 2,500 hydrogen fills per month. Air Products provides liquid and gaseous hydrogen, and HCNG (hydrogen/compressed natural gas) fueling, and has developed a variety of enabling devices and protocols for fuel dispensing at varied pressures. Hydrogen for these stations is delivered to a site via truck, by on-site natural gas reformation, and by electrolysis, including electrolysis that is solar and wind driven.

Air Products has more than 50 years of hydrogen experience and is on the forefront of hydrogen energy technology development. Air Products has an extensive patent portfolio with over 50 patents in hydrogen dispensing technology. For more information on Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station technologies go to www.airproducts.com/h2energy.

DANBURY, Conn.– FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency, ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government and utility customers, today announced that the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) issued its final decision approving 27.3 megawatts (MW) of projects incorporating the company’s highly efficient Direct FuelCell(r) (DFC(r)) power plants. The sales value of the projects will be $84 million when project developers finalize electricity purchase agreements and project financing.

The approved projects include nine FuelCell Energy DFC3000 power plants: 3.4 MW DFC-ERG for a natural gas letdown station in Bloomfield, Conn.; 3.2 MW Direct FuelCell/Turbine (DFC/T) for a substation in Danbury, Conn.; 14.3 MW DFC3000 in Bridgeport, Conn.; 3.2 MW DFC-ERG in Trumbull, Conn.; and 3.2 MW DFC-ERG in Glastonbury, Conn. The Connecticut Clean Energy (CCEF) Fund recommended the five projects under Round 3 of Project 150, which requires Connecticut utilities to enter into Energy Purchase Agreements for 150 MW of clean power. With this latest approval, the DPUC will have approved 153 MW of projects including 43.5 MW of FuelCell Energy power plants.

“The DFC-ERG and DFC/T power plants achieve approximately 60 percent electrical efficiency — the highest electrical efficiency of any available distributed generation technology,” said R. Daniel Brdar, Chairman and CEO of FuelCell Energy. “This efficiency results in low carbon emissions because less fuel is used to produce electricity. And because our power plants do not combust fuel, our customers also benefit from near-zero emissions of NOX, SOX and particulate matter.”

Distributed generation fuel cells locate the power generation where it’s needed, adding 24/7, baseload power to the existing transmission and distribution network. Because the installations are smaller than typical central generation power plants, they are easier to site, permit, and finance. Central generation plants are larger, take significantly longer to permit and construct, and have higher emissions. Additionally, they often require new, controversial transmission and distribution lines to deliver the power to where it is needed. DFC power plants can be deployed in approximately one year and require no new transmission and distribution investment.

Connecticut is one of 28 states and Washington D.C. that have Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). Under Connecticut’s RPS, utilities are required to purchase 27 percent or approximately 1,000 MW of their power from clean energy sources by 2020. Fuel cells are an ideal part of the clean energy solution for RPS states because they provide reliable baseload power 24 hours a day, with near-zero emissions and low CO2.

About FuelCell Energy

FuelCell Energy is the world leader in the development and production of stationary fuel cells for commercial, industrial, municipal and utility customers. FuelCell Energy’s ultra-clean and high efficiency DFC(r) fuel cells are generating power at over 50 locations worldwide. The company’s power plants have generated more than 275 million kWh of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas, biogas from beer and food processing, as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers and power companies around the world. The company also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such as fuel cells. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com

The NHA Conference and Hydrogen Expo in Columbia, South Carolina, drew thousands on its public day, indicating trend of growing interest in hydrogen industry.

Washington DC–Interest in hydrogen is greater than ever as evidenced by the record breaking number of participants at the NHA Conference and Hydrogen Expo. Held for the first time in Columbia, South Carolina March 30 to April 3, 2009, the event attracted 2,000 public visitors in addition to the more than 700 registered attendees-nearly twice as many as previous years. “Despite the challenges of working in a tightening economy, the event is a true testament to the strength and vitality of the hydrogen industry and the public’s extremely high interest in alternative fuels,” noted Jeffrey Serfass, President of the National Hydrogen Association. “As more hydrogen products are sold to meet materials handling and reliable power needs, people are realizing its abundant uses, benefits and ultimately the vast economic growth potential.”

Public and professional participants flooded the exhibit hall to see the latest innovations presented by nearly 80 exhibitors-from hydrogen-powered video cameras to electrolyzers and fuel cells for forklifts. While the overarching theme was the potential for growth in the industry, more products for sale today were available than in previous years, including hydrogen forklifts, portable power units, hydrogen production equipment, dozens of components and even hydrogen-powered Segways currently in use by the Columbia, SC police department. Exhibitors reported numerous inquiries about the purchase of their products from potential customers and publications.

Eleven hydrogen-fueled vehicles were on hand including a Proterra hydrogen bus. More than 500 people eagerly lined up to test drive cars from General Motors, Honda, Daimler and Hyundai. Despite dismal financial reports from the auto industry, auto manufacturers reiterated their commitment to hydrogen development alongside other alternative fuel sources in keynote addresses -further confirming that hydrogen vehicles will be a more common sight in the coming years.

Participants were also introduced to the next generation of industry professionals. The NHA’s dedication to fostering industry growth was more apparent than ever with the number of student activities featured at the event. The Element One hydrogen race kart, designed and built by a Formula Zero team from Lawrence Technological University, created a considerable amount of buzz as they demonstrated its high-performance capabilities with zero emissions. An impressive range of robotics was unveiled during the 2nd Annual Fuel Cell “Green Machine” Competition and the last keynote session provided the occasion to announce the winning university teams in the Hydrogen Student Design Contest.

In addition to the phenomenal public interest, professional participants hailing from across the United States and nearly 30 other countries came to learn about the latest advancements, innovations and research driving the industry. Undeterred by the economic downturn, participants took advantage of the timely sessions and the opportunity to develop new and lucrative relationships to advance their work. “All of the key people in the industry were here,” said Puneet Verma, Manager of the Hydrogen Business Unit at Chevron. “I was able to get more than a week’s worth of work done in just days.”

With more than 40 sessions covering everything from producers to users of hydrogen, the conference featured its most relevant content to date, presented by some of the biggest names inside and outside the industry. Among them included David Houle, respected futurist, strategist, Emmy Award-winner and author of The Shift Age and Dr. R. K. Malhotra, the Executive Director of the Indian Oil Company.

In 2010, the event will continue to focus on advancing the industry with the theme of “green energy, green jobs, green planet.” Renamed as the NHA Hydrogen Conference and Expo, the event will return to Long Beach, CA, May 3-6.

$20 Million, 3.4 Megawatt Project Will Deploy the Most Advanced Fuel Cell Technology to Deliver Clean, Base-Load Class I Renewable Power to Connecticut Ratepayers

Today, Elemental Power Group, LLC, a Maryland based renewable energy development company, announces the approval of the Cube fuel cell project under the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund “Project 150” renewable energy program.

“The approval of the Cube project is a great milestone for EPG and for the state of Connecticut,” said Robert Babcock, President of Elemental Power Group. “Fuel Cells have an advantage over other types of clean energy technologies in that they provide base-load power twenty-four hours a day for years inside the load pockets where the power is needed,” Babcock said. “By showcasing this technology here, we can expand the deployment of these highly-efficient fuel cells into other urban areas where clean power is needed.”

When operational in mid-2010, the Cube project will provide 3.4 megawatts of quiet, clean, base-load class I renewable power directly to Connecticut Light and Power in urban southwest Connecticut, an area that has experienced electrical supply disruptions in the past. The project will provide enough power for approximately 2,600 homes 24 hours a day for 20 years under the contract approved by the state.

The fuel cell equipment will be provided by FuelCell Energy, Inc. of Danbury, CT and the project will inject approximately $20 million into the Connecticut economy during its construction. Cube will provide a further $2 million each year to the local economy in operating expenses, tax payments, and other purchases.

Project construction is scheduled to start in early 2010 with project completion in the third quarter of that year.

Elemental Power Group, LLC (“EPG”) is an independent developer of renewable energy projects located near Washington DC. EPG focuses its activities on non-wind renewable energy technologies, especially solar and fuel cell projects. Through its subsidiary company, EPG-Fuel Cell, LLC, EPG endeavors to identify locations, design, permit, contract, finance, build and operate fuel cell power plants in locations where such technology qualifies as a renewable energy resource.

Fuel Cells are one of the few truly “urban renewable” technologies that are commercially available and technologically proven. Running on a variety of fuels, fuel cells produce electricity electrochemically and without combustion. The lack of combustion means that there are practically no harmful emissions from fuel cell power plants and their emissions of carbon dioxide are dramatically reduced. This, coupled with their relatively small footprint, gives them great advantages in energy production over other renewable technologies in an urban environment. For more information on the company, and its activities, please visit on the web www.elemental-power.com.