FuelCellsWorks

Chief Scientist, Vice President of Tongji University, Professor Wan Gang, in a speech last week revealed that a report on the Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Program has been submitted to the municipal government, is to be assessed.

According to the plan by the year 2010, the new generation of zero emission fuel cell vehicles car — volume is expected to enter public life.
It is reported that the World Expo 2010, the 20 fuel cell buses, 300 fuel cell car, electric vehicles, as well as 1000 a number of fuel cell cars and postal cars venues will be put into operation, then, Shanghai will build a five hydrogen refueling station for these vehicles to meet the demand for hydrogen fuel.

Wan Gang said, according to start in March this year, “China’s commercialization of fuel cell bus,” the operating plan, in October next year, 6 million cost of the fuel cell bus will be coming out the streets of Shanghai, while Shanghai will build a fixed hydrogen refueling station and a mobile hydrogen refueling station.

This fuel cell bus demonstration in Shanghai 1.6 million kilometers run and running in the model system to collect and analyze test data to verify the technical feasibility of fuel cell buses, fuel cell  buses to promote the industrialization in China and application.
It is reported that this hydrogen-rich materials as renewable energy, fuel cell vehicles, because of zero-emissions and high energy usage of the advantages of a global automobile manufacturer’s research and development focus.

Developed countries, automobile giant, has invested heavily in this area for a few billions of dollars in research costs, domestic enterprises are fully catch up. It is reported that China’s fuel cell vehicle as a major R & D base in Shanghai late last year was the successful production of fuel cell vehicles bench “Beyond One”, the performance target.

Experts predict that the next 3,4 month, the third-generation fuel cell power system is expected to Shanghai successfully developed and loaded to the Santana 2000 sedans, MPV MPV, SUV, such as Sports Car of the three models.

This shows that Shanghai Automotive with clean energy is progressing smoothly.

Hydrogenics Corporation (TSX: HYG)(NASDAQ: HYGS), a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products, today announced that it has received orders for electrolyzers worth, in aggregate, approximately $5 million from Groupe Cevital of Algeria and the Obeikan Investment Group of Saudi Arabia. These Hydrogenics HySTAT units, expected to be delivered in late 2009 and early 2010, will be used to produce high-quality hydrogen for vegetable oil processing and glass production.

“These awards, including a 2MW plant, once again demonstrate Hydrogenics’ global leadership position in electrolyzers and our growing presence across Africa and the Middle East,” said Daryl Wilson, President and CEO. “We are grateful to be providing this critical equipment to such well-known, respected organizations as Obeikan and Cevital. Our reliable, high quality electrolyzers have been chosen because of their reputation the world over, and, as the economy stabilizes, we expect to see additional orders in the months and quarters to come.”

About Hydrogenics

Hydrogenics Corporation (www.hydrogenics.com) is a globally recognized developer and provider of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products and services, serving the growing industrial and clean energy markets of today and tomorrow. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Hydrogenics has operations in North America and Europe.

Seoul City set in motion its drive to produce hydrogen ― a clean, renewable energy source ― from natural biogases emitted by landfills in Sangam-dong in northern Seoul.

It will sign a memorandum of understanding with a consortium led by SK Engineering & Construction on the project today.

The city aims to complete the construction of the hydrogen-extraction facility in October 2010, with the facility going operational the following month.

The hydrogen station will be the first of its kind in the world to extract hydrogen from methane as a clean fuel source, Seoul City said in a statement.

The energy produced from the facility will be used to fuel two buses and two cars. The four vehicles, whose total retail value is estimated at 5.2 billion won, will be supplied by Hyundai Motor free of charge. There will potentially be a remaining 320 kilowatts of energy, to be used as power supply elsewhere.

The methane that landfills produce naturally through decomposition can be stored and compressed into energy, according to the Energy Information Administration, a U.S.-based organization that compiles statistics from the government. The project is part of the Seoul Green Energy Declaration made in April 2007 that called for 10 percent of South Korea’s energy sources to be renewable by 2020.

The new facility, however, will take the energy-producing process a step further. After separating the methane’s main components, the hydrogen will then be compressed to reach 99.9 percent purity, according to Seoul City.

A hydrogen power plant proposed to be built seven miles west of Bakersfield took a step forward Wednesday as the state Energy Commission voted 4-0 to undertake a yearlong study of the $2 billion project.

The commission found Long Beach-based Hydrogen Energy California’s application for a 250-megawatt plant to be adequate.

Wednesday’s vote means the commission will now consider whether the project meets the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, which takes into account factors including environmental impacts and public health and safety.

The 473-acre project would convert coal or petroleum coke into hydrogen for fuel, and pump about 90 percent of the carbon dioxide byproduct underground for use in oil wells. The gas would then be stored permanently in underground formations.

HECA, as the company and the project are known, has not yet made a decision whether to proceed with the project. It has been awarded $308 million in federal stimulus money by the U.S. Department of Energy; that money is to be doled out as the project reaches certain milestones.

HECA would begin construction in 2011 if it gets green lights from the commission and the company itself. It would begin operating at full scale by 2014.

A new local player in the fuel cell market is looking to make a splash in the physical and homeland security markets, a growing area of interest among the emerging industry.

Sirius Integrator Inc. of Devens is not selling its own technology, however. Its success relies on the interest in systems developed specifically for security applications by German fuel cell maker SFC Fuel Cells AG. Sirius is SFC’s third distributor of commercial fuel cells in the United States and first on the East Coast.

The challenge for Sirius is to convince large security system integrators that fuel cell technology is a more reliable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional lead-acid batteries to power surveillance cameras and other security equipment.

John Merlino founded the company five months ago after working in the product management department at Tyco Fire and Security in Avon and as a product manager at Sun Microsystems Inc. He says most technology companies don’t think much about the power components of security systems, yet they are critical infrastructure for a system that must run constantly and reliably.

“Security companies buy what they’ve been using. They aren’t looking at batteries as a component that needs to be changed,” said Merlino, president of Sirius. “But these fuel cells allow you to go from weeks to months without recharging them.”

Always interested in the alternative energy business, Merlino started looking more closely at fuel cells after being laid off from Tyco. He says he met with several fuel cell executives to brush up on the business and determine which of the myriad technologies would be most applicable to security.

“We were looking for a technology with a long power range and very low voltage for remote and wireless systems. The Smart Fuel Cell out of Germany had a new product line that came out in August of 2008 that met those needs,” he said.

The company’s EFOY Pro fuel cell uses so-called direct methanol fuel cell technology, which places methanol and steam into a battery-type system. The chemical reaction generates electrical current and emits water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Merlino contends the fuel cells are much more environmentally friendly than lead acid batteries, which contain hazardous materials, and the replaceable methanol cartridges reduce waste.

As the prospects for success in the passenger transportation sector dim, more fuel cell companies are placing their bets on portable power and uninterruptable power system applications in the defense and homeland security markets. Protonex Technology Corp. of Southborough is developing methanol fuel cell technology for emergency response and physical security installations, as well as military portable power applications.
Westwood’s Acumetrics Corp. is also working to develop and commercialize such technology.

As for Merlino, he says his handful of salesmen have already made sales in the security and law enforcement market and are looking into bids for portable security system contracts procured by Massachusetts and other state governments. He and his business partners expect to self-fund the venture for the next 9 months to 12 months before looking for outside investment.

Brunnthal/Munich, Rheda-Wiedenbrueck –Westfalia has joined other leading European manufacturers of mobile homes in selecting EFOY fuel cells for its vehicles. Effectively immediately, customers who buy the Westfalia series “James Cook” can have their new vehicle equipped with EFOY fuel cells ex works, giving them even more independence and comfort on board. EFOY fuel cells—more than 14,000 of which have been sold around the world—are now offered as an optional accessory in the Westfalia product line. They reliably provide mobile homes with power without generating any harmful emissions, thereby guaranteeing maximum freedom far away from the power grid.

“We appreciate the increase of flexibility that fuel cells offer our customers”,” said Sven Duebbers, Managing Director at Westfalia. “We have built in EFOY fuel cells in the “James Cook” due to customer requirement multiple times by now: The installation is easy and the fuel cell blends in well in the vehicle. We are looking forward to our customer’s experience and feedback”.

“We are very proud that our EFOY fuel cells are available as of now in Westfalia’s motorhome legend, ‘James Cook’”, said Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG. “This again proves that an ever-growing community of mobile home owners is convinced by our products, because they offer independence and maximum comfort on board the vehicle“.

EFOY fuel cells come in five models, ranging from 600 to 2200 watt hours charging capacity per day. With a consumption of less than one liter of fuel, they provide economically, environmentally-friendly and comfortable power supply for mobile homes, far away from the power grid. The related EFOY M5 and M10 fuel cartridges with five or ten liters of fuel can be bought at more than 1,200 sales points throughout Europe.

The “James Cook” is one of the best-selling motor homes in its class. This year, the classic by Westfalia has been selected “motorhome of the year” by readers of “promobil” magazine for the 19th time. The legendary mobile home design is appealing because it provides high quality, intelligent features and maximum functionality in a very small space. With a comfortable double bed in the living area and two additional sleeping-places in the comfortable loft conversion it provides enough space for up to four travellers. The interior is rounded off by a practical kitchen unit in L-shape and the sanitary area with sink, shower base and case toilet. The “James Cook” includes crash-tested safety technology like ABS, ESP and driver and co-driver airbags.

SFC Smart Fuel Cell will display the EFOY fuel cells at Stand A36, Hall 13, at the Caravan Salon in Duesseldorf, from 29 August to 6 September 2009.

Westfalia presents its product novelties at Caravan Salon Duesseldorf: Hall 12, A06-01 & A06-02.

Additional information is available at www.efoy.com, www.sfc.com and www.westfalia-van.de

About SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG

SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG (www.sfc.com) is market leader in fuel cell technologies for mobile and off-grid power applications serving the leisure, industrial and defense markets. As one of Germany’s technology pioneers, SFC has won numerous innovation awards. SFC has alliances with leading companies in a wide range of industries. Unlike most other fuel cell manufacturers, who are in the research and development phase or run subsidized demonstration projects, SFC has shipped more than 14,000 fully commercial products to industrial and private end users for more than five years, and has created a convenient fuel cartridge supply infrastructure. SFC is DIN ISO 9001:2000 certified. SFC is based in Brunnthal, Germany, and has a sales and technical service office in the U.S.

Brunnthal/Munich and Sprendlingen–Eura Mobil, a mobile home manufacturer based in Sprendlingen, Germany, has selected EFOY fuel cells as a standard “plug and play” solution for its high-end Activa, Contura and Integra models. Eura Mobil now integrates the wiring for operation and assembly attachment of EFOY fuel cells in these models ex works. This means that with a simple click, mobile home owners can install the fuel cells and get them up and running. Eura Mobil thus joins the many leading equippers of mobile homes that have selected EFOY fuel cells—which can be installed right in the factory upon request—for independent, environmentally-friendly energy supply.

The “EFOY Plug and Play” installation kit offers our customers real added value and enables them to install EFOY fuel cells in their mobile homes easily and uncomplicated,“ said Dr. Holger Siebert, Managing Director of Eura Mobil. “This enhances our position as a manufacturer of mobile homes offering fully independent power facilities. Along with our double-floor design and large water tank capacities, EFOY fuel cells provide mobile home owners with the ultimate in freedom, allowing them to maximize their leisure time“.

“We are delighted that Eura Mobil, a leading manufacturer of mobile homes, promotes the integration of our EFOY fuel cells”, said Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG. “Eura Mobil consequently focuses on high autarchy and independence in motor homes. With our EFOY fuel cells we support thereby with quiet, lightweight power supply far away from the electrical grid”.

EFOY fuel cells are now pre-installed or available as an accessory from 48 mobile home manufacturers throughout Europe. Five different models are available, ranging from 600 to 2200 watt hours charging capacity per day. The related EFOY M5 and M10 fuel cartridges with five or ten liters of fuel can be bought at more than 1,200 sales points throughout Europe.

SFC Smart Fuel Cell will be exhibiting its EFOY fuel cells at the Caravan Salon in Duesseldorf from August 29 to September 6, 2009, Hall 13, Booth A36.

Additional information is available at efoy.com and sfc.com

About SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG
SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG (www.sfc.com) is market leader in fuel cell technologies for mobile and off-grid power applications serving the leisure, industrial and defense markets.  As one of Germany’s technology pioneers, SFC has won numerous innovation awards.  SFC has alliances with leading companies in a wide range of industries.  Unlike most other fuel cell manufacturers, who are in the research and development phase or run subsidized demonstration projects, SFC has shipped more than 14,000 fully commercial products to industrial and private end users for more than five years, and has created a convenient fuel cartridge supply infrastructure. SFC is DIN ISO 9001:2000 certified. SFC is based in Brunnthal, Germany, and has a sales and technical service office in the U.S.

Energy technology companies are set to receive £9 million of funding for projects involving fuel cells and hydrogen technologies, it was announced today (August 28).

The government sponsored Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is to invest the money, along with a further £500,000 from government agency the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), into nine hydrogen fuel cell projects.

The projects will look to tackle the challenges related to hydrogen generation, storage and utilisation as part of the TSB’s plan to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen energy in the UK and develop a sustainable hydrogen supply.

The funding is specifically targeted lowering the costs of developing fuel cells for stationary, transport and portable power markets, while improving reliability, durability and performance levels of low, intermediate and high temperature systems.

Projects

One of the beneficiaries of the money is a project led by Loughborough-based Intelligent Energy, which is looking to develop enhanced fuel cell systems for commercial and passenger vehicles. Later this year, work is scheduled to start with the aim of reducing the cost and enhancing the performance and longevity of the company’s fuel cell engines, which it currently supplies to Peugeot-Citroën and Fuel Cell Taxi vehicles.

Another, led by ACAL Energy, seeks to build and install what the TSB call “the world’s first” fuel cell system using low cost platinum free cathode technology. The three-year project will research, build and test a practical an inexpensive 1kW remote environmental monitoring system, using platinum-free cathode technology.

Other projects to be funded include:

• Novel Processes and Designs for High Volume membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) Manufacture, led by Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd, with HumiSeal Europe Ltd, Marlin Precision Manufacturing Ltd, University of Bradford.
• Component Development for Improved MEA and Stack Stability, led by Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd, with Calcarb Limited, Intelligent Energy Ltd, Loughborough University, NPL Management Ltd, Technical Fibre Products Ltd, University of Birmingham.
• Innovative Air Cooled Fuel Cell Power Systems for MHE, lead by Intelligent Energy Ltd, with other partners to be announced.
• High Performance Low Temperature Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells, with Johnson Matthey plc, Queen’s University Belfast.

Details on the three other projects have not yet been released.

Investment

The TSB focuses on energy generation and supply and works with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the research councils, the Energy Technologies Institute (ET) and the Carbon Trust to ensure that programmes in this area are complementary.

Today’s announcement is the second investment by the TSB in the development of new technology for the energy generation and supply sector following July’s announcement of nearly £5 million toward projects advancing hydrocarbon recovery and improving the environmental performance of oil and gas operations.

Filomena La Porta, lead technologist at the TSB, said: “Fuel cells and hydrogen technologies are priority areas for our investment as new technologies can contribute to tackling the UK and EU climate change targets and security of energy supply challenges, while at the same time they can provide significant market opportunities for British companies. We expect the technologies that will be developed to help us make real progress towards market adoption.”

Photo credit Fort Jackson Leader staff report

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Fort Jackson was recognized as a leader in green technology in the Midlands for the installation of hydrogen fuel cells as back-up power in three on-post facilities.

The installation was awarded the 2009 Palmetto Pillar Award for Green Technology Initiatives in a ceremony Aug. 20. The award recognizes a Midlands-area green technology-based project and is presented by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Information Technology Council.

“It’s a recognition by the local community as we work to pursue the promise of alternative energy,” said Scott Nahrwold, deputy garrison commander. “It’s a pleasure for us to be able to participate in a small way in that effort, and we really appreciate the initiatives on the part of the Department of Energy, the South Carolina Research Alliance, the city of Columbia and the state of South Carolina for all that they’ve done in cooperation with us to bring this particular project to reality here at Fort Jackson.”

The 10 hydrogen fuel cells were installed earlier this year as primary back-up power at the Directorate of Information Technology, the Directorate of Emergency Services and the Energy Management Control Center.

Because hydrogen is a byproduct that can be easily captured as waste from various commercial plants, the catalyst of the fuel cell energy is free, with no wasted energy. There are also no emissions from the fuel cell-generated electricity.

Organizations and companies are nominated for the award by professionals in the information technology field.

Fort Jackson was nominated by Jesus RosaVelez, DOIM director, whose organization received six of the hydrogen fuel cells.

“I believe in green technology applications that are both economically viable and environmentally sound. The fuel cells installed at Fort Jackson fit those categories,”
RosaVelez said. “I did not hesitate to nominate the installation and take great pride that we actually won the award, which shows recognition of our commitment by the community.”

Oregon-based ClearEdge Power has raised $15m in a funding round, according to reports.

The company is backed by the Kohlberg Family, Big Basin Partners and Applied Ventures, although no details on who led the current round were disclosed.

ClearEdge is a developer of fuel cell technology for both businesses and homes.

First vehicle of its kind in the world runs on compressed hydrogen gas with zero emissions

New Delhi: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), one of India’s leading automotive majors, today showcased its hydrogen-powered Alfa 3-wheeler vehicle, the Hy-Alfa, at the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention 2009 held in the Capital.

“The Hy-Alfa is the first vehicle of its kind in the world. It runs on nothing but compressed hydrogen gas and is incredibly engineered to run with absolutely zero emissions, which makes it a pleasure to drive on congested city roads. Hydrogen is, in fact, the technology and fuel of tomorrow and is the long term solution to pollution, energy security & CO2 emission related concerns,” said Dr. Mathew Abraham, General Manager (R&D), Mahindra & Mahindra R&D Centre.

This hydrogen powered ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle is available in both passenger (3 – seater) and cargo versions. Mahindra has collaborated with world-renowned R&D centres and Indian partners to enhance research on this futuristic technology. Recently, Mahindra, along with other partners has signed an MOU with UNDIO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) India and ICHET (International Centre for Hydrogen Energy and Technology) Turkey to carry out a 15 Hy-Alfa Demo project next year at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

There is an acute need for Hydrogen powered vehicles today, owing to several advantages. Hydrogen is a renewable source of energy with near zero emissions of CO, HC, CO2 and PM. It is clean and lean burning resulting in better fuel efficiency, avoids engine de-carbonizing and does not emit any greenhouse gases. Faster dispersion also implies that it is safe for the health and the environment.

Mahindra’s Sustainable Mobility Solutions illustrate M&M’s commitment to the research, product development, and advancement of the most cutting-edge technologies to bring about a cleaner and greener future.

Pollution related health concerns, global warming, climate change and energy security concerns related to the depletion and distribution of non-renewable, conventional fuel options have pushed alternate energy and propulsion technologies to the forefront of national agendas. Utilizing domestic and international strategic partnerships, Mahindra’s R&D team works to bring the most advanced and futuristic technologies to India. Mahindra has worked sustainable solutions into its long-term product plan. These solutions reduce pollution and can be found from renewable sources; this is the future of transportation.

Covering a wide range of advanced powertrain solutions, Mahindra is displaying different platforms of drivable full hybrid vehicles, micro (start/stop) hybrid vehicles, bio-fuel vehicles, an electric passenger vehicle, a hydrogen combustion engine vehicle and many recyclable materials and reusable technologies.

LATHAM, N.Y. — Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, today announced receipt of a purchase order from GENCO Supply Chain Solutions for 136 GenDrive(tm) fuel cell power units. The order consists of 100 class-3 pallet jack units and 36 class-2 standup reach truck units. In turn, GENCO will provide the units to Wegmans at its distribution facilities for conversion of lift truck fleets in their produce and grocery buildings. At Wegmans’ Pottsville, Pennsylvania facility, the GenDrive units will be placed into Crown lift trucks provided by Lift Inc.

The funding for the fuel cells is part of a $6.1 million award made to GENCO in April, 2009 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The DOE intends this funding to accelerate the commercialization and deployment of fuel cells and create jobs in fuel cell manufacturing, installation, maintenance and support services.

The Wegmans project will consist of various phases through 2012. The first phase includes a 59 unit fleet conversion of the produce building. Subsequent phases will allow Wegmans to expand its use of the GenDrive solution at its facilities.

GenDrive fuel cell units will provide Wegmans with increased productivity and decreased operational costs due to the elimination of lead-acid batteries at its facility. Lead-acid batteries lose charge and operational performance over an entire shift. Also, specialized labor, equipment and additional time is needed to change, charge and maintain the toxic power source. By replacing lead-acid batteries with GenDrive fuel cells, Wegmans will be able to run their equipment at full speed for an entire shift, thereby maximizing efficiency. Refueling with hydrogen is safe and takes up to one minute.

At the same time, hydrogen fuel cells reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Conversion of the produce building alone allows Wegmans to reduce its carbon emissions in an amount equivalent to removing 134 cars of the road each year. Over the lifetime of the project, 4,064,445 kWh of energy will be off-set.

“Customers across the United States understand the immense impact hydrogen fuel cells have on material handling operations. GENCO and Wegmans are acting as leaders in this revolution,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. “This installation is strongly aligned with the DOE’s intent of transforming the energy market and accelerating the use of hydrogen fuel cells for significant economic impact and creation and retention of U.S.-based green jobs.”

“We are excited about this project with Wegmans and the opportunities it will present.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy (DOE) has given Notice of Initial H-Prize Competition for Breakthrough Advances in Materials for Hydrogen Storage (‘‘H- Prize Competition’’).

As authorized in Section 654 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, DOE is announcing the Initial H-Prize Competition which will be a single award for $1 million in the subject area of advanced materials for hydrogen storage—a critical challenge to enable widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Evaluation of entries will begin approximately 15 months after the date this announcement appears in the Federal Register (FR). A single prize of $1 million will be awarded, unless no entries are significant enough to merit an award. The essential elements of the H-Prize Competition are included in this announcement; further updates and answers to questions asked by participants will be available on a public Web site, http://hydrogenprize.org, and through future FR notices as required. We encourage prospective participants to visit the Web site, as it will be updated periodically.

DATES:

February 15, 2010: Deadline for Registration and Eligibility Documentation.

November 15, 2010: Deadline for submittal of material samples for testing.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011: Sample testing by an independent third party laboratory.

Dec 2010/Jan 2011: Panel of Judges reviews and evaluates the independent third party testing data.

February 2011: Award of $1 million prize, if the Panel of Judges determines that there is a winning entry.

Background: The H-Prize is authorized by Section 654 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Public Law 110–140, as an amendment to Sec. 1008 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58. Under Section 654, the Secretary of Energy is authorized to carry out a program to competitively award cash prizes to advance the research, development, demonstration and commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies. The purpose is to

accelerate the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies by offering prizes to motivate and reward outstanding scientific and engineering advancements. The mobilization of private funding, in concert with a core of Federal and other public funding, is at the heart of the H-Prize concept. This broadens the base of investment in

incentivizing notable scientific and engineering breakthroughs, while elevating their significance with the public, and builds on DOE’s steady achievements in research, development and demonstration. The H-Prize is administered by the Hydrogen Education Foundation (HEF) for the Department of Energy.

DOE is developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for multiple applications, including the transportation sector where the largest benefits in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and oil use are likely.

Hydrogen storage is one of the challenging critical barriers to the widespread market penetration of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Techniques and materials are needed to store hydrogen on-board a vehicle while meeting consumer expectations for driving range, performance, and refueling time without compromising safety or payload.

1. National Policies

(1) Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
The 5th meeting of “Research group on gas industry in low carbon society” in the ministry was held and intermediate report was completed. The main points are three, i.e., dispersed energy systems, construction of hydrogen society and activities in industry. Advanced utilization of natural gas is clearly described, and also described are needs for demonstration and development of high-efficiency equipment for smart energy network, in which efficient utilization of electric power and heat is intended by using IT technology. In dispersed energy network propagation of cogeneration equipments is pointed out together with smart energy network. In the items of hydrogen society, FC technology is going to be developed as the core technology and endurance improvement and cost reduction of FC are tasks.. Furthermore, collaboration among academic, governmental and industrial sectors is emphasized for demonstration and investigation on safety of hydrogen infrastructure for transporting hydrogen from hydrogen stations through pipe liens. [The Denki Shimbun (electricity) June 11, 2009]
The ministry will support real use of “zero emission coal burning generation” in which CO２ emission could be approaching to zero. Combination of FC, gas turbines and steam turbines, i.e., high-efficiency “coal gasification FC combined power generation system” (IGFC) is assumed to be further combined with CCS technology of CO２ gas underground storage. The ministry will support development by companies with subsidy. IGFC and CCS are under R&D separately and technology development is accumulated. The ministry intends to promote it together with companies and technology transfer is also intended to overseas. [The Sankei Shimbun June 18, 2009]

(2) NEDO
On June 11, 2009 for next generation house infrastructure NEDO decided to subsidize a part of expense to Panasonic Denko Corp. and Sharp Corp. for development of DC systems to be used in living houses and demonstration of their energy saving effect. It would be shown that about 10% or more energy could be saved by developing technology to utilize concurrently both of new low voltage DC distribution and conventional AC distribution. DC power from solar cells and FC is directly used without converting to AC, so that it would be common basic technology. [The Kensetsu Tsushin Shimbun (construction), The Chemical Daily June 12, 2009 and The Denki Shimbun (electricity) June 16, 2009]

2. Policy by Local Government

Gifu Prefecture is preparing demonstration in public facilities for next generation energy infrastructure to use power by solar cells, FC etc. in local community. Scheme to use power efficiently with batteries will be adopted, and used energy and CO２ reduction effect will be examined. On these results real use in general homes and small-scale commercial facilities are aimed at. Demonstrations are going to be done in prefectural “Flower Festa Memorial Park” and private commercial facility “Kukkura Hirugano.” In the latter case a solar cells system of 2.7 kW and 2 sets of 1 kW FC will be installed, and the power will be used for LED, refrigerators and EV, which will be purchased from Mitsubishi Motor Corp., while the heat from FC will be used for melting snow and warming feet. Surplus power will be stored in the batteries for other usages. The expense is estimated to be about 200 million yen and it will be included in supplementary budget for June of 2009. [The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (economy and industry) June 16, 2009]

3. SOFC Development

On June 11, 2009 NGK Insulators Ltd. announced that power generation efficiency of 63% (LHV) and fuel utilization efficiency of 90% were achieved with SOFC of 700 W class operated at 800℃ in its development. The Vice-President, Mr. Kato said “its achievement is in real use level.” The thin zirconia electrolyte of 5 micron m thickness covers wholly the fuel electrode, which is the cell support, so that the resistance is decreased. The air electrodes are formed on the both sides of the fuel electrodes to increase generating electrode area for increasing the output. Space is formed in the cell for supplying fuel gas and it is designed to distribute fuel gas uniformly. The cell is card-like shape and the size is 10 cm long, 5.5 cm wide and 1.5 mm thick. The stack is assembled with several tens cells. This new generating devices will be supplied to domestic major oil companies for performance test and real use is anticipated in 2012 – 2013. The demand for convenience stores and shopping centers is assumed. [The Asahi Shimbun, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, The Sankei Shimbun, The Denki Shimbun (electricity), The Dempa Shimbun (radio wave), The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (econmy and industry), The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology), The Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun (automobile), The Tokyo Shimbun, The Chunichi Shimbun and The Chemical Daily June 12, 2009 and The Chugoku Shimbun June 13, 2009]

4. Business of Home Use PEFC “Enefarm”

(1) Iwasaki International Corp.
On May 18, 2009 the company announced that it would start full sale of LP gas specification type Enefarm since July. In cooperation with Sekisui House Corp.. they estimate 200 sets sales in 2009 fiscal year. In addition to subsidy by the government, the company introduces their own subsidy system for sales promotion, and it is several hundred thousands yen per one set. A staff of a subsidiary LP gas dealer of the company will go to homes, to which introduction of Enefarm is decided or under consideration, together with a staff of Sekisui House, Ltd. They are going to make proposition, sales, installation and maintenance. The company installed 3 sets for test in demonstration since 2005 fiscal year, and education and training of personnel have been made. Thus the company has been establishing system for sales, installation and maintenance. The target of the company is over 1,000 sets in 2011 fiscal year. [The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (economy and industry), The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology), The Fuji Sankei Business Eye and The Chemical Daily May 19, 2009]

(2) Shizuoka Gas Co., Ltd.
On May 26, 2009 the company announced that sales of Enefarm would be started from July 1, 2009, and FC is made by Panassonic Corp. The target is 50 sets in 2009 fiscal year. [The Denki Shimbun (electricity) May 28, 2009 and The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) June 1, 2009]

(3) Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Since May 1. 2009 when the company began to accept purchase reservation, the number of reservation amounts to about 300 mainly to newly built houses, while reservations for already built houses are several tens, and how to expand this market is a future task. [The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (economy and industry) May 28, 2009]
The company started system development to fully realize potential capability of solar photovoltaic generation. In solar photovoltaic generation when generated power by solar cells becomes over the consumption and large amount of surplus power is supplied to electric grid, voltage in the distribution lines increases and the surplus power becomes unable to accept. In the system to be developed by the company, the voltage can be controlled keeping generation with an inverter used in home use FC. The company said “Synergy effect can be expected between solar photovoltaic generation and FC in an area where large-scale solar photovoltaic generation is installed.” The company intends to develop the system in cooperation with related companies and real use within 5 – 10 years is anticipated. [The Fuji Sankei Business Eye June 17, 2009]

(4) Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
On May 29, 2009 the company described its policy to promote sales of double power generation equipments to general homes. The double generation equipments are made by combination of cogeneration systems using town gas and solar photovoltaic generation. Furthermore, cogeneration systems using FC, “Enefarm” are going to be sold since June 1, 2009. [The Yomiuri Shimbun May 30, 2009 and The Mainichi Shimbun May 31, 2009]

(5) Hokkaido Gas Co., Ltd.
The company was planning test sales of “Enefarm” but it postpones the sales, because Ebara Corp., which was making FC, withdraws from this business. Sales start will be postponed after the next year. [The Hokkaido Shimbun May 30, 2009]

(6) Nippon Oil Corp.
Since this fall the company will expand home use FC sales. In addition to its subsidiaries and major gas companies, the company is going to supply to about 10 other local gas companies, such as Okayama Gas Co., Ltd. and Fukuyama Gas Co., Ltd. It will also supply FC to residential house makers etc. The sales target in 2009 fiscal year is increased by 25% larger than conventional plan, and it is 2.500 sets. [The Nihon Keizai Shimbun May 30, 2009 and The Fuji Sankei Business Eye June 6, 2009]
The company will begin to sell home use FC for commercially available kerosene. Since 2006 the company has been making demonstration using specific kerosene of 0 sulfur content, but the company concluded that kerosene of wider usage, i.e., commercial kerosene of 10 ppm sulfur content has advantages, and the company fully switched to this. The company has developed a new catalyst, which can remove sulfur by adsorption, and the company has succeeded in size reduction to the same size as FC using gas. [The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun June 1, 2009]
The company announced reorganization of ENEOS Celltech Co., Ltd. R&D and some divisions other than production will be concentrated at the stronghold in Yokohama. Development Center of ENEOS Celltech Co., Ltd. will be open in Yokohama Work, where trial production, demonstration, maintenance etc. are done. Furthermore, elementary researches are unified in central technology research center, and production is made at a factory in Gumma prefecture. [The Denki Shimbun (electricity) and The Chemical Daily June 8, 2009]

(7) Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.
Since June 1, 2009 the company started Enefarm sales, while solar photovoltaic power generation systems were also begun to sell. The company also makes proposition of combined double generation searching for eco-friendly and economic generation. [The Denki Shimbun (electricity) June 2, 2009]

(8) Ebara Corp.
On May 25, 2009 Ebara Corp. announced that it withdraws from home use PEFC business. In restructuring business bases, the company concluded that further investment is difficult for mass production and cost reduction before real sales in market of Enefarm. Negotiation will be made with the business partner, Ballard Power Systems Corp. and the joint venture, Ebara Ballard Corp. will be disbanded. Ebara Ballard Corp. was established in 1998, and it supplied total 400 sets of PEFC to gas companies since 2005. However, the business changed drastically to bad, so that they abandoned continuing the business. On May 25, 2009 Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. and Toho Gas Co., Ltd. announced that they stopped sales of Enefarm, which was made by Ebara Ballard Corp. and begun to sell since this month. [The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, The Sankei Shimbun, The Denki Shimbun (electricity), The Dempa Shimbun (radio wave), The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (economy and industry), The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology), The Chunichi Shimbun, The Fuji Sankei Business Eye, The Chemical Daily, The Kahoku Shimpo May 26, 2009 and The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (economy and industry) June 2, 2009]

5. Forefront of FCV, Hydrogen REV and Transport Machines

(1) Mazda Motor Co., Ltd.
On May 26, 2009 the company delivered “Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid,” on which a hydrogen rotary engine (RE) and a hybrid system are installed, and it is delivered to Iwatani International Corp. In March the company decided lease sale to a local government and this is the first delivery. In the car hydrogen RE generates electric power and it drives motors. Either gasoline or hydrogen can be used in this RE, and series type hybrid system is installed. The range by hydrogen is 200 km. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun May 27, 2009]

(2) JHFC
JHFC project is carried out, assuming real propagation of FCV to general users from 2015 fiscal year. Since this fiscal year it became a subsidiary activity by NEDO, and it will be done by Japan Automobile Research Institute, Japan Engineering Promotion Association, Petroleum Energy Center and Japan Gas Association. The demonstration till now is that for technology examination, and since now demonstration in real society is intended for real use assuming initial propagation in 2015 fiscal year. Thus, in 2 years from 2009 fiscal year, the following points will be examined; proposition of business models in infrastructure for real use, coordination between vehicles and infrastructure, and review of safety test and regulation. [The Denki Shimbun (electricity) and The Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun (automobile) May 28, 2009]

(3) Suzuki Motor Co., Ltd.
Mr. Suzuki, the chairman of the company, declared the policy of the company that it will keep cooperation with GM in development of FCV, HV etc. [The Yomiuri Shimbun June 2, 2009 and The Chunichi Shimbun June 3, 2009]

(4) Taiyo Plating Co., Ltd.
The above company in Nagoya city succeeded in development of new electroplating technology, by which uniform electroplating of 2 – 4 micron m thickness on deep press machined metallic plate without auxiliary electrodes. The company intends to apply it to ethanol FCV components. When bio-ethanol is used, corrosion of metallic parts proceeds easily. This technology is expected to prevent parts from rust formation. [The Tekko Shimbun (iron and steel) June 3, 2009]

(5) Japan Ship Technology Research Association
Since 2009 fiscal year this association started a project for investigating ship transport of hydrogen FCV. At present hydrogen FCV is transported in a container after extracting hydrogen. In order to early realize transportation by PCC (ship specified to automobile transport), the association intends to extend it to formulation of safety standards hopefully by Japanese leadership. In May of 2009 steering committee was established, consisting of ship-owners, ship-building companies, automobile makers and experts, and the investigation was started. [The Nihon Kaiji Shimbun (maritime) June 4, 2009]

6. Business Related with Hydrogen Stations

(1) JHFC
JHFC made up its activities plan in 2009 fiscal year, and the main activity is examination of hydrogen stations attached to gas stands. At 4 hydrogen stations in the metropolitan area demonstration of supplying hydrogen to 70MPa hydrogen cylinders installed on FCV is also planned. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) May 29, 2009]

(2) Iwatani International Corp.
The above company declared its policy that the company makes simplified hydrogen stations to be attached to gas stands and commercial facilities for real use, in order to increase hydrogen stations by reducing initial cost. By reducing stored hydrogen amount and charging pressure, the cost would be reduced. For propagation of FCV, conventional facilities of short charging time as gas stands would be combined with attached hydrogen facilities of low cost, and thus hydrogen infrastructure would be constructed. Concrete concepts are several ten million yen for facility except purchase of land and several times of charging per days. Stored amount of hydrogen would be reduced and the charging pressure is also decreased below 35 – 70 MPa. [The Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun June 1, 2009]

(3) Toho Gas Co., Ltd.
Toho Gas Co., Ltd. constructs a hydrogen station of 70 MPa at its general technology research institute in Tokai city, and start of operation is thought to be in early 2010. Those assumed to use the station are 4 cars, which were sold by lease or supplied by Toyota Motor Corp. to Nagoya city, Toho Gas Co., Ltd. etc. Toho Gas Co., Ltd. stated “They intend to accumulate know-how, because hydrogen station business is in sight.” [The Chunichi Shimbun June 4, 2009]

7. Technology Development of Hydrogen Production and Purification

(1) Tokyo University of Science
Prof. Okawa and his group in Tokyo University of Science developed technology of producing hydrogen with high efficiency by illuminating nitride semiconductors of photo-catalytic activity. On surface of gallium nitride, one of blue light emitting diode (LED), nickel oxide cylinders of several ten micro m diameter are made by chemical reaction. A specimen of 1 cm square is connected with platinum electrode with metallic wire, and it is immersed into water. When it is illuminated with xenon lamp, about 1.5 mL hydrogen is formed for 3 hours. Thermal energy of this amount of hydrogen is equivalent to 1.3% of illuminated light. This is two times larger than conventional efficiency. On the other hand, it is said that the efficiency is 6 – 8%, when electric energy from solar cells is used to water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. [The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (economy and industry) May 26, 2009]

(2) Hiroshima University
Prof. Nishio et al in Hiroshima University succeeded in high-efficiency continuous production of hydrogen and ethanol from wasted by-product glycerin, which is formed in process producing bio-diesel oil (BDF) by methylester method. Hydrogen is pure enough, so that it can be used in FC without further purification. Methanol is theoretically the same amount as exhausted glycerin. BDF is used as bio-fuel, but large amount of exhausted by-product glycerin is hard to be treated, and this point is a task to propagate BDF. Microbe is used for this treatment. It is tolerant to exhausted glycerin and other wastes. It was confirmed that stable culture is possible and it has advantage in cost. Using 1,000 L oils of colza, sunflower etc., 930 L BDF and 200 L exhausted glycerin are assumed to be obtained, so that 145 Nm³ hydrogen and 48 L ethanol are obtained. Exhausted glycerin, which can be treated, is low concentration (100 g/L) and obtained ethanol concentration is also low (about 3%). [The Chemical Daily May 28, 2009]

(3) Play Heart Co., Ltd.
In cooperation with Prof. Hirao of Engineering Department of Kyoto University, this company in Yao city developed hydrogen producing reagent, whose main material is natural ore of zeolyte. The reagent of 100 g is put in a glass vessel and when water of 90 kg is poured into the vessel, 22.4 L hydrogen is formed, hey claimed. The reagent is made from zeolyte and activated carbon, which is specially treated. When water is removed perfectly, hydrogen purity is 99.8%. They are examining this hydrogen to use as fuel for FC without further purification. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) June 10, 2009]

8. Technology Development of Hydrogen Transport and Storage

At monthly held research meeting sponsored by The Institute of Applied Energy, Mr. Watanabe a chief research staff reported his study on economic feasibility of a scheme that by using power obtained by wind mill generation in overseas, hydrogen is produced by water electrolysis and imported in the form of liquid to supply it to power generation and FCV. Assuming Patagonia in Argentina as wind-mill site, two cases were examined. In the first case electric power needed for a hydrogen producing equipment by water electrolysis and a liquefaction equipment is the same as that at present. In the second case the power for the liquefaction can be decreased in the future. The prices of hydrogen estimated are 36.6 yen /m³ in the first present case and 31.2 yen / m³ in the second future case. The average prices of power at wind mill generation are 23.7 yen/kWh in the present case and 20.8 yen/kWh in the future case. [The Denki Shimbun (electricity) June 4, 2009]

9. Development and Business of Detecting and Metrological Apparatuses Related with Hydrogen and FC

(1) Murakami Giken Co., Ltd.
On June 1, 2009 the company in Osaka city started sale of two hydrogen detecting apparatuses for FC industry. The first apparatus detects hydrogen with that of anti-pressure and anti explosion specification (”BGS-3WW”), and the other detects flame and hydrogen gas (”FLGA-10K”). The former detects deviation in hydrogen concentration, when it becomes by 25% deviates from the set level in a detection area, and the price is 367,500 yen. The latter detects both of flame and hydrogen gas, when it becomes more than 8,000 ppm, and the price is 241,500 yen. The assumed applications are FC production lines, hydrogen stations etc. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and Technology) May 29, 2009]

(2) Nicolet
The company invented a new method for measuring thickness of transparent film coated on plastics etc. with inaccuracy of minimum 1 nm, and technology to measure carbon thickness on electrode is now in sight. It begins to explore demands in lithium ion batteries manufacturers and FC related makers. The method the company invented is an application of color measuring technology by refractory index measurement, and color change by light interference in coated film is measured. The new apparatus is in a series of “comes series” and software for measuring film thickness is installed in conventional ones. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) June 10, 2009]

10. Business Deployment by Companies
(1) Atago Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
The company in Gumma prefecture established a method for soldering stainless steel in a vacuum furnace on base of its technology for heat exchangers, and they are going to get order of machining for heat exchangers of PEFC. Sample supply to some makers was started already.. With condensation heat exchangers pure water and exhausted heat are recovered from humid high temperature gas in reformers and cell stacks. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) May 20, 2009]

(2) Organo Corp.
The company, one of major companies in water treatment, is going to begin sample shipment of water treatment equipments of minimum size in this industry for home use PEFC since this summer. This small size was achieved by decreasing ion exchange resin for water filtration. Real use comes in sight by continuous test over 10,000 hours. It is a cylinder of 7 cm in diameter and 8 cm in height, and the price is around 20,000 yen. [The Nihon Keizai Shimbun May 25, 2009]

(3) Anaori Carbon Co., Ltd.
The company in Osaka prefecture is going to expand sales of carbon and graphite. The company is going to sell its carbon products for separators and electrodes of PEFC and carbon fibers for wind-mill power generator blades. A new factory was built in Takatsuki, and the production capacity becomes twice, while high-efficiency production can be made. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) June 3, 2009]

(4) Daiki Ataka Engineering Co.,Ltd.
On June 8, 2009 the company announced that it received order of hydrogen production equipments by water electrolysis of solid polyelectrolyte type for meteorological observation balloon from weather bureau. The price is 270 million yen. [The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (business and technology) June 9, 2009]

Ural Electrochemical Integrated Plant proposed organising mass production of hydrogen power sources by 2020 to the Government. There is still no established mechanism in Russia for the investment into promising knowledge-intensive projects. This, in experts’ opinion, is one of the key reasons why the country misses the developments of global importance.

Russia has for a long time been working on hydrogen power engineering. The hydrogen-oxygen power generating system for a lunar craft had been created as long ago as 1971; it had been tested on Earth and was ready to go into space. It had stemmed from the uranium isotope separation technology, on the basis of which the Ural Electrochemical Integrated Plant (UEIP) specialists have developed nickel-hydrogen accumulators and electrochemical power generators. One of the accumulator models has been for 10 years and still is working in orbit, on the Yamal-100 satellite providing power for radio and TV broadcasts. Another one is installed on the Sterkh satellite in orbit since the end of July 2009. The advantage of these devices is in that they do not need any hydrocarbon fuel; they are environmentally friendly and demonstrate a higher performance factor than traditional electric energy sources.

UEIP sees the future application of these designs not only in space. In the nineties the specialists had modernised the electrochemical generator Photon designed for the Buran space craft and installed on a car. However, this has not gone any further than the demonstration of its capacities, the majority of Russians would not be able to afford this environmentally sound car. The cost of a kilowatt of power in such vehicle varies from 10 to 25 thousand Euro (as a rule the engine power would be 60 kilowatts).

Experts claimed that there are possibilities for the reduction of cost of the “hydrogen” car. These include the use of cheaper materials, making the design simpler, and using non-precious metals as catalytic agents. However, Boris Pospelov, the Chief Engineer of UEIP’s Electrochemical Converter Plant, claims that the world’s best minds have not managed to significantly reduce the cost per kilowatt. Moreover, there is not be enough platinum in the world for the mass production of electric cars. This is why, in the expert’s opinion, the world is going in a wrong direction.

UEIP specialists calculated that generators working on alkaline fuel cells are about 20% cheaper than polymer which is currently the preferred type in the world. In the future alkaline generators will be able to work on catalysts without precious metals. The working life of this type of generator is five times longer than polymer. Calculations demonstrate that with the start of mass production of the new energy sources with the total output capacity of 5 megawatt per year the kilowatt cost may be reduced from ten to three thousand Euro. By 2020, according to Boris Pospelov’s prediction, it will be possible, when mass producing, to reduce the cost to less than a thousand Euro per kilowatt.

The developers, however, are aware that the hydrogen car will not appear on our roads too soon. First of all, the cost per kilowatt must be reduced significantly; secondly, hydrogen car filling station network must be established, and thirdly, the issues of making and storing hydrogen must be resolved. Nikolai Batalov, the Head of Laboratory of the Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry, says that the cheapest, although quite dirty, method of obtaining hydrogen is from natural gas. Electrolysis (water decomposition) is cleaner but more expensive.

Mikhail Bazhenov, the head of the engineering design bureau of UEIP’s electrochemical converters plant, is convinced that these problems will be resolved in the future. Water, for instance, can be electrolysed employing solar cells installed on rooftops. Their power generating capacity will be enough to replenish hydrogen and oxygen stocks in emergency power supply systems which are indispensable in hospitals, computer installations etc. Large power plants could use the output for electrolysis during the night time (when the work load reduces).

Leonid Solovyov, a Deputy Chief Engineer of the TGC-9 Sverdlovsk branch, presumes that the night time electrolysis at power plants is quite possible, providing there are large storage tanks for hydrogen and oxygen. The expert stresses that sooner or later the tanks will have to be built since power generation will have to make a fuel transition from mazut to liquefied gas in the foreseeable future. This will require tanks able to hold tens of thousands of cubic metres. It would be quite possible to build hydrogen storage tanks within the framework of this project, as, according to Nikolai Batalov, this gas is best stored in liquefied form.

Mikhail Bazhenov stressed that the economic indicators of the project will become acceptable sooner or later if appropriate research and experimental development work is carried out. The most important thing is that the customers are already there, waiting for the technology – an American company was interested in buying 5-kilowatt sources from UEIP for lifting and handling equipment working in indoor areas. The institute made calculations and established that the production will be profitable if a thousand units were made, and this will require certain outlay for the production lines. The Integrated Plant does not have the resources for this and the American customer was only prepared to pay for ready made units.

The developer tried obtaining governmental funds having submitted a 1.2 billion roubles request in 2008 to the Rosnano corporation since nanocatalysts are used in the fuel cell production. Experts already gave a positive conclusion for the UEIP design but later the generator’s creators found out through unofficial channels that the scientific and technical council established in the corporation gave a negative assessment as the design “does not match the world class level”. The irony is that the UEIP specialists created a device with electric characteristics and resources actually better than the world class, but formally the scientific and technical council was correct, this was not equal to the world class level.

Neither the developers were able to get any money from the Moscow government which started financing the development of an electrochemical generator to power environmentally sound vehicles. Mikhail Bazhenov says that the money never gets to the developers despite the fact that Moscow-based companies involved in the project already got it. All this forces the specialist to come to the conclusion that Russia is not ready to receive, in a befitting way, new developments promising high returns in the future. The red tape might result in the situation when out country will lose this technology and the decades spent on its development.

Serghey Shchekleyin, the Head of the Atomic Energy Department of the Ural State Technical University, is convinced that it is not the right time yet for a broad practical application of UEIP’s brilliant design. Officials might come to their senses in a couple of decades when organic fuel becomes expensive. By that time Russians might get hopelessly behind; today, for instance, the production people have already no idea of what goes into making a TV set’s innards. “I reckon that the UEIP’s development must not be discarded”, says the scientist. “Once upon a time we were ahead of everybody in hydrogen power engineering, but over the last 15 years we slowed down somewhat. It is very important not to fall too far behind the world trends, otherwise we’ll get the situation like with TVs or cars, when we have no idea of what is inside them.

Mikhail Bazhenov is sure that it will not be possible to manage a push for this development “from below”. The Buran programme for which the generator had been initially developed was adopted at the very top and because of that it had been implemented. Hydrogen generator for industry and for everyday life is a programme of no smaller scale and has to, therefore, be carried out by the Government. The most pressing issue here is the establishment of a comprehensible mechanism for the investment into promising developments which would enable getting practical benefits in a short timeframe.

Vladimir Terletski

Nuvera Fuel Cells and Universal Precision Products, Inc. announced today a 5-year manufacturing agreement between the two companies. Nuvera chose Universal as the manufacturing partner for the integration of the compression and storage components of their PowerTapTM Hydrogen Station following a nationwide search. Nuvera’s PowerTap Hydrogen Station, along with the Hydrogen Generator and PowerEdge, together form the Total Power Solution, a set of purpose built products for the material handling industry specifically matched to maximize customer productivity and minimize customer life cycle costs.

Akron, OH — Nuvera Fuel Cells and Universal Precision Products, Inc. announced today a 5-year manufacturing agreement between the two companies. Nuvera chose Universal as the manufacturing partner for the integration of the compression and storage components of their PowerTapTM Hydrogen Station following a nationwide search. The unit will provide compressed hydrogen used to fuel forklift trucks equipped with Nuvera’s PowerEdge™ hybrid fuel cell systems which replace standard lead acid batteries.

Nuvera’s PowerTap Hydrogen Station, along with the Hydrogen Generator and PowerEdge, together form the Total Power Solution, a set of purpose built products for the material handling industry specifically matched to maximize customer productivity and minimize customer life cycle costs.

“We are very pleased to be one of Nuvera’s partners,” said Jon Munson, President of Universal.
“They are a global leader in fuel cell technology because their process effectively increases productivity and lowers costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And, they value our technical and manufacturing capabilities. What more could you want?”

“We are impressed by Universal’s imaginative approach to our design and build requirements,” commented Roberto Cordaro, CEO of Nuvera Fuel Cells. “We are confident that they will meet our cost, quality and delivery requirements so we can share the growth opportunity in this emerging market.”

Universal Precision Products designs and builds industrial process machinery and provides factory automation for the power transmission, automotive, paper, packaging and steel industries.
Their machinery is installed worldwide. For more information, visit www.uppinc.com

Nuvera Fuel Cells is a global leader in the development of fuel cell systems and fuel processors for both end users and OEMs. With offices in the U.S. and Europe, Nuvera provides clean, safe and efficient products for industrial vehicles and equipment in addition to furthering the development of power systems for automotive and transportation applications. For more information, visit www.nuvera.com

Cheshire, UK – 25th August 2009 — ACAL Energy, a leading developer of affordable and reliable fuel cell technology, announced today the successful start-up of its kilowatt-scale fuel cell system using its patented liquid cathode technology, FlowCath®. The hydrogen-fuelled ‘short-stack’ unit has already achieved a continuous power output of over 600W, and will deliver over 1.5kW with the full stack, expected later this summer. Fuel cell systems utilizing FlowCath® ultimately will be a clean and economically sensible alternative to diesel and gasoline generators in stationary and transportation applications requiring between 1kW and 200kW of electrical power.

ACAL Energy’s FlowCath® technology replaces up to 90% of the current level of platinum catalyst in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with a low cost, durable liquid chemical. ACAL Energy has developed a family of proprietary chemical compounds that can deliver the same level of fuel cell performance as platinum, and which are expected to exceed this level in the future. The technology also significantly reduces the balance of plant costs by eliminating the need for hydration, pressurization, complex cooling and other expensive mechanical sub-systems commonly found in conventional PEM fuel cells.

Speaking on the five year anniversary of the Company’s formation, Dr S B Cha, Chief Executive Officer of ACAL Energy said: “This unit represents a 20-fold scale-up from our last demonstration unit. It is a tremendous achievement by our very talented team of engineers and scientists and a key step towards commercialization of the technology. Our business strategy is to offer FlowCath® to fuel cell system manufacturers in the form of a stack and supporting mechanical elements in addition to our proprietary chemical solution. We will soon make data from the 1kW unit available to key OEM partners to enable them to start designing systems incorporating FlowCath®.”

Mooser EMC Technik GmbH has expanded its service portfolio towards EMC testing on Hybrid, Electric and Fuel Cell drive train components. It is now possible to offer EMC benchmarking and qualification of most recent innovative systems and components to vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. For this purpose the company features the latest state of the art testing and measurement equipment.

German EMC consultant Mooser EMC Technik GmbH (Ludwigsburg next to Stuttgart) and the affiliated company Mooser Consulting GmbH (Egling close to Munich) offer a complete service portfolio. Clearly focussing on automotive electronics, the company’s services cover EMC studies, preparation of technical requirements documents, EMC development support up to entire turnkey solutions and qualification tests in the field of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
In 2009 Mooser GmbH has expanded its service portfolio towards EMC testing on Hybrid, Electric and Fuel Cell drive train components for the automotive segment.
“We are proud to offer 20 state of the art absorber / shielded chambers, bench test stations and simulation equipment on 3000 m2 lab area at both locations combined. As of today there is presumably no other neutral and independent EMC test laboratory of this size and service portfolio”, said Managing Director Mr. Jakob Mooser.
Components and systems such as power management / battery, electric power train, inverter or even an overall Hybrid drive train system can be EMC tested under real static and dynamic operating conditions, using a dedicated 100 kW high voltage power supply. For dynamic test cycles, battery simulators and a 100 kW electric motor are available as load simulators. Together with supplementary test equipment the overall test set-up forms a complete and realistic drive train system. Complex system operating modes such as recuperation during engine braking can be easily emulated using this system.

In addition to EMC tests, the company also offers entire electrical on-board power system tests such as superimposed alternating power, micro cuts and more, including high voltage components. Ambient test temperatures can be set between -45 and +185°C within a testing volume of max. 1 m3.
Using this equipment, Mooser GmbH can perform tests based on all existing passenger car and commercial vehicle specifications. This makes the EMC expert an ideal partner for customers intending to perform EMC testing of their products at a neutral and independent test laboratory. In addition to small and medium-sized companies that can avoid huge investments in testing facilities, many major automotive suppliers regularly benefit from expanding their own capacities during bottleneck periods by consulting the EMC expert.
The company’s maxim is to provide optimum support through substantial expertise and the fastest possible reaction and delivery times – true to the principle that only satisfied customers once will become regular customers.

In 2006 the Mooser EMC Technik GmbH was established in Ludwigsburg, Germany as an affiliated company of Mooser Consulting GmbH (Egling near Munich, Germany), founded in 1989. At both locations combined more than 60 highly qualified employees are currently working on EMC solutions.

Based on active cooperative efforts in all national and international automotive EMC standardisation committees, both companies are deeply involved in the most recent EMC developments – also and in particular for the benefit of all clients. Both test laboratories hold full accreditations based on ISO-17025 and the North American AEMCLRP standard. The Mooser GmbH offers EMC testing services based on all automotive factory standards for passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Europe, USA and Asia. The service portfolio also includes testing based on avionics standards, basic military standards and industrial standards as well as testing according to EU directives. Due to KBA (German Federal Motor Transport Authority) accreditation the test laboratories are also authorised to perform type approval testing according to EU vehicle directives.

Delaware State University is getting $3.4 million so faculty can design better hydrogen storage containers and improve crime scene investigations.

Acting University President Claibourne Smith said Monday that scientists are testing different materials’ ability to store hydrogen. About $1.43 million is going to DSU scientists, who will use the best material they find to develop a hydrogen storage system for fuel cells with the university’s mechanical engineers.

A hydrogen “filling station” is planned for Morgantown as part of a federal research program.

MORGANTOWN – West Virginia University and Morgantown are poised to become the next stop on the “Hydrogen Highway.”

They will become home to a hydrogen fueling station, similar to one commissioned earlier this week at Charleston’s Chuck Yeager Airport. The station will create and dispense hydrogen. The new “Mountaineer Station” will house the hydrogen stop-off, once it’s completed.

Supporters say the effects of this research will reach far beyond West Virginia.

“There’s no carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere,” says Curt Peterson, the Vice President of Research and Economic Development at WVU. “So essentially, what you’re doing is taking away concern for adding CO2 into the atmosphere, global warming, climate change.”

The use of coal in converting hydrogen will also be part of the study. Depending on its success, the “hydrogen highway” might even extend further in the future, with more fueling stations stretching north.

Story by Stacy Moniot

A 2009 Coventry University graduate, James Trim, has unveiled his latest project and the idea of a greener, much-more environmentally friendly Aston Martin. Known as the Aston Martin Volare, Trim says that his design will keep Aston’s “fantastic sound and outright performance customary with that of a petrol equivalent, but would provide drivers the world over with equal amounts of guilt free motoring.”

While we highly doubt anyone driving an Aston Martin has any ounce of guilt, we think Trim may actually be onto something here.

Trim says that “the two-seater Volare adopts a high-power fuel cell stack, located between the front seats, a rear mounted battery pack, and a co-axial electric motor at the front. To aid the Volare’s weight distribution, the two hydrogen storage tanks have been positioned directly above the car’s rear axle.” He says that the layout ends up giving the Volare an optimum weight distribution.

We don’t want to even think about the cost of development and the price-tag of such an Aston Martin, but kudos to Trim for coming up with this green-supercar idea.

Aston Martin Volare Study Concept (James Trim):

A NEW type of fuel cell membrane made from quaternary phosphonium–based polymers could allow for the production of cheaper fuel cells which do not require the use of expensive precious metal catalysts.

Yushan Yan, chemical and environmental engineering professor at the University of California, Riverside, and his team developed the alkaline membrane, which contains the polymeric ionomer TPQPOH with a tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium unit. TPQPOH is very soluble in low-temperature water-soluble solvents, and has high ionic conductivity and alkaline stability. The membrane works on the basis of hydroxide ion exchange rather than hydrogen ion exchange.

In a basic environment, created by the hydroxide ions, the over-potential of cathode oxygen reduction can be significantly reduced, which increases the efficiency. It is also possible to use a wide range of fuels including hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, and ethylene glycol.

Fuel cells containing the alkaline membrane have already been shown to be durable and have high energy and power density. Yan achieved a power density of 250 mW/cm² with the membrane. Non-precious metals such as iron, cobalt, nickel and silver can be used as catalysts, rather than palladium or platinum, the latter of which topped $2000 an ounce (28.3g) in 2009.

“This is a breakthrough that will make fuel cells so efficient and inexpensive that it will revolutionize energy conversion and storage on a global scale.” says Yan. He believes the new membrane could replace the commonly-used Nafion membrane.

The research was published in Angewandte Chemie (doi: 10.1002/anie.200806299), and the technology has been licensed by Full Cycle Energy, a Californian start-up company.

The CitySailer concept looks familiar to BMW’s Solo Scooter, and that is probably the effect designer Christopher Kuh was looking for. The BMW logo sits at the center, between the wheels of the concept. This two-wheeler powered by fuel cells is environmentally friendly, plus its small footprint for the road will keep traffic problems to a minimum.

An electric motor mounted in the rear wheels propels the vehicle. To keep the rider safe, the concept includes a seatbelt and an airbag. For parking the vehicle, the rider needs to push the steering levers forward parallel to the frame. This disposes the seat column and clears it for parking.

Via: Ecofriend

Methanol fuel cells reduce plant’s CO2 emissions