FuelCellsWorks

Today, a major step in the Smart Fuel Solutions^TM project was announced with the launch of a hydrogen vehicle loading and fuelling station in Saskatoon.

The station, located in Saskatoon’s north industrial district, will fuel a fleet of seven hydrogen trucks from both SaskEnergy and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC). The demonstration trucks will reduce environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The vehicles incorporate a more flexible and lower cost technology that assists in bridging the way to 100 per cent hydrogen use.

“The Saskatchewan Research Council is a leader in developing alternative fuel technologies,” Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister and Minister responsible for SRC Rob Norris said. “This project reflects and reinforces Saskatchewan’s strong innovative capacity. As vehicle manufacturers adopt hybrid and enviro-friendly engines, hydrogen technology like this one has the potential to be commercialized and benefit Saskatchewan’s economy.”

The project’s cost is more than $2.3 million with funding provided by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Enterprise Saskatchewan, SaskEnergy and SRC. A significant amount of in-kind support has also been provided by AkzoNobel, ERCO Worldwide and SaskEnergy.

“SaskEnergy’s expertise, combined with their existing fleet of natural gas/gasoline vehicles and province-wide network of natural gas refuelling stations, assists SRC to test this cutting-edge technology in real-world situations,” Minister responsible for SaskEnergy Dustin Duncan said. “This project demonstrates SaskEnergy’s commitment to finding alternative, green energy sources for the future.”

“Investing in the development of new, cleaner energy for our roads is good for our economy and the environment,” said David Anderson, Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills-Grasslands and Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources. “The Government of Canada is building partnerships to improve efficiency in the commercial sector, which will benefit all Canadians in the long run.”

Using more than three decade’s worth of technology, research, development and demonstrations, four SRC trucks and three SaskEnergy trucks have been adapted to operate on hydrogen.

“The Smart Fuel Solutions^TM project – in particular the hydrogen fuelling station – will allow SRC to safely and efficiently fuel the hydrogen vehicles,” SRC President and CEO Dr. Laurier Schramm said. “Besides the potential environmental benefits for Canadians, this project provides real-world testing to advance the commercialization of hydrogen technology.”

To obtain hydrogen fuel for the project, SRC engineers designed a system that takes by-product hydrogen from ERCO Worldwide’s Saskatoon chemical production plant and transfers it through a short pipeline to a loading station at AkzoNobel’s nearby facility. There the hydrogen is dried, compressed and injected into tube trailers that make their way to SaskEnergy’s commercial fuelling station in Saskatoon where it is pumped into vehicles.

When operating in the hydrogen mode, the vehicles substitute about 45 per cent hydrogen for fossil fuel use in city and highway traffic. At idle and low load, the gasoline and diesel engines operate on approximately 100 per cent and 60 per cent hydrogen, respectively.

Vehicles will be delivered by ATK to the Defense Logistics Agency for demonstration

BLOOMINGTON– The Toro Company  was selected by ATK, an aerospace and defense company, to help design and build two fuel cell powered utility vehicles with advanced hydrogen storage technology. The project is part of a contract awarded to ATK by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, which is collaborating with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to coordinate hydrogen storage development efforts for the U.S. Department of Energy.

As partner in the project, Toro provides extensive operational experience in the area of fuel cell technologies having recently completed a three-year demonstration with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The NYSERDA project used three prototype hydrogen-powered Toro(R) Workman(R) utility vehicles at various sites, including Niagara Falls State Park, Bethpage State Park, and Rockefeller Plaza Government Center. These vehicles operated reliably in shuttling workers and grounds equipment, hauling turf materials, and assisting with refuse removal. The demonstration proved fuel cells technically viable and feedback from operators was consistently positive.

With proven experience in mobile fuel cell technology and off-road utility vehicle application, Toro caught the attention of ATK’s Center for Energy and Aerospace Innovation (CEAI), based in Ronkonkoma, New York. Toro’s Center for Advanced Turf Technology (CATT) will assist in designing two operational machines based on the Toro Workman chassis and similar to what the company successfully demonstrated in New York. The group will also provide technical expertise on end-use applications.

“We’re excited to partner on this project to leverage our field experience and further our efforts in the development of alternative fuel solutions,” said Dana Lonn, director of Toro’s CATT Group. “Our motivation in alternative energy is to reduce emissions, hydraulic leaks and noise levels for our customers. Therefore, we need to remain aggressive in identifying the best technologies to deliver these results at a competitive price.”

The fuel cell utility vehicles, powered by a solid hydrogen storage system, are scheduled for delivery later this fall to the DLA for a 12-month operational demonstration. During this time, the vehicles will retrieve and transport materials between warehouses with data being collected to better understand the performance, durability and sustainability of the hydrogen fuel cell system.

Shaped by concerns over energy usage and the environment, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that the U.S. Department of Defense reduce oil consumption rates by 20% before the end of 2015. The energy law also establishes a hydrogen and fuel cell program with a goal of producing commercial fuel cell vehicles and developing hydrogen infrastructure by 2020.

About The Toro Company

The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment, and precision irrigation systems. With sales of more than $1.5 billion in fiscal 2009, Toro’s global presence extends to more than 80 countries through its reputation of world-class service, innovation and turf expertise. Since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong brands to help customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields.