FuelCellsWorks

Taichung Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun tests a hydrogen car Nov. 3 at Feng Chia University. (Courtesy of FCU)

Taiwan’s first combined renewable biohydrogen workshop and hydrogen filling station was launched at Feng Chia University in the central city of Taichung Nov. 3.

After testing out a hydrogen car at the inaugural ceremony, Taichung Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun said, “This completely nonpolluting concept vehicle marks a major step forward for environmental protection.”

The university stated that with the global problem of environmental pollution caused by traditional energy sources growing daily, the school decided in 1998 to begin developing biohydrogen energy technology in cooperation with the National Science Council and Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

At the opening of the new facility, the university presented its research achievements in using microbial technology to transform agricultural waste biomass into fuel for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The university said a hydrogen concept vehicle has been test driven on the campus for the past year, adding that the findings of this testing could be used for future hydrogen energy research.

Lee Bing-jean, vice president of the university, said the hydrogen fuel cell car produces only water vapor and no air pollutants and is therefore 100-percent environmentally friendly.

The university said that, with the support of the BOE’s Bioenergy Technology Research Center and the NSC’s International Cooperation office, it began operating the APEC Research Center for Advanced Biohydrogen Technology, and developed the hydrogen filling station and hydrogen vehicle in response to green initiatives advocated by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

It added that this technology will help to raise the international status of Taiwan and the university, and assist them in becoming international leaders in hydrogen energy research and development, through upstream and downstream technology integration and economic performance assessment. (SB)

After Wednesday, Bend-based fuel-cell maker IdaTech will no longer sell shares in the company on the London Stock Exchange.

On Nov. 1, shareholders approved resolutions to end trading and to register as a private company, making its cancellation of trading effective Wednesday, according to a news release.

Taking IdaTech private will give the company more flexibility to raise funding, CEO Hal Koyama stated in the news release, and also will eliminate the time and expense associated with trading shares, which did not provide significant benefit to the company.

Its largest shareholder, Investec Group Investments (UK) Limited, indicated it would not provide additional funding unless the company stopped trading on the AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s international market for smaller growing companies, according to IdaTech’s Oct. 7 notice to shareholders.

Founded in 1996, IdaTech makes fuel cells, primarily for telecommunications companies that need backup power to supply their networks when the electrical grid goes down.

The company’s newest fuel cell — the ElectraGen ME powered by hydrogen gas created on-site through a mixture of methanol and water — helped increase sales by 26 percent, to $2.4 million, for the first six months of this year, according to its interim financial results released Sept. 30.

IdaTech, however, reported an operating loss of $11 million for the period, which was 10 percent better than in 2010, according to the financial results. For all of last year, it reported a gross margin loss of $3.2 million, an improvement over the $5 million gross margin loss in 2009, according to the 2010 annual report.

Investec has indicated it will make an additional loan to IdaTech and extend the repayment date for current and future loans to October 2012, according to a statement from Koyama and Sir John Jennings in the interim financial results.

— Tim Doran, The Bulletin

Bend, Oregon–Element One, LLC, (e1) a manufacturer of fuel reforming hydrogen generators  for  the  fuel  cell  industry,  announced  today  it  has  commenced  deliveries  of  it’s  the  H-Series  fuel reformers.

The  H-Series  replaces  e1’s  first  generation  Pegasus  and  represents  a  significant  step  forward  in  e1  reformer technology.   Over the last year, e1 has been testing new technologies and refining its design based on a continuous effort to further reduce the cost and complexities of its fuel reforming systems.  The new reformer series is the result of this  effort  and  allows  for more  efficient  system  manufacturing,  easier  system  maintenance,  and  significantly reduced operating costs for the end user, typically a telecom operator.   The H-Series will be sold as models H13, H35, and H65, representing the hydrogen flow requirements to support 1 kW to 5 kW PEM fuel cells.

According to the Fuel Cell Today Industry Review (2011), “Fuel cells have found significant commercial interest in uninterruptible  power  supply  (UPS)  applications,  where  they  are  used  to provide  back-up  or standby  power  to telecom sites and other critical infrastructure.”  e1 fuel reformers offer a cost effective way to generate hydrogen on- demand for remote, extended run, and off-grid UPS applications.   Reformer technology can expand the market and pave the way for accelerated sales by fuel cell manufacturers and systems integrators who currently may encounter price resistance for their fuel cell systems due to the high cost of supplying compressed hydrogen.

Hamburg – The newly constructed hybrid power plant currently being tested as a pilot project is the first of its kind to combine wind, hydrogen and biogas by fully utilising the respective advantages of these energy sources: the electricity generated in three wind turbines is used proportionately for the production of CO2-free hydrogen.

This green hydrogen is temporarily stored and used in times of high demand and low wind energy supply in a hydrogen biogas combined heat and power plant for the production of electricity and heat. The aim of the project – in which TOTAL Deutschland GmbH and Vattenfall Europe Innovation GmbH are involved – is to verify the feasibility of a secure and sustainable energy supply and storage with a mix of purely renewable energies.

The insurance concept with subsequent insurance cover was provided by ECURITAS Insurance Broker GmbH. This insurance broker specialises in comprehensive risk assessment of projects in the area of clean technology.

Fundraising to accelerate further growth

Placing and Subscription to raise GBP 3.8 million (AUD 5.9 million)

Rights Issue and Overseas Offer to existing shareholders to follow

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited, (AIM / ASX: CFU) a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation products for homes and other buildings, is pleased to announce that it has raised GBP 3.8 million (AUD 5.9 million) pursuant to a placing and subscription.

The Company will also launch a rights issue and offer to existing investors at the same issue price.

The funds raised will enable the Company to increase volume production of its products and match the demand from the volume orders it has started to receive. This funding will give the Company additional working capital required to leverage economies of scale by placing volume orders with suppliers and to implement further value engineering to drive down manufacturing costs.

The Company has raised approximately GBP 3.2 million (AUD 5.0 million) gross by way of a placing of 45,988,571 new ordinary shares in the Company (”Ordinary Shares”) at 7 pence each with institutional investors underwritten by Nomura Code Securities Limited (the “Placing”) and approximately GBP 0.6 million (AUD 0.9 million) by way of a subscription of 8,571,428 new Ordinary Shares at the same issue price with an existing private investor in the United Kingdom (the “Subscription”).

As the Board feels strongly that existing shareholders should have the opportunity to participate in a capital raising process at the same price as investors under the Subscription and Placing it will invite existing shareholders to participate in a further fundraising at the same issue price by way of a 1-for-4 Rights Issue in Australia and New Zealand (the “Rights Issue”) and an offer to shareholders in the United Kingdom and certain other jurisdictions (the “Overseas Offer”).

The Rights Issue is non-renounceable and seeks to raise up to AUD 21.7 million, at an issue price of 10.8 cents per share. The Overseas Offer seeks to raise up to approximately GBP 2.15 million (being the pounds sterling equivalent of EUR 2.5 million) at an issue price of 7 pence per share. Eligible shareholders will receive either a Rights Issue prospectus or an Overseas Offer circular, as applicable, in due course.

The issue of the shares under the Placing, Subscription and Overseas Offer will not require shareholder approval to disapply preemption rights as they represent less than 15 percent of the Company’s total issued share capital.

Further details:

Placing and Subscription

– The Company has agreed to issue a total of 54,559,999 new Ordinary Shares to new and existing investors as part of the Placing and the Subscription to raise approximately GBP 3.8 million (AUD 5.9 million) gross, GBP 3.6 million (AUD 5.5 million) after expenses.

– These new Ordinary Shares will represent 4.3 percent of the Company’s issued share capital as enlarged by the Placing and the Subscription.

– The new Ordinary Shares will be issued at a price of 7 pence per share. This price represents a discount of 13.8 percent to the mid-market closing price of the Ordinary Shares on AIM on the last business day prior to this announcement.

– The Placing is underwritten by Nomura Code Securities. The Subscription will not be underwritten.

– The Placing and Subscription are subject to the admission of the new Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing and the Subscription to trading on AIM becoming effective (”Admission”). The Company has applied to the London Stock Exchange for Admission which is expected to occur on 10 November 2011. Following Admission (and prior to the Overseas Offer and the Rights Issue) the Company will have 1,262,577,415 Ordinary Shares in issue.

The Rights Issue

– The Rights Issue is a 1 for 4 non-renounceable rights issue offer to existing shareholders in Australia and New Zealand to subscribe for up to 201,446,710 new Ordinary Shares at 10.8 cents per share to raise a maximum of AUD 21.7 million (approximately GBP 14.1 million).

– Participants in the Rights Issue will also be entitled to apply for additional Ordinary Shares to take up any shortfall created by other participants in the Rights Issue not taking up their full entitlements. The Board of CFCL also reserves the right to issue shares to third parties in the event of a shortfall.

– The Rights Issue is not underwritten and the entitlement to participate in the Rights Issue cannot be sold.

– A prospectus for the Rights Issue is expected to be lodged with ASIC and ASX today. The prospectus and application form for the Rights Issue will be sent to eligible shareholders in Australia and New Zealand within the next week and will also be available at www.cfcl.com.au.

   --     The Record Date for participation in the Rights Issue is Tuesday 15 November 2011.

– Eligible participants should consider the prospectus in deciding whether to acquire the applicable shares and will need to complete the application form that accompanies that document.

The Overseas Offer

– A circular and application form relating to the Overseas Offer will be sent to existing Shareholders with registered addresses in the United Kingdom and certain other jurisdictions into which the Company may lawfully extend the offer without the publication of a prospectus. Those shareholders entered on the register at 18:00 (London time) on 3 November 2011 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to participate in the Overseas Offer.

– Such qualifying shareholders will be able to apply for any number of new Ordinary Shares at 7 pence per new Ordinary Share but, if the aggregate amount raised under the Overseas Offer exceeds the pounds sterling equivalent of EUR 2.5 million, shareholders will be scaled back at the directors’ discretion.

– The circular and application form are expected to be mailed to all qualifying shareholders on Tuesday 8 November 2011.

– The Overseas Offer will not be underwritten and the entitlement to participate in the Overseas Offer cannot be sold. The Overseas Offer will be subject to Admission occurring.

Background

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited is a leader in developing solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to provide highly efficient and low-emission electricity from widely available natural gas.

The Company has a broad portfolio of wholly-owned intellectual property, including 27 patent families (i.e. a single invention covered in multiple jurisdictions) and 126 individual patents that have been granted in key global markets.

The Company and its subsidiaries employ approximately 125 staff in Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe.

The first products to be powered by the Company’s fuel cells are small scale units for homes and other buildings that produce one to two kilowatts of power as well as heat for hot water or space heating, with very high efficiency and low emissions.

The Company’s products have achieved peak electrical efficiency of 60 per cent. which the Directors believe is higher than any other technology in the rapidly expanding market for small scale power and heating products.

Over the last two years the Company has completed the initial development of these products, has tested and demonstrated the products with customers and has begun to generate larger volume orders.

Following recently announced orders, and discussions with other potential customers, the Directors believe that now is the time to invest in actions that will drive down the unit cost of the Company’s BlueGen and Gennex units and increase volume manufacturing of these products.

Use of proceeds

The Company will receive funding of approximately GBP 3.8 million (AUD 5.9 million from the Placing and Subscription. Proceeds from the Rights Issue (of up to AUD 21.7 million / GBP 14.1 million) and from the Overseas Offer (of up to the pounds sterling equivalent of EUR 2.5 million) will supplement those proceeds.

These additional proceeds will provide the Company with further working capital required to leverage economies of scale by placing volume orders with suppliers and to implement further value engineering to drive down manufacturing costs.

Further details of the use of funds, and the impact of the fundraising on the Company’s operations and finances, will be set out in the Rights Issue prospectus and the Overseas Offer circular.

Proton Power Systems plc (AIM: PPS), the designer, developer and producer of fuel cells and fuel cell electric hybrid systems, announces that it has issued 500,000 ordinary shares of 1 pence each in the Company (the “New Ordinary Shares”) to Allenby Capital Limited, the Company’s joint broker, in lieu of fees.

An application has been made for the New Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM which is expected to take effect on or around 10 November 2011 (”Admission”).

Following Admission the Company’s issued share capital will comprise 619,895,443 ordinary shares of 1 pence each in the Company (”Ordinary Shares”). The Company does not hold any Ordinary Shares in treasury. This figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Financial Service Authority’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

ORLANDO, Fla.)–SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney today presented at the 2011 Fuel Cell Seminar and Exposition in Orlando, FL. The presentation, Fuel Cell implementation in South Carolina, discussed several sustainable and renewable energy programs currently ongoing in the state.

The Seminar, which began in 1976, has grown significantly since its inception and is the premier meeting for the fuel cell industry. Several members of the USC–Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative, of which SCRA is a charter member, are attending the meeting.

During his presentation, Mahoney recognized the members of the Collaborative: the University of South Carolina, the City of Columbia and EngenuitySC for making great strides in promoting alternative energy in the state and receiving national recognition for advancing hydrogen and fuel cell development. The Fuel Cells 2000 “State of the States” report listed South Carolina as one of the top 5 states in the US in advancing hydrogen and fuel cell development in both 2010 and 2011.

Mahoney also recognized WeylChem Sustainable Materials, who announced at the Seminar the start of commercial scale production in the Columbia region of hydrogen-rich ammonia borane, a compound that can efficiently power fuel cell devices among other commercial uses. Also in the region is LOGANEnergy Carolina, a Fuel Cell solution provider, who announced in June their expansion into the state.

SCRA has facilitated, funded and executed several sustainable and renewable energy programs in South Carolina and manages Vanadium and Metalcasting programs that focus on energy savings and efficiency for the Departments of Defense and Energy. They have also partnered with the Gas Technology Institute, Ameresco, Inc. and BMW on a landfill gas to hydrogen production project to validate this solution can support fueling a fleet of forklifts at the BMW South Carolina facility.

“I am delighted to showcase the many significant fuel cell projects in South Carolina,” said Mahoney. “We are proving that our state continues to be a thought leader in hydrogen fuel cell innovation and technology commercialization, and we welcome WelyChem Sustainable Materials to the Columbia, SC area. We are pleased to be a part of the Collaborative and strive to continue delivering tangible value to institutions and businesses by alternative energy solutions.”

About SCRA
http://www.scra.org/

SCRA is an applied research company with 28 years of experience delivering technology solutions with high returns on investment to federal and corporate clients. Our Applied R&D affiliate manages over 100 national and international programs worth over $1.5 billion in contract value, and our technology-based economic development affiliate helps early-stage companies to commercialize innovations and create jobs.

Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Student Jin Suntivich (left) and Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Kevin J. May (right) inspecting the electrochemical cell for oxygen evolution reaction experiment. Photo: Jonathon R. Harding

David L. Chandler, MIT News Office

A team of researchers at MIT has found one of the most effective catalysts ever discovered for splitting oxygen atoms from water molecules — a key reaction for advanced energy-storage systems, including electrolyzers, to produce hydrogen fuel and rechargeable batteries. This new catalyst liberates oxygen at more than 10 times the rate of the best previously known catalyst of its type.

The new compound, composed of cobalt, iron and oxygen with other metals, splits oxygen from water (called the Oxygen Evolution Reaction, or OER) at a rate at least an order of magnitude higher than the compound currently considered the gold standard for such reactions, the team says. The compound’s high level of activity was predicted from a systematic experimental study that looked at the catalytic activity of 10 known compounds.

The team, which includes materials science and engineering graduate student Jin Suntivich, mechanical engineering graduate student Kevin J. May and professor Yang Shao-Horn, published their results in Science on Oct. 28.

The scientists found that reactivity depended on a specific characteristic: the configuration of the outermost electron of transition metal ions. They were able to use this information to predict the high reactivity of the new compound — which they then confirmed in lab tests.

“We not only identified a fundamental principle” that governs the OER activity of different compounds, “but also we actually found this new compound” based on that principle, says Shao-Horn, the Gail E. Kendall (1978) Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering.

Many other groups have been searching for more efficient catalysts to speed the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. This reaction is key to the production of hydrogen as a fuel to be used in cars; the operation of some rechargeable batteries, including zinc-air batteries; and to generate electricity in devices called fuel cells. Two catalysts are needed for such a reaction — one that liberates the hydrogen atoms, and another for the oxygen atoms — but the oxygen reaction has been the limiting factor in such systems.

Other groups, including one led by MIT’s Daniel Nocera, have focused on similar catalysts that can operate — in a so-called “artificial leaf” — at low cost in ordinary water. But such reactions can occur with higher efficiency in alkaline solutions, which are required for the best previously known catalyst, iridium oxide, as well as for this new compound.

Shao-Horn and her collaborators are now working with Nocera, integrating their catalyst with his artificial leaf to produce a self-contained system to generate hydrogen and oxygen when placed in an alkaline solution. They will also be exploring different configurations of the catalyst material to better understand the mechanisms involved. Their initial tests used a powder form of the catalyst; now they plan to try thin films to better understand the reactions.

In addition, even though they have already found the highest rate of activity yet seen, they plan to continue searching for even more efficient catalyst materials. “It’s our belief that there may be others with even higher activity,” Shao-Horn says.

Jens Norskov, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University and director of the Suncat Center for Interface Science and Catalysis there, who was not involved in this work, says, “I find this an extremely interesting ‘rational design’ approach to finding new catalysts for a very important and demanding problem.”

The research, which was done in collaboration with visiting professor Hubert A. Gasteiger (currently a professor at the Technische Universität München in Germany) and professor John B. Goodenough from the University of Texas at Austin, was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Initiative, the National Science Foundation, the Toyota Motor Corporation and the Chesonis Foundation.

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., -ASTM Subcommittee D03.14 on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells is currently developing the last two of a series of standards designed to support quality standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles being developed by SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The two standards currently under development are ASTM WK34574, Test Method for Determination of Trace Hydrogen Bromide, Hydrogen Chloride, Chlorine and Organic Halides in Hydrogen Fuel by Gas Chromatography (GC) with Electrolytic Conductivity Detector Cell (ELCDC) and Mass Spectrometer (MS); and ASTM WK23815, Test Method for Determination of Total Halocarbons Contained in Hydrogen and Other Gaseous Fuels.

Subcommittee D03.14 is part of ASTM International Committee D03 on Gaseous Fuels. According to Jacquelyn Birdsall, who chairs D03.14, the proposed standards, along with standards that have already been approved, will play an important role in the hydrogen fuel industry.

“Since 2008, D03.14, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, has approved nine ASTM methods to support the commercialization of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel,” says Birdsall. “These standards were identified by the industry as essential to commercialization and will be part of international and national hydrogen quality codes and standards.”

All interested parties are invited to participate in the standards developing activities of D03.14. The subcommittee would be particularly interested in working with laboratories that have the capabilities to evaluate the proposed test methods.

ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.

Spokane, Wash.: ReliOn, the leading provider of high reliability fuel cell solutions for backup power applications, today announced it has received notice of the issuance of a new patent, “Direct Liquid Fuel Cell”, patent number 8,003,274. Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) are a type of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells that are fueled by direct use of liquid methanol as opposed to packaged hydrogen gas or a fuel reformer that splits the hydrogen off a hydrocarbon molecule. End use applications for DMFC fuel cells include the replacement of conventional batteries in portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, laptop computers, digital music players, and the like. Small-scale, portable fuel cells offer the promise of greater run times for these devices and less environmental impact than traditional batteries.

One of the greatest challenges facing the widespread implementation of DMFC fuel cells relates to the ability to increase power density. ReliOn’s new patent provides solutions using electrically-conductive ceramic materials that facilitate improved performance over the active area of the membrane in order to facilitate the efficient operation of the fuel cell.

Gary Flood, ReliOn President and CEO commented, “ReliOn is based on a philosophy of innovation and differentiation in core technology. This is one of several new patents ReliOn has been awarded over the last six months and it speaks to the strength of our R&D program. ReliOn continues to invest in novel core fuel cell technologies, as they are at the heart of ReliOn products.”

About ReliOn:

ReliOn’s continuous innovation in core technology has made it a leader in the development and marketing of modular, fault-tolerant fuel cell products for customers seeking solutions to critical backup power applications. With more than 1,350 systems serving sites in 38 U.S. states and 28 countries, ReliOn customers enjoy the benefits of high reliability, low operating costs and easy maintenance. ReliOn fuel cells…simply powerful. www.relion-inc.com.

Ahi Fambeni will be on display at COP17.(SABC)

Fuel cell technologies are now being introduced into the country’s energy mix in time for the UN COP17 conference scheduled to take place in Durban later this month.  A new bike named “Ahi fambeni” – Xitsonga for “let’s go” in English is powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Ahi Fambeni is made from light and strong advanced materials, and it was built by students from the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria.

The bike is an environmentally friendly vehicle because during riding it doesn’t emit any pollution

Department of Science & Technology’s Dr. Val Munsami say: “If you look at the fuel cell itself in order to conduct electricity you need a catalyst and the catalyst is made out of platinum to generate electricity.

Platinum is a key component of the hydrogen fuel cell. We are looking at capturing at least twenty per cent of the world market in terms of using platinum as a catalyst.”

Hydrogen South Africa Systems` Piotr Bujlo adds: “The bike is an environmentally friendly vehicle because during riding it doesn’t emit any pollution. The only emissions of the fuel cells are heat and water, so we can use this tricycle in areas where environmentally tricycles are needed.”

Before it goes into full production the technology will be used to power forklifts and baggage carriers. Ahi Fambeni will be on display at COP17.

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (AIM / ASX: CFU) a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission power products for homes and other buildings, has signed a Manufacturing Services Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jabil Circuit Inc (NYSE: JBL).

Under the MoU, CFCL and Jabil will work together towards scaling up the manufacturing of CFCL’s Gennex fuel cell module and award winning BlueGen electricity generation product.

Jabil is a global Electronic Manufacturing Service provider with 55 factories in 22 countries and annual revenue of USD 16 billion. Jabil’s global cleantech business unit makes a range of energy products including solar panels, smartgrid meters and wind turbines.

CFCL and Jabil will work together to increase CFCL’s manufacturing volumes and reduce unit costs quickly, whilst maintaining consistent quality and security of supply.

Jabil’s manufacturing services to CFCL are expected to grow over time to match CFCL’s increasing sales volumes. The details of the particular services in each phase will be set out in a formal supply agreement to be signed at the time.

The first phase of co-operation is for CFCL to source selected components from Jabil’s manufacturing operations. This phase is expected to begin in early 2012. The second phase is for CFCL to source major sub-assemblies from Jabil. The final phase is for Jabil to assemble finished products as a contract manufacturer for CFCL.

CFCL has built and is operating a volume manufacturing plant in Germany, where CFCL makes fuel cell stacks and assembles complete Gennex fuel cell modules and BlueGen products.

This co-operation with Jabil complements CFCL’s initial manufacturing capacity. CFCL will retain control of fuel cell stack manufacturing and all related intellectual property into the future, whilst progressively outsourcing the manufacturing and supply of components, sub-assemblies and ultimately the mass manufactured BlueGen product.

Working with Jabil will allow CFCL to benefit from Jabil’s expertise and scale in contract manufacturing and global supply chain management, in order to further increase CFCL’s volumes and rapidly drive down unit costs.

Brendan Dow, Managing Director of Ceramic Fuel Cells, said: “Over the past year our order book has grown from 50 units to 500 units and we need to plan ahead for much larger volumes in the coming years. Working with an expert contract manufacturer will help us to increase our volumes and reduce our unit costs much faster than trying to do it all ourselves.”

Outsourced Electronic Manufacturing Services have grown substantially in the past 20 years and has been a key driver in expanding the volumes and reducing the costs of consumer and household electronic items. This outsourced model is now being adopted in other industries such as clean energy technologies.

• Initial order under previously announced collaboration agreement

VANCOUVER–Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) (NASDAQ: BLDP) today announced that Dantherm Power, Ballard’s backup power company, has received a purchase order for thirty (30) DBX2000 fuel cell systems from Delta Power Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd. [Delta], a subsidiary of Delta Electronics (Thailand) PLC, and part of the Delta Group, the world’s leading energy saving solutions provider (www.deltaww.com). These systems will be delivered in India and installed at sites of a major telecom service provider by year-end.

John Sheridan, Ballard’s President and CEO said, “This initial sale under our collaboration agreement with Delta establishes a key beachhead for us inIndia. Delta is a leading player in the India telecommunications market and our strategic partnership provides important opportunities for sales of cost-effective, clean fuel cell products in the fast growing India telecom marketplace.”

Under the agreement, Dantherm Power and Delta are working jointly to deploy Dantherm Power direct hydrogen fuel cell systems, including its 2-kilowatt (kW) DBX2000 and 5kW DBX5000 systems. Fuel cell solutions will be integrated by Delta, along with its Site Management & Control System (SMCS), and deployed at telecom customer sites in India. Delta has responsibility for installation, commissioning, maintenance and management of deployments. Network sites will also be remotely monitored by Delta’s Network Operations Centre (NOC).

Ballard FCgen®-1020ACS fuel cell stacks are integrated by Dantherm Power into its line of DBX systems. These systems are installed as an alternative to traditional power generators – such as lead-acid batteries and diesel generators – at telecom network sites, including wireless network base stations. In the event of a grid power failure, the reliability and rapid start-up of fuel cell-powered DBX systems ensure seamless, uninterrupted service to telecom end-customers.

About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) (NASDAQ: BLDP) provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications. Products contain proprietary esencia™ technology, ensuring incomparable performance, durability and versatility. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.

LATHAM, N.Y.– Plug Power Inc. ,a leader in providing clean, reliable energy products, today congratulates its Chief Technology Officer, Adrian Corless, for being recognized with an award at the 2011 Fuel Cell Seminar and Exposition (FCS&E).

The FCS&E Awards are delivered by the Technical Program Committee annually to those who have demonstrated significant leadership in promoting the overall advancement of fuel cell technology. Mr. Corless has been recognized for both his research and development accomplishments as well as his promotion of the partnerships that advance the research and development, commercialization and implementation of fuel cells.

Mr. Corless is currently responsible for the technology and product development at Plug Power as well as guiding its intellectual property portfolio. Most recently, he has led expansion of Plug Power’s GenDrive^®product offering, building the suite from two products to ten since 2008. Engineering design strategies implemented by Mr. Corless and his team have resulted in continued improvements in product reliability and cost, leading to rapid growth in fuel cell sales and deployments.

Mr. Corless began his career in hydrogen fuel cell technology in 1996. When reflecting on his tenure in the industry, Mr. Corless commented, “I’ve been personally and professionally invested in the hydrogen fuel cell arena for over 15 years. I’m honored to be part of the team that will grow Plug Power into a large, profitable, innovative market leader of the fuel cell industry. Plug Power products are distinguished for their performance and quality and our development plans will continue to mirror our customer needs.”

Corless continued, “I’m thankful to the Fuel Cell Seminar and Exposition Awards committee for honoring me as an industry leader and hope to continue driving fuel cell innovations as these solutions become a very real piece of a globally sustainable future.”

“Having an innovator and visionary like Adrian as part of the Plug Power team has allowed us to take an emerging technology and transform it into a real, economically viable business that has commercial traction,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power Inc. “We congratulate Adrian on his recognition in the fuel cell industry and thank him for the dedication and perseverance he brings to our business every day.”

The Fuel Cell Seminar, founded in 1976, has grown along with the industry in terms of the numbers of participants; the numbers of demonstrations of fuel cells; and the state-of-the-art of the technology. With exhibitors from Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan, Sweden, Taiwan, the UK, and the US, the 2011 Exposition provides attendees with a global perspective of the market.

About Plug Power Inc.

The architects of modern fuel cell technology, Plug Power revolutionized the industry with cost-effective power solutions that increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon footprints. Long-standing relationships with industry leaders forged the path for Plug Power’s key accounts, including Wegmans, Whole Foods, and FedEx Freight. With more than 1,200 GenDrive units shipped to material handling customers, accumulating over 5 million hours of runtime, Plug Power manufactures tomorrow’s incumbent power solutions today. Additional information about Plug Power is available atwww.plugpower.com.

EU Grant funding for industrial process heat applications

Collaboration with TWI and an EU industrial consortium

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce that it has received confirmation of a £440k EU grant from the Seventh Framework Program: SME-2011-2 Researchfor SME Associations to develop equipment for process heat applications. ITM Power will be working with TWI Ltd and a broad range of EU partners to commercialise its low cost combustion gas technology.
TWI will have overall management responsibility for the project and consortium which includes the Asociación Española de Soldadura y Tecnologías de Unión, the Heating and Ventilating Contractor’s Association, The European Association for Brazing and Soldering, LG Stucchi S.r.l, Mobo Impianti S.r.l, Webber Brennertechnik GmbH, Valmex, Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT.

In many applications hydrogen can offer a direct replacement for propane and acetylene. Hydrogen combustion in air or oxygen provides a high temperature heat source without carbon emissions. Appropriately designed hydrogen burner technology can circumvent the safety problems associated with relying on pressurized acetylene cylinders in a variety of industrial settings. The work builds upon the alkaline polymer technology developed in the recently concluded HydroGen project, of which ITM Power was a partner.

Commenting for ITM Power, CEO Graham Cooley said: “This is our first EU grant. At ITM Power we are interested in on-site fuel production packaged as CE marked products. Industrial process heat applications use a wide range of fuels combined with oxygen and air. On-site fuel production alleviates the need for delivered bottled gas which has significant logistical and safety advantages.”

About TWI:
TWI is a global leader in technology engineering providing research and consultancy to its members. Respected for its expertise, professionalism, impartiality and confidentiality, TWI works with the most influential companies worldwide across all industry sectors. TWI work across all industry sectors and are experts in all aspects of manufacturing, fabrication and whole-life integrity management technologies. With headquarters in Cambridge, UK, since 1946, and with several facilities around the world, TWI have a long history of invention, innovation and knowledge transfer.

About ITM Power:
ITM Power designs and manufactures Hydrogen Energy Systems for Energy Storage and Clean Fuel production. ITM Power has grown from its original platform of novel polymeric electrolytes (for water electrolysis and hydrogen fuel cells) to that of a technology provider. ITM Power now has both a strong base of intellectual property and engineering expertise for providing complete hydrogen solutions and CE marked products for sale.

The following information was released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab):

Fuel cells seem like an ideal energy source-they’re clean, efficient, silent and don’t require transmission lines. The hitch? They can be costly. Now scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) hope to change that equation by building a sophisticated cost model that will take into account the total cost of ownership.

With a $2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a team of scientists led by Eric Masanet will perform a detailed assessment of fuel cell design and manufacturing that takes into account both intrinsic and external benefits. The aim is to quantify not only traditional manufacturing costs but also benefits that may previously have been overlooked and may ultimately bring down the cost of fuel cells.

Berkeley Lab scientist Eric Masanet

“There are, for example, human health benefits associated with fuel cells replacing fossil fuels, but they are traditionally not accounted for, especially not by the company making the fuel cells,” said Masanet of the Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division. “But they are a benefit that society enjoys. So we will be using modeling techniques we’ve developed to see if there are optimal design and manufacturing strategies for different markets.”

The result will be not just a static cost analysis but a powerful public tool that can be used by designers, manufacturers and building owners as they make decisions around producing and implementing fuel cells. The tool will be based on a software platform called Analytica that Masanet likens to a visual spreadsheet. Because it is modular it will allow the user to easily change inputs, such as design and manufacturing costs and energy sources, and replace parts of the process. “Something like this will have a shelf life,” he said. “We’ll deliver a tool that can be updated over time with new processes, new designs, new cost data.”

How Energy Analysis Can Create More Bang For the Energy Research Buck

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are working on a wide variety of clean energy technologies-from biofuels to batteries to solar energy-but now these disparate efforts are being tied together with an in-depth and innovative analytical approach that will show which technologies are the most beneficial to pursue. The analysis will also give feedback to scientists before a technology hits the marketplace, allowing them to adjust and refine the technology so as to maximize its economic and environmental impact.

This project is the linchpin of a Lab-wide effort, dubbed Carbon Cycle 2.0, which brings together teams of scientists from throughout Berkeley Lab to engage in cross-disciplinary research that will accelerate the development of a carbon-neutral global energy system. The Carbon Cycle 2.0 Energy and Environmental Analysis Team (E2AT), led by Eric Masanet, has been examining the impact these technologies-still in the laboratory, not yet in the marketplace-will have on mitigating climate change, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and creating jobs.

It’s a fairly new approach for the Lab, to use the analytic lenses we’ve developed to analyze the costs, and energy, water, materials and climate change impacts of technologies that are still in the research and development phases,” says Masanet of the Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division. The ultimate goal of the work is to provide guidance to scientists, funding agencies, and policymakers about which technology options are the most beneficial to pursue. More>

The project will cover two types of fuel cells-solid oxide and proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells-in systems of up to 250 kilowatts. While vehicles are a common application for fuel cells, there is great demand for stationary applications such as primary and backup power for commercial and residential buildings. This project will look at several specific stationary markets, including backup power, baseload power and combined heat and power, as well as forklifts. Success with forklifts could lead to bigger transportation markets.

Another part of the cost equation normally not considered by manufacturers is that fuel cells can often be used to heat hot water in a building, which could save building owners on expenses such as hot water heaters and natural gas use. “Our model will give an idea of the big picture savings, and whether there are incentives that can be provided to make sure the savings are captured,” said Masanet. “Maybe building owners might be willing to accept a higher price if there are other advantages that manufacturers and policy makers can quantify. And when it comes to health benefits, policy makers can often provide incentives to accelerate technology adoption if they can quantify the greater benefits to society.”

Masanet and his team-including Berkeley Lab scientists Jim McMahon, Adam Weber, Chris Marnay and Max Wei-will also consider geographic factors. For example, are the benefits of fuel cells the same in Washington state, which gets much of its power from hydroelectricity, as in West Virginia, which is dominated by coal? “The cost benefits and pollution benefits might differ depending on where it’s deployed,” Masanet said. “There might be places where it’s more or less cost effective depending on external benefits.”

Ballard Power Systems, a major fuel cell manufacturer, and two groups at the University of California Berkeley-the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainability and the

Transportation Sustainability Research Center-are subcontractors on the project. “With Ballard on board we can make a pretty robust and more accurate model of how fuel cells are manufactured,” Masanet said. “We’ll work with their engineers, visit their facilities, and they’ll tell us if we’re modeling these processes in a realistic way.”

The project is expected to last five years. A working tool should be available in three years, and Berkeley Lab scientists will continue to update the model for another two years. The analytical tools and techniques used in this project were largely developed over the past year in a project for Berkeley Lab’s Carbon Cycle 2.0 initiative. [See sidebar, "How Energy Analysis Can Create More Bang For the Energy Research Buck."]

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. For more, visitwww.lbl.gov.

WASHINGTON — In a little more than a year, 34 corporate customers have installed, deployed or purchased more than 250 fuel cell power systems and hundreds of backup power units, totaling more than 30 MW of power, plus more than 1,000 fuel cell-powered forklifts.

“The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011: Energizing America’s Top Companies,” a new report released today by Fuel Cells 2000, a non-profit education and outreach organization based in Washington, DC., profiles 24 new corporate fuel cell customers as well as revisiting 10 companies that have installed or ordered additional systems for several North American locations since last year.

“Companies are collectively saving millions of dollars in electricity costs while reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons per year using fuel cell forklifts and power systems,” said Jennifer Gangi, program director, Fuel Cells 2000. “The U.S. is the world leader in both fuel cell-forklift deployments and combined heat and power installations, with both markets dominated by American fuel cell manufacturers, helping provide jobs and opportunities for export. All the companies profiled in this report are using fuel cells from suppliers with headquarters in the U.S.”

In 2010, Fuel Cells 2000 profiled 38 companies that collectively ordered, deployed or installed 15 MW of stationary power, 1,000 forklifts and 600 backup power units. This new 2011 report includes 24 new customers and 10 companies previously profiled that purchased additional units. Companies leading the charge with fuel cell deployment include:

– Walmart — 6.8 MW at 17 stores; 70+ forklifts

– Coca-Cola — 2.1 MW at four locations; 72 forklifts at two bottling facilities

– Sysco — 500+ forklifts at several locations, hundreds more on order

– Whole Foods — 1.2 MW at four grocery stores, 60+ forklifts

“Fuel cells are not only helping businesses boost their environmental and economic bottom lines, they are also providing a much-needed assist to American manufacturing,” says Gangi. “Newcomers like NBCUniversal, Kroger, and Kaiser Permanente and repeat customers such as Coca-Cola, Walmart and AT&T are helping keep the U.S. at the head of the pack in the clean technology game.”

To download the full free report, please go to http://www.fuelcells.org/BusinessCaseforFuelCells2011.pdf .

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario- Hydrogenics Corporation a.leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products, today announced the release of its advanced generation HyPM(R) HD (heavy duty) Fuel Cell Power Modules, achieving what the Company considers a new power density breakthrough for PEM fuel cell technology. HyPM HD’s new advances represent a definitive leap for Hydrogenics fuel cell power module products in meeting the demanding performance and form factor requirements of mobility applications. The opportunity in today’s early-adopting transit and commercial vehicle markets is the initial focus of the advanced generation product introduction.

The advanced HyPM HD Power Module family, with first-of-its-kind component design and system integration features, achieves power density improvements that range from 30-60% on a volumetric basis and 40-60% on a gravimetric basis when compared to current HyPM products and systems delivering equal power output. This same level of improvement is also evident when compared to the data available for competitive fuel cell power module products in the marketplace.

At the core of this achievement is the introduction of Hydrogenics’ new multi-function end plate design including patent pending integration of the manifold, controls and wiring harness. This underlying concept of system simplification took root when the Company designed its first fuel cell engines on contract for GM-Opel in 2001 and has been consistently applied since that time. The result is fewer distinct parts as well as capabilities that completely remove the need for gas humidification and nitrogen purging, thus overcoming long-standing technology adoption barriers regarding sub-zero operation and repeated stop-start cycling. The Company believes that these and other HyPM capabilities set it apart as a robust product of choice for today’s fuel cell markets.

“Hydrogenics has always maintained that the way to achieve success is through simplification and the way to achieve simplification is the control over our own proprietary stack technology. This has given us the ability to merge the stack design with its balance-of-plant into one intelligent integrated unit,” said Joseph Cargnelli, Chief Technology Officer. “The advantage, compared to the alternative route that some system integrators take of integrating a ‘black box’ stack from a separate supplier, is pivotal not only in terms of performance but also for manufacturability and reduced cost to customers.”

To lead the market introduction of the advanced generation products, Hydrogenics is introducing three new high output power modules — HyPM HD-30 (max 33 kW), HyPM HD-90 (max 99 kW), and HyPM HD-180 (max 198 kW). These new members of the HyPM family target the growing demand for propulsion of hybrid electric urban transit buses, short-haul hybrid electric terminal tractors, and hybrid electric commercial delivery trucks. Monolithic fuel cell power modules delivering power outputs in this range have not been previously achievable within the standard space and weight allowances of such vehicles.

“To date, we and others have faced a conundrum of needing to serve the early-adopting heavy duty vehicle markets of today with a new technology that was challenged to meet their form factor requirements,” added Daryl Wilson, Chief Executive Officer. “The day has now come where their leadership in adopting fuel cell technology will pay off with the ease of integration and performance they have long been waiting for. With our investment in new product, serving this power range requirement, Hydrogenics is demonstrating its commitment to the needs of these markets.”

Hydrogenics’ line of HyPM power modules are integration-ready power generators that require only hydrogen fuel, liquid coolant, and CAN control signal to produce clean electrical power. In addition to a fuel cell stack, the power module includes the associated components, subsystems and control software required to produce power. Since its original development, HyPM’s low-pressure design has consistently delivered optimized controls for faster and smoother dynamic response, fewer mechanical or moving parts, lower noise, reduced weight and enhanced efficiency compared to competitors’ pressurized engines. With the recent HyPM-HD technology breakthrough, Hydrogenics has raised the power density and responsiveness to new levels for a low pressure design, decisively outweighing the benefits of a pressurized design.

The advanced HyPM-HD is being launched at the 2011 Fuel Cell Seminar in Orlando, Florida from November 1-3. To mark the launch, Models HD-30, HD-90 and HD-180 are available for order immediately with plans to make smaller models available for purchase in the near future. Visit booth # 303 to speak to a Hydrogenics representative.

The following links provide additional details including first level physical and operational specifications — HyPM HD-30, HyPM HD-90, HyPM HD-180.

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.

Hydrogen offers great promise as a renewable energy source. It’s staggeringly plentiful (the most abundant element in the Universe) and environmentally friendly (used in a fuel cell, it gives off only water). Unfortunately, storing and transporting hydrogen for personal use is a significant engineering challenge.

Now, a team of researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas and Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., has made the counterintuitive discovery that aluminum, with a minor modification, is able to both break down and capture individual hydrogen atoms, potentially leading to a robust and affordable fuel storage system.

In nature, when two atoms of hydrogen meet they combine to form a very stable molecule (H2). Molecular hydrogen, however, has to be stored under great pressure and at very low temperatures, which is impractical if you want to power a vehicle or provide electricity for a home. A better solution would be to find a material that, at easily maintained temperatures and pressures, could efficiently store individual hydrogen atoms and release them on demand.

The first step in this process – hydrogen activation, breaking the chemical bonds that hold two hydrogen atoms together – is typically done by exposing molecular hydrogen to a catalyst. The best catalytic materials currently available are made of so-called “noble metals” (e.g. palladium and platinum). These elements efficiently enable hydrogen activation, but their scarcity makes them prohibitively expensive for widespread use.

In the quest to find an equally efficient yet less-expensive alternative, lead researcher Yves J. Chabal of the University of Texas at Dallas and Santanu Chaudhuri at Washington State University have identified a potential new hydrogen activation method that has the additional advantage of being an effective hydrogen-storage medium. Their proposed system relies on aluminum, a plentiful but inert metal that under normal conditions doesn’t react with molecular hydrogen.

The key to unlocking aluminum’s potential, the researchers surmised, is to impregnate its surface with some other metal that would facilitate the catalytic reaction. In this case, the researchers tested titanium, which is much more plentiful than noble metals and is used only sparingly in creating the titanium-doped aluminum surface.

Under very controlled temperatures and pressures, the researchers studied the aluminum surface, particularly in the vicinity of the titanium atoms, for telltale signs that catalytic reactions were taking place. The “smoking gun” was found in the spectroscopic signature of carbon monoxide (CO), which was added to the system to help identify areas of hydrogen activity. If atomic hydrogen were present, then the wavelength of light absorbed by the carbon monoxide bound to the catalytic metal center would become shorter, signaling that the catalyst was working.

“We’ve combined a novel infrared reflection absorption-based surface analysis method and first principles-based predictive modeling of catalytic efficiencies and spectral response, in which a carbon monoxide molecule is used as a probe to identify hydrogen activation on single-crystal aluminum surfaces containing catalytic dopants,” says Chaudhuri.

Their studies revealed that in areas doped with titanium, the infrared signature of the CO shifted to shorter wavelengths even at very low temperatures. This “blue shift” was an indication that atomic hydrogen was being produced around some of the catalytic centers on an aluminum surface.

As part of a hydrogen storage system, an aluminum-supported catalyst has other advantages over more expensive metals. If technical advances like this can provide a pathway for aluminum to combine with hydrogen to form aluminum hydride (a stable solid with a composition ratio of a single aluminum atom to three hydrogen atoms) and store hydrogen as a high-density solid-state material, a critical step in developing a practical fuel system can be achieved.

The titanium further advances the process by helping the hydrogen bind to the aluminum to form aluminum hydride. If used as a fuel-storage device, the aluminum hydride could be made to release its store of hydrogen by simply raising its temperature.

“Although titanium may not be the best catalytic center for fully reversible aluminum hydride formation, the results prove for the first time that titanium-doped aluminum can activate hydrogen in ways that are comparable to expensive and less-abundant catalyst metals such as palladium and other near-surface alloys consisting of similar noble metals and their bimetallic analogs,” Chaudhuri explains.

Irinder Chopra, the lead student in this project, will present this research at AVS’ 58th International Symposium & Exhibition, held Oct. 30 – Nov. 4, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. A paper based on this research – “Turning Aluminum into a noble-metal like catalyst for low-temperature molecular hydrogen activation” –was published online in the journal Nature Materials on September 25. Support for this research came from the Department of Energy – Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

The AVS 58th International Symposium & Exhibition will be held Oct. 30 – Nov. 4 at the Nashville Convention Center.

Presentation SS1-TuM-4, “Turning Aluminum into a Noble-metal like Catalyst for Low Temperature Molecular Hydrogen Activation,” is at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

USEFUL LINKS:

Main meeting website: http://www2.avs.org/symposium/AVS58/pages/greetings.html

Technical Program: http://www2.avs.org/symposium