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Fuel Cells 2000's Fuel Cell Technology
Update
March 2003
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LEGISLATION
U.S. Legislators Propose H2GROW Act.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representative Christopher
Cox (R-CA)
have introduced a bipartisan bill called the H2GROW Act -
Hydrogen
Transportation Wins Over Growing Reliance on Oil. The bill
includes tax
credits: for the purchase of fuel cell vehicles; for hydrogen
fuel; and for
building a hydrogen-fueling infrastructure. The goal of the
H2GROW Act is to reduce reliance on 30 million barrels of
foreign oil a year. The bill also mandates that hydrogen-powered
vehicles must comprise a minimum percentage of federal fleets,
from five percent for fleets of 100 vehicles or more in 2006
to 50 percent for fleets of 50 vehicles or more in 2012.
< http://wyden.senate.gov/media/2002/2003211557.html>
TRANSPORTATION APPLICATIONS
Nissan and UTC Sign Development Agreement.
Nissan Motor Co. and UTC Fuel Cells (UTCFC) announced the
signing of an agreement to jointly develop proton exchange
membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology. Under terms of the agreement,
Nissan will obtain rights to UTCFC's technology, and the two
companies will continue to jointly develop this technology
for automotive applications. UTCFC will also have rights to
any intellectual property jointly developed by the two companies
for use in non-automotive applications, including commercial
stationary power plants.
< http://www.utcfuelcells.com/news/archive/020503.shtml>
Astris, CareAction Form Astris Transportation Systems.
Astris Energi, Inc. and Montreal-based CareAction, Inc. have
joined and
formed a new company named Astris Transportation Systems,
Inc. (ATSI).
Their first project will be to adapt the Astris E7-MC250 fuel
cell generator to power the Zenn electric vehicle designed
for use by the disabled and seniors, as well as the general
public. The Zenn is a product of Feel Good Cars Inc., an affiliate
of CareAction. The first fuel cell-powered Zenn will be rolled
out before the end of this year, followed by volume production
of fuel cell power units for both stationary and mobile applications,
including use in golf cars, neighborhood electric vehicles
and other people and material movers.
< http://www.astrisfuelcell.com/news/index.html>
EPA Issues First Certification of a Fuel Cell Vehicle.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the first
certification for fuel economy and emissions of a hydrogen
fuel cell zero-emission vehicle to the 2003 Honda FCX. EPA's
Ann Arbor (Michigan) laboratory is the first federal facility
capable of testing and certifying a fuel cell vehicle for
emissions and fuel economy.
< http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/headline_021103.htm>
GM Increases HydroGen3 FCV Range.
General Motors has increased the range of its HydroGen3 compressed
hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 80 percent with a successful
test of a 10,000-psi (700 bar) hydrogen storage system. The
HydroGen3 Zafira minivan has a range of 170 miles, up from
95 miles achieved in Summer 2002.
< http://media.gm.com/news/releases/030210_hydrogen.html>
STATIONARY POWER
Plug Power and LIPA Install Fuel Cell at McDonald's, LIPA
to Purchase 45 More.
Plug Power and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) have
installed a fuel cell to partially power a Long Island, New
York McDonalds. The McDonald's fuel cell was installed by
LIPA as part of its alternative energy technologies research
and development program, which is part of its Clean Energy
Initiative (CEI). LIPA will purchase an additional 45 GenSys(tm)5CS
fuel cell systems for installation across Long Island this
year.
Twenty-five will be installed at LIPA's West Babylon Fuel
Cell Demonstration Site, which currently contains fuel cell
systems feeding directly into the Long Island electrical grid.
The remaining 20 systems will generate on-site heat and power
for single or multi-family residential sites.
< http://www.plugpower.com/news/press.cfm>
Michelin Plant Operating FuelCell Energy and MTU Fuel Cell.
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) announced that a Direct FuelCell®
(DFC®) power plant built by its partner in Europe, MTU
CFC Solutions Gmbh, a company of DaimlerChrysler AG, has begun
operating at a Michelin tire plant in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The power plant will supply both electricity and process steam
for tire vulcanization for the facility. The fuel cells in
the power plant were manufactured by FCE and shipped to MTU
for incorporation into their power plant known as the Hot
Module.
< http://www.fce.com/#>
FCT Receives Purchase Contracts for SOFC Units.
Fuel Cell Technologies (FCT) announced that the U.S. Department
of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and
the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have placed orders
to purchase the company's SOFC units.
NETL will purchase one 5kW unit for testing at a facility
in Morgantown, WV, after which the system will be delivered
to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for installation
at an abandoned hardrock mine in Montana to provide electricity
for operating instrumentation and communications equipment.
FCT will also deliver a five-kW SOFC unit to EPRI later this
year for performance testing in collaboration with FCT and
NETL. FCT also signed a contract with the Gas Technology Institute
to "deliver, install and commission a 5kW SOFC unit at
the Memphis Botanical Garden in Memphis, Tennessee.
< http://www.fct.ca/29_01_03.html>
CA Certifies FCE DFC for Grid Connection.
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) has received notice from the California
Energy Commission (CEC) that its DFC300A Direct FuelCell®
(DFC®) power plant has been certified for grid interconnection
under California's "Rule 21" standard. According
to FCE, the standard is a collaborative effort of CEC and
California's three largest investor-owned utilities that specifies
interconnection, operating and metering requirements for distributed
electric power generators such as fuel cells.
Caterpillar and FCE Expected to Win Ohio Contract.
Caterpillar Inc. and FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) are expected
to win a
contract to install one of the nation's first advanced utility-scale
fuel
cell power plants designed to feed power from a substation
into a local
electric distribution system. The innovative project award
is the first by
the state of Ohio, which is investing more than $100 million
in a three-year initiative to expand fuel cell research and
development, including increased fuel cell generating capacity.
< http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030227/cgth054_1.html>
Nippon Oil to Test Residential Fuel Cell System.
Nippon Oil began testing fuel cells for residential use in
a model house in Yokohama's Nishi Ward. The Tokyo-based oil
company also plans to begin testing fuel cells in the official
residence of Yokohama Mayor Hiroshi Nakada. The experiment,
which uses propane as fuel, will last for about a year. Nippon
Oil plans to begin sales of the system in 2005, at a cost
of about 500,000 yen (approx. US$4,254).
< http://www.japantoday.com/e?content=news&cat=4&id=248316>
PORTABLE/BACKUP POWER
Axane Fuel Cell Used in North Pole Experiment.
Air Liquide subsidiary Axane's 300-watt Polar Pac proton exchange
membrane (PEM) fuel cell operated for more than 500 hours
during a three-month experiment near the North Pole. The Polar
Pac fuel cell was used by French explorer Jean-Louis Etienne
to power communication, lighting and computer equipment.
Toshiba International and Plug Power Enter Marketing Agreement.
Toshiba International Corporation (TIC) and Plug Power Inc.
have entered into a joint marketing agreement to explore the
application of fuel cells for industrial premium power markets.
The agreement will define a product that combines Plug Power's
proprietary fuel cell technology with TIC's uninterruptible
power systems. The companies expect the joint marketing agreement
to lead to subsequent product development and commercialization
agreements.
< http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030219/nyw037_1.html>
Ballard to Purchase Fuel Cell Generator Assets from Coleman
Powermate.
Ballard Power Systems has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding
whereby it will purchase Coleman Powermate's AirGen(tm) fuel
cell generator assets, acquiring all related inventory, tools
and molds, software and intellectual property, including the
AirGen(tm) brand, and will develop its own sales marketing
and distribution strategy for the fuel cell generator.
< http://www.ballard.com/pdfs/4%20Coleman_F.PDF>
FUELS/REFORMERS/STORAGE
Stuart Unveils Intelligent Hydrogen Energy Station.
Stuart Energy unveiled and demonstrated the world's first
intelligent
electrolytic Hydrogen Energy Station (HES) at its headquarters
in
Mississauga, Ontario yesterday. Attending the event were industry
and
government officials, executives from major Stuart Energy's
Asian joint
venture partner Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings as well
as project
partners Ford Motor Company and representatives of Ballard
Power Systems.
<http://www.stuartenergy.com/news/press_releases/press_feb18.html>
SAWC Develops Hydrogen Fuel Transport Truck.
Sumisho Air Water Company (SAWC) has developed Japan's first
truck capable of transporting hydrogen fuel for fuel cell-powered
vehicles. The truck, which is expected to retail for between
50 and 60 million yen (between $415,000 and $498,000), will
be purchased by Toyota Motor Corporation. This Mobile Hydrogen
Station will be driven
directly to fuel cell vehicles to provide fuel.
PES Supplies HOGEN 380 for Fuel Cell Bus Project.
Proton Energy Systems, Inc. (PES) has supplied one of its
HOGEN 380 hydrogen generators for use in a new hydrogen and
renewable energy project in Barth, Germany. The system, which
was delivered late last year, was commissioned and successfully
passed acceptance-testing earlier this month. The HOGEN 380
hydrogen generator will be used to compress and store hydrogen
at high-pressure to provide fuel for a fuel cell-powered bus.
The oxygen byproduct from the unit will be used to increase
Barth's wastewater treatment capacity by adding oxygen to
its biological wastewater treatment system. The Barth environmental
site will also incorporate solar panels for zero emission
electricity generation.
< http://www.protonenergy.com>
Dynetek to Deliver Storage Systems to MAN, John Deere.
Dynetek Industries, Inc.'s wholly owned European subsidiary
Dynetek Europe GmbH will deliver two 5,000-pounds per square
inch (psi), or 350-bar, hydrogen storage systems to Germany's
MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG later this year for use in two fuel cell
powered buses that will operate at the Munich Airport. Back
in North America, Dynetek has been selected by Deere &
Company (John Deere) to supply its 5000psi (350bar) hydrogen
storage system as part of a technology demonstrator fuel cell-powered
commercial work vehicle. The demonstrator will be a modified
John Deere Pro-Gator(tm) utility vehicle.
<http://micro.newswire.ca/releases/February2003/20/c2364.html/47875-0>
<http://micro.newswire.ca/releases/February2003/06/c7454.html/47875-0>
EU to Fund Hydrogen Fuel Pumps.
The European Commission is funding a three-year initiative
to develop the technology to deliver hydrogen fuel pumps to
petrol stations by connecting them to a country's existing
natural gas supply.
< http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?CALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=
& RCN=EN_RCN_ID:19723>
QuestAir Wins Research and Development Award.
QuestAir Technologies Inc. has been awarded the 2002 Energy
Research and Development Award by the Canadian Institute of
Energy (British Columbia.).
The Energy Research and Development Award recognizes the efforts
of
B.C.-based firms that are conducting leading-edge research
into energy
technology. The evaluative criteria considered in this award
include the
degree of innovation, commercial market potential, environmental
benefits, as well as the indirect benefits (such as productivity
increases and product quality improvements) resulting from
the research.
< http://biz.yahoo.com/cnw/030227/questair_energy_award_1.html>
FUEL CELL COMPONENTS
SatCon Receives Order for Power Conditioning Systems.
SatCon Technology Corporation has received a $1.2 million
purchase order for three megawatts of power conditioning systems
for fuel cell power generation. The UL 1741 compliant three
phase multi-mode inverters will provide power conversion and
conditioning and the electrical balance of plant for a fuel
cell power generation system. The units are to be delivered
in 2003.
< http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030220/202049_1.html>
NETL Generates Hydrogen from Water Without Electrolysis.
Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
have
patented a new method of generating hydrogen from water, without
using electrolysis. The method involves "catalytic decomposition
of water" using mixed proton-electron conducting membranes.
< http://www.netl.doe.gov/newsroom/briefs/rb-0012.html>
AMI Launches Third Generation Test Suite Software.
Advanced Measurements (AMI) has launched its third generation
Fuel Cell Test Suite software. Possible testing options are
reduction tests, power curve tests, fuel utilizations tests,
load profiling tests and impedance spectroscopy tests.
< http://www.advmeas.com/>
REPORTS/MARKET STUDIES
Fuel Cells 2000 and Fuel Cell Today Release Hydrogen Fueling
Station
Information.
Fuel Cells 2000 and Fuel Cell Today have released a comprehensive
guide and information package on hydrogen fueling stations.
Both free, Fuel Cells 2000's worldwide hydrogen fueling station
reference chart is available at:
< http://www.fuelcells.org/charts.htm>, and Fuel Cell
Today's worldwide
hydrogen fueling station report is available at:
< http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/surveys>.
DOC Office of Technology Policy Publishes Fuel Cell Vehicle
Report.
The U.S. Department of Commerce Technology Administration's
Office of
Technology Policy recently published "Fuel Cell Vehicles:
Race to a New
Automotive Future," which features market projections,
technology barriers, and detailed summaries of foreign investments
in fuel cell vehicle research and development programs.
< http://www.ta.doc.gov/reports/TechPolicy/CD117a-030129.pdf>
DTI Report Examines Role of U.K. in Fuel Cell Market.
The United Kingdom (U.K.) Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) and Carbon Trust have released a new report, which found
that the country's fuel cell technology industry could become
a significant player in the world market, given the right
investment. The report, authored by E4Tech, urges the U.K.
government to establish an industry forum that will develop
a vision for
fuel cells in the U.K. and act as a central liaison point
for producers,
government and academia.
< http://www.carbontrust.co.uk>
BCC Hydrogen Report.
Hydrogen as a Chemical Constituent and as an Energy Source,
a recently
updated report from Business Communications Company, Inc.
claims the total U.S. hydrogen demand will increase by a factor
of 1.32, from 10,963 billion cubic feet in 2002 to 14,454
billion cubic feet in 2007. This increase will be equivalent
to an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 5.7%. By 2007,
BCC estimates that more than 1,000,000 vehicles fueled by
hydrogen will be operating throughout the United States. This
will increase the market value of hydrogen for renewable energy
production.
www.bccresearch.com <http://www.bccresearch.com>
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
CaFCP Seeks Fleet Vehicle Demonstration Interest.
The California Fuel Cell Partnership has started a new website-based
questionnaire to gather information from those interested
in helping to test and operate fuel cell electric vehicles
and related infrastructure in
real-world conditions.
< http://www.cafcp.org/releases/2003_2-03_2003_fleets.html>
NYSERDA Funding Available for DG/CHP Projects.
$10 million in funding is available from the New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for distributed
generation (DG) and combined heat and power (CHP) projects,
including fuel cell feasibility studies, technology transfer
studies, and demonstration projects. Proposals are due by
April 16, 2003.
< http://www.nyserda.org/750pon.html>
Climate Change Fuel Cell Buy-down Program.
The Department of Defense, through the Department of Energy's
National Energy Technology Laboratory, has issued its 2003
Climate Change Fuel Cell Buy-Down Solicitation, to provide
grants of up to $1,000/kW for the purchase & installation
of fuel cell power plants with a combined capacity rated between
3 and 3,000 kW. $2.8 million is available under this solicitation.
It is anticipated that there will be between 10 and 14 awards
resulting from the solicitation. Applications are due on June
1, 2003.
< http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOE/PAM/HQ/DE-PS26-03NT41463/listing.html>
MISCELLANEOUS
DOE EERE Web Site Renamed, Moved.
The web site for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy
(EERE), formerly known as EREN, has moved to a new address.
The site's new address places greater emphasis on the reorganized
office's 11 technology programs - including the Hydrogen,
Fuel Cell and Infrastructure Technologies Program - and reflects
DOE's move from doe.gov to energy.gov. The new EERE web site
is <http://www.eere.energy.gov/>.
CONFERENCES
Fuel Cell Investment Summit.
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, the U.S. Fuel Cell Council
and Fuel Cells 2000 present the first annual Fuel Cell Investment
Summit. This conference will be held on March 17-18, 2003,
at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. For
registration information, please visit < http://www.fuelcellis.com>.
Pennsylvania Fuel Cell Workshop.
" The Path to a Fuel Cell Economy in Pennsylvania and
the Mid-Atlantic
Region" will be held on March 18, 2003, at the Sheraton
Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more
information, please go to
< http://www.cleanair.org/fuelcell>.
Aspen Clean Energy Roundtable.
Montreux Energy's 10th annual Aspen Clean Energy Roundtable
will be held March 26-28, 2003, at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen,
Colorado. For registration information, please visit <http://www.montreuxenergy.com/aspen.htm>.
Excellence in Fuel Cells Summit.
The "Excellence in Fuel Cells" Conference and Workshop
will be April 9-11, 2003, at the Hannover Fair, Germany. For
details, go to
< http://www.eyeforfuelcells.com/events/hannover2003/>.
Small Fuel Cells 2003.
The 5th Annual Small Fuel Cells conference - Small Fuel Cells
for Portable
Power Applications will be May 7 - 9, 2003, at the Hyatt Regency
New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. For conference details,
go to
< http://www.knowledgepress.com/events/10301507.htm>.
Industrial Short Course.
" An Introduction to the Science and Engineering of Fuel
Cells and Fuel
Processors" will be May 7-9, 2003, at the University
of Michigan in Ann
Arbor, Michigan. For details, go to
< http://www.engin.umich.edu/dept/cheme/fuelcellcrse/index.html>.
Fuel Cell Fundamentals.
The Fuel Cell Fundamentals Short Course will be May 8-9, 2003,
at the WPI Worcester Campus in Worcester, Massachusetts. For
course information, go to < http://www.ce.wpi.edu/FC/>.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003.
Join over 700 delegates to discuss the latest developments
in hydrogen, fuel cell research and product developments in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 8-11, 2003. Also
available will be an exciting array of industrial and product
demonstrations. For more information, please visit < http://www.hydrogenfuelcells2003.com>.
Grove Fuel Cell Symposium VIII.
Join international delegates to discuss developments in fuel
cell technology and commercialization at the Eighth Grove
Fuel Cell Symposium, in London, England on September 24-26,
2003. New for 2003 is a large exhibition area featuring over
100 exhibitors, vendor presentations and live demonstrations.
Find out more at <http://www.grovefuelcell.com> or contact
< mailto:sm.wilkinson@elsevier.com>.
EPRI DR Conference.
EPRI's Eighth Annual DR Conference will be October 15-17,
2003, at the
Intercontinental New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana.
< http://www.epri.com>
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