June 2013

TRANSPORTATION APPLICATIONS

• Audi to Demo New Fuel Cell Vehicle.  Audi recently announced that it was developing a fuel cell version of its A7 vehicle and is set to begin trials at the end of August.

•  Ballard and Azure Sign MOU to Expand Collaboration.  Ballard Power Systems has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with its partner Azure Hydrogen Corporation of Beijing, China, extending the scope of their collaboration to include fuel cell buses.  

• Air Liquide Invests In Plug Power.  Plug Power Inc. received a $6.5 million (€5 million) strategic investment from its partner Air Liquide, which includes a preferred stock purchase, increased ownership of the companies' HyPulsion joint venture and an engineering services contract.

• PowerCell Unveils Full-Scale Prototype of PowerPac.  Swedish fuel cell manufacturer PowerCell unveiled a functioning full-scale prototype of its PowerPac fuel cell system. The PowerPac reforms diesel fuel into hydrogen and is aimed for the trucking and transportation markets as an auxiliary power unit.

• GFF Uses Fuel Cell System to Help Keep Shipped Food Fresh.  Global Fresh Foods’ (GFF) is touting its patented SAF-D^® fuel cell system that helps maintain a high CO₂ and a low oxygen controlled atmosphere to convert residual oxygen to water vapor.  This creates an environment perfectly suited for the natural preservation of fresh proteins and significantly extends fresh food shelf life.  Using this technology, GFF has completed 30 day tests with H&G (head off and gutted) and HOG (head on and gutted) salmon and concluded that the produce can be shipped by sea without being frozen. 

•  French Companies Unveil Fuel Cell Bike.  Three French companies, Cycleurope, Pragma Industries and Ventec, have developed the ALTER BIKE, a fuel cell electric bicycle.  The ALTER BIKE stores its hydrogen in solid form, in recyclable canisters and uses both a Li-ion battery and a fuel cell.

STATIONARY POWER

• Widmer Brothers Brewery to Demo Fuel Cell.  Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies (OregonBEST), an independent nonprofit established by the Oregon Legislature, provided a $150,000 grant to Widmer Brothers Brewing for a new pilot project to install a small-scale fuel cell at Widmer’s Portland brewery, which is expected to treat about 1,000 gallons a day while generating electricity.  Widmer pays the city of Portland to treat its wastewater, so recycling and reusing the water will help the company save money.  The fuel cell was developed by Professor Hong Liu and researcher Yanzhen Fan from Oregon State University's Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering. 

• CFCL Joins Forces with Novogaz, Raises Funds.  Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) announced a distribution partnership with Novogaz SA, a subsidiary of Holdigaz Group.  Under the agreement, the two partners will work together to distribute the BlueGEN micro CHP fuel cell system to the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This agreement continues the companies’ cooperation that began in 2010 with a BlueGEN field testing exercise.  CFCL also raised £5.0 million (US$7.6 million), mostly through through the issue of Secured Convertible Loan Notes.

• Elcore Partners with Thüga-Group.  German fuel cell manufacturer Elcore entered into a partnership with the Thüga-Group, a network of municipal energy and water providers in Germany.  The companies will install seven Elcore 2400 fuel cell systems around the country to start. 

PORTABLE/BACKUP POWER

• Ballard Now has More than 270 Fuel Cells in 16 CALA Networks.  Ballard Power Systems has more than 270 of its ElectraGen™-ME methanol-fueled fuel cell backup power systems deployed in 16 Caribbean and Latin American (CALA) telecom networks.  Ballard has 138 fuel cell systems deployed in the Caribbean – including countries such as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, St Lucia, Montserrat and Trinidad & Tobago – 114 systems deployed in Mexico and 20 systems deployed in Chile, Guatemala and Argentina. In addition, a number of trials are currently underway with other carriers. 

• Acta Sells First Backup System for Africa Trial.  Acta S.p.A. has sold its first fuel cell backup power system, which will be placed on trial with an unnamed international mobile telecommunications company at a base station located in Africa.  The system is due to be shipped to the client in June 2013 for a three month onsite trial.  

MICRO FUEL CELLS

• Intelligent Energy Collaborating with Etisalat Nigeria.  Intelligent Energy announced a collaboration with Etisalat Nigeria, to test personal energy devices powered by Intelligent Energy’s fuel cell technology. 

MILITARY APPLICATIONS

• SFC Launches EMILY 3000.  SFC Energy AG has launched the new EMILY 3000 fuel cell generator for vehicle-based defense applications.  In addition to conventional batteries, EMILY 3000 can also charge lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries. 

FUELS/REFORMERS/STORAGE

• DOE Launches H2USA.  The U.S. Energy of Department (DOE) has launched H2USA, a new public-private partnership consisting of automakers, government agencies, gas suppliers, and the hydrogen and fuel cell industries to coordinate research and identify cost-effective solutions to deploy infrastructure that can deliver hydrogen fuel in the United States.  Through H2USA, industry and government partners will focus on identifying actions to encourage early adopters of fuel cell electric vehicles, conduct coordinated technical and market analysis, and evaluate alternative fueling infrastructure that can enable cost reductions and economies of scale.  Current members of the H2USA partnership include the American Gas Association, Association of Global Automakers, the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the Electric Drive Transportation Association, the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, Hyundai Motor America, ITM Power, Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition, Mercedes-Benz USA, Nissan North America Research and Development, Proton OnSite, Toyota Motor North America, and most recently, Honda. 

• CEC Allocates $20 Million For Hydrogen Fueling Stations.  The California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted the 2013-2014 Investment Plan Update to support the development and use of green vehicles and alternative fuels. The update sets funding priorities for the approximately $100 million in annual state funds under the Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology (ARFVT) Program, created by Assembly Bill 118.  The Plan allocates $20 million for hydrogen fueling infrastructure. 

• Hydrogen Station Opens in Just Two Days.  A new H2 Logic hydrogen refueling station Logic was opened in Copenhagen, Denmark, coinciding with the handover of 15 fuel cell electric vehicles from Hyundai to the City of Copenhagen. The refueling station is based on the H2Station® CAR-100 product and was installed in only 48 hours before conducting of the first refueling. 

• IKEA Installing Air Liquide Hydrogen Dispensers.  Air Liquide is providing a hydrogen filling station at IKEA’s Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, France, distribution center to fuel around twenty fuel cell-powered forklift trucks.  The fuel cells will be produced by HyPulsion (a joint venture 80%-owned by Air Liquide's subsidiary Axane and 20%-owned by Plug Power). 

• Aberdeen, Scotland Releases Hydrogen Economy Framework.  The Aberdeen City Council has released, A Hydrogen Economy for Aberdeen City Region, a strategy framework that presents a platform for the city to build off the £20 million ($30.5 million) Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Project, which will bring Europe's largest fleet of fuel cell buses to the region next year, to other ambitious hydrogen projects.  This aims to accelerate the development of the renewable energy sector, while offering real opportunities for economic development, reducing emissions, and leading a low carbon economy.

• Cummins and Ad Astra Power Generator with Hydrogen/Biogas Mixture.  Ad Astra Rocket Company and Cummins Power Generation have successfully powered a Cummins-built electrical generator using mixtures of hydrogen and biogas.  The electrical generator designed and manufactured by Cummins, is part of an experimental 7.5 kW renewable energy system being studied for potential commercialization by a combined team from Ad Astra Rocket Company, Cummins Inc. and EARTH University in Costa Rica. Other components of this system include an Ad Astra designed solar and wind-based hydrogen production and storage system. Ad Astra is developing this system in collaboration with Costa Rica's state-owned oil refinery, RECOPE. In addition, biogas production from biodigestors is being studied by EARTH University. 

MATERIALS/COMPONENTS/TESTING

• Duke Researchers Develop New Catalysts.  Duke University engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen using a new catalytic approach – using nanoparticle combinations of gold and iron oxide (rust), but not in the traditional sense.  Current methods depend on gold nanoparticles ability to drive the process as the sole catalyst, while the Duke researchers made both the iron oxide and the gold the focus of the catalytic process.

REPORTS/MARKET STUDIES

• DOE AMR Proceedings.  The presentations from DOE’s 2013 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review (AMR) and Peer Evaluation Meeting are now available online - http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/annual_review13_proceedings.html.

• Water Electrolysis & Renewable Energy Systems.  Fuel Cell Today has published a new free report, Water Electrolysis & Renewable Energy Systems, which describes how the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen can be used in conjunction with renewable energy sources to provide a number of benefits.  

• Making Fuel Cells Work.  A policy paper from Noriko Behling has just been published in the Issues of Science and Technology Journal of the National Academy of Sciences (http://www.issues.org/29.3/) that urges that the U.S. government implement a new fuel cell program that focuses on basic research. The new program would explore the mechanisms of fuel cells, resolve the persistent challenges involving high cost, and insufficient reliability and efficiency, and within the near term achieve fuel cell products that can compete with their conventional counterparts without tax incentives and subsidies.  If you would like a copy of the policy paper, please send me an email at jennifer@fuelcells.org and I will email it to you. 

• NEW-IG Report.  The New Energy World Industry Grouping (NEW-IG) Annual Report captures the key achievements and highlights of NEW-IG activities in 2012, including the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the Horizon 2020 program. 

• Fuel Cell Vehicles.  Fuel Cell Vehicles, a new report from Navigant Research, outlines the state of policies and programs that will support FCV deployment and the commercialization plans of the major industry players. The report examines the state of technology in reaching application cost targets, and profiles innovative startups that could disrupt the market. The report also details conditions in three major emerging bus markets (Brazil, China, and India) and provides a long-term forecast for fuel cell light duty vehicles, buses, and scooters, segmented by region, through 2030. $$$

• Fuel Cell Technologies Worldwide.  Fuel Cell Technologies Worldwide, a report from SBI Energy, forecasts that global fuel cell sales will reach $4.2 billion by 2017 and continue this growth trend to reach $14.1 billion by 2022. $$$