Heliocentris Delivers Fuel Cell System for Tourist Bus.
Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG has delivered a 32-kW fuel cell system for operation in a hybrid midi-bus owned by the city of Barth in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. Heliocentris designed and built this 32-kW bus integration unit using two 16-kW fuel cell units from Hydrogenics. The public transport bus can hold up to 22 passengers.
Ballard and Raymond Join on Lift Trucks.
Ballard Power Systems and the Raymond Corporation have signed a joint development agreement to start research on lift truck designs, with the goal of developing a prototype using the next-generation of Ballard's Mark9 SSL™ fuel cell product technology to power Raymond® lift trucks. The Raymond Corporation began a three-year research program of hydrogen fuel cells in January 2007.
Proton Motor Collaborating with AVL on Fuel Cell Hybrid Systems; With Karmann on Light-Duty Vehicle.
Proton Motor and AVL List GmbH have signed a framework contract to collaborate on the development of fuel cell hybrid systems. Proton Motor and AVL will share their expertise in engineering and simulation, with AVL providing the powertrain engineering and measurement technology and Proton Motor supplying the PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell system. Proton has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wilhelm Karmann GmbH (Karmann) to build a zero-emission, light-duty commercial vehicle. Karmann and Proton Motor intend to collaborate in the ‘Ecocarrier’ project, which aims to deliver a zero-emission vehicle to customers such as small businesses, local communities, airports, and postal and delivery services. Proton Motor and Karmann intend to collaborate for the long term and to extend this agreement after 2013 on terms based on the results of the cooperation reached by that stage.
STATIONARY POWER
Matsushita to Launch Residential Unit in 2009.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. will launch a 1-KW residential fuel-cell cogeneration system in April 2009 and aims to sell 3,000 to 5,000 units by March 2011 and 60,000 to 100,000 units by March 2016. The price has yet to be set, but goals are below 1 million yen initially, and even lower, to about 500,000 yen by 2012.
PORTABLE/BACKUP POWER
Protonex Receives $3.65 Million for Military Units.
Protonex Technology Corporation has received a $3.65 million contract from the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) to develop the next generation of its Pulse™ M250 military power system. Protonex will continue its partnership with Raytheon for testing and optimization of this product. This new program follows successful completion of a previously awarded $3.5 million contract for initial development and delivery of ten Pulse™ M250 systems.
GA, QinetiQ and Jadoo Developing Soldier Power Systems.
General Atomics (GA), QinetiQ and Jadoo Power Systems, Inc. are collaborating in the development of a lightweight, solid-state, fuel-cell-based power system for military applications. The goal is a system that has four times the energy density of the batteries currently used and that derives hydrogen from solid-state ammonia borane cartridges.
Smart Fuel Cell Passes Army Testing; Wins German “Industriepreis 2008” Prize.
SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG’s new 250-watt Alternate Power Source Fuel Cell has success-fully passed rigorous U.S. Army testing by the Army’s Operational Test Command (OTC) at Fort Hood, Texas. The FC-250 provides 250 watts up to 100 hours autonomously with one 7.4 gallon (28 liter) cartridge, which is easily replaced, significantly reducing logistics costs. SFC has also been awarded the “Industriepreis 2008” prize from the German organization “Initiative Mittelstand.” The EFOY fuel cell was selected as the most interesting and innovative solution of 2008 in the “Energy” category.
ReliOn Secures C Round Funding. ReliOn has secured an additional $23 million in equity financing as a result of Series C funding activities, which will be used to accelerate the sales and marketing of its fuel cells, and continued technology innovation and development for future product technologies and applications. Two new investors, PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund, LLC and Robeco Clean Tech Private Equity II, joined Oak Investment Partners, Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, Wall Street Technology Partners, Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, Buerk Dale Victor, and ReliOn’s former parent corporation, Avista Corp., in the latest funding round.
MICRO FUEL CELLS
DOT Rules to Allow Methanol Fuel Cells and Cartridges on Planes.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final ruling that will permit passengers and crew to carry methanol fuel cell cartridges and fuel cell systems designed for portable electronic devices on board airplanes in carry-on baggage. The effective date of the ruling is October 1, 2008, although voluntary compliance with the ruling may commence as of May 30, 2008. Passengers will be permitted to carry approved fuel cells and up to two spare fuel cell cartridges in their carry-on baggage. The ruling harmonizes U.S. transportation regulations with global regulations adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that went into effect on January 1, 2007. The DOT now joins agencies from a number of countries around the world, including Canada, China, Japan and the United Kingdom, which have already incorporated the passenger allowance into their national standards.
Medis Enters Partnership with Electronics Retailer; Secures $60 Million in Equity Financing Funding.
Medis Technologies Ltd. has entered into a Strategic Program with a top tier consumer electronics retailer with retail outlets throughout the United States, Canada and China. Under this program, the retailer plans to showcase the Medis 24/7 Fuel Cell Power Pack in a limited number of its stores in the next few months, during which time the retailer will refine its marketing message for the product to prepare for a planned wider scale launch. In addition the program calls for collaboration on future products involving Medis’ Fuel Cell Technology, including the 2nd generation Medis 24/7 Fuel Cell and other products based on the Medis Fuel Cell Technology platform. Medis also has obtained a committed equity line of credit facility under which it may sell up to $60 million of its registered common stock to Azimuth Opportunity, Ltd. over an 18-month period.
DMFCC Delivers Cartridges and Valves to Samsung.
The Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC), a division of VIASPACE, has successfully delivered sample methanol fuel cell cartridges and interface valves to Samsung SDI. The DMFCC cartridges and valves have been integrated with Samsung SDI fuel cells in a portable electronics application.
FUELS/REFORMERS/STORAGE
NIST Demonstrates New Storage Materials.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) have demonstrated a novel class of materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are one of several classes of materials that can bind and release hydrogen. According to researchers, the MOFs don’t require the high temperatures that some other materials need to release the hydrogen, which would allow them to be engineered so that refueling is as simple as current gasoline pumping.
MATERIALS/COMPONENTS
Hydrogenics Licenses Testing Technology to Greenlight.
Hydrogenics Corporation has entered into an agreement with Greenlight Innovation Corporation to use certain Hydrogenics’ intellectual property related to the design and manufacture of fuel cell test equipment. The technology license is for a five year period.
REPORTS/MARKET STUDIES
Comparison of Transportation Options.
Dr. C.E. (Sandy) Thomas, president H2Gen Innovations, Inc. and an expert on alternative fuels, has presented a new study, Comparison of Transportation Options in a Carbon-Constrained World: Hydrogen, Plug-in Hybrids and Biofuels which concludes that fuel cells and hydrogen fuel are the only motor vehicle technology option that will respond effectively to global warming during this century. Utilizing several models and analytical tools, Thomas evaluated various configurations of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, bio-fuel and hydrogen vehicle pathways including associated infrastructure and determined that “The hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle is the only option that can achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 60% or more below 1990 levels in the transportation sector.” He presented his findings at the National Hydrogen Association meeting.
ORNL Hydrogen Report.
A new report from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, entitled Analysis of the Transition to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles and the Potential Hydrogen Energy Infrastructure Requirements, identifies Los Angeles and New York City as two ideal urban centers where a transition to hydrogen as a motor fuel will take shape. Specifically, the study concludes that with targeted deployment policies, focusing first on these two metro areas, fuel cell vehicles could achieve 50 percent market share by 2030. Achieving this would require supportive policies, including federal cost sharing for vehicles and infrastructure, but also including policies like California’s ZEV regulations.
NRC FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership Report.
The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies of Science published its annual report on the progress of the federally-supported FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. The report concludes that development of fuel cells and supporting hydrogen infrastructure would provide the most efficient and least polluting means to power personal transportation vehicles, but that significant improvements in durability and cost are needed to enable the mass production and sale of vehicles.
Road to a Cleaner Future.
The American Lung Association has just released Road to a Cleaner Future, a report which concludes that $142 billion in human health and global warming reduction benefits would result from converting the entire California motor vehicle fleet from gasoline vehicles to zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) technologies (including fuel cells) in the 2010-2030 timeframe. The study, conducted by TIAX LLC, also found that California can avoid at least $2.2 billion per year in health costs from reduction of dangerous particulate matter by converting the motor vehicle fleet to ZEVs instead of relying on the lowest emitting gasoline technologies.
MISCELLANEOUS
Ballard and Heliocentris Sign Supply Agreement; Show Units at Hannover.
Ballard Power Systems has signed a supply agreement with Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG, under which Ballard will supply Mark1020 ACS™ air-cooled fuel cell products for integration by Heliocentris into demonstration and teaching systems for sale to educational institutions as well as for specialized commercial and industrial use. The three-year supply agreement is expected to generate a minimum of 350 Mark1020 ACS™ fuel cell units shipped to Heliocentris over the term of the agreement. Heliocentris also showcased three new industrial fuel cell systems at the Hannover Messe trade show. The three new systems designed for OEM customers target different power classes and cooling systems. Two of Heliocentris' new fuel cell systems integrate fuel cells from Ballard and the other from Schunk Group (Germany).
Acumentrics Introduces New Product.
Acumentrics Corporation has introduced a lighter, more compact 2U fully Rugged-UPS™ product line in
850VA, 1250VA or 1650VA versions. The new 2U versions are 3.5 inches high and are half the size of Acumentrics’ previous models. In addition to meeting industry reliability standards, the new units offer 10% higher power conversion efficiency than claimed by competitors, so that less energy is required to generate the required output power. Acumentrics’ flow-through heat sink design enables more complete chassis sealing to protect internal components from dirt, debris, rain, humidity and other potential contaminants. An optional extended run battery pack enables the units to provide up to 30 minutes of back-up power at full load.
Ohio Third Frontier Program Announces Awards and Grants. The Ohio Third Frontier Commission’s Fuel Cell Program has awarded $8.9 million to twelve projects focused on fuel cell development, including demonstrations of fuel cell powered lift trucks, market readiness demonstrations, and validations of stationary fuel cell systems. The Commission also
announced $12 million for advanced energy grants to 17 companies for the development and growth of the advanced energy industry in the state. Two fuel cell projects were among those receiving grants through this announcement.
Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge Phase II Winners Selected.
The USC Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative has announced the winners of the Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge Phase II Awards - Trulite, Inc., Boroscience International, Inc., Midlands Technical College, and Millennium Cell/Gecko Energy Technologies – for a total Phase II projects investment in excess of $1 million. The challenge, organized by the University of South Carolina (USC), the City of Columbia, the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA), and EngenuitySC, was created in 2006 as an initiative to collaborate with private sector leaders from all areas of the fuel cell market for the unprecedented deployment of fuel cell and alternative energy technologies into multiple city, university and public applications in Columbia.
