Ballard to Develop Strategy to Advance the Introduction of Fuel Cell Generator 

Stuart Energy Systems Corporation (TSX: HHO) unveiled and demonstrated the world's first intelligent electrolytic Hydrogen Energy Station (HES) at its headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario today.
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.
Stuart Energy's HES is positioned to revolutionize the way energy and fuel is created and used. It is the foundation of a new hydrogen infrastructure that uses only water and electricity to produce clean, pure hydrogen. With Stuart Energy's HES, low-cost electricity can now be stored as high-value energy in the form of hydrogen, then subsequently deployed, on-demand, for delivering emission-free fuel for vehicles, emergency back-up power for buildings, electrical grid optimization, off-grid rural electrification, and other critical applications that will ensure a future of
clean and secure energy.

The Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE, Kyoto, Japan) and Sharp Corp. have developed technology necessary for the creation of garbage-powered fuel cells. The biological fuel cells use bacteria to produce hydrogen that in turn can be used to produce energy. The bacteria dine on glucose created by liquefying and refining kitchen waste.

Biological fuel cells offer advantages in size, environmental friendliness and the ability to operate at room temperature. A 2-liter cell could power an entire household. The trick for Sharp and RITE was getting bacteria to live longer and produce more hydrogen, increasing their production efficiency. The partners now want to create small biological fuel cells for appliances and homes. They aim to test such devices in two years.

Fuel Cell Technologies (FCT) today announced that it has signed a contract for 10 residential fuel cell units for California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). 

In May 2002, AQMD announced that on the basis of an international competition it had chosen FCT as the company with which it would negotiate a contract to supply 10 fuel cell power systems for the first California clean air demonstration of fuel cells in homes. 
AQMD and FCT have now signed the contract, with the first deliveries scheduled for later this year.  The contract is scheduled to run through the end of 2005, during which time FCT 
will install, then operate and maintain the residential fuel cells for 2 years. 

DUESSELDORF, Germany, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Hydrogen Expo is held in Washington DC on March 4 to 6 in the Capital Hilton. Partnering with the National Hydrogen Assocation's (NHA) 14th Annual Meeting, Hydrogen Expo showcases the technologies that will reverse America's dependence on oil imports from politically instable regions. Production methods of the clean energy carrier hydrogen (H2), safety measures, initatives to build a fueling
infrastructure, and everyday applications such as hydrogen powered vehicles will be featured in the exhibition.

The German energy firm EnBW Energie Baden-Wurttemberg AG has begun operation of a direct fuel cell (DFC) power plant at a Michelin tire plant in Karlsruhe, Germany. 

The plant, which will supply both electricity and process steam for tire vulcanization at the site, was built by DaimlerChrysler AG subsidiary MTU CFC Solutions GMBH. Danbury, Conn.-based FuelCell Energy Inc. manufactured the fuel cells for incorporation into the power plant known as the "hot module." 

IDACORP, Inc. (NYSE: IDA - News) subsidiary IdaTech recently received three U.S. patents for the company's multi-fuel fuel processing technology and fuel cell system integration, bringing the company's total number of U.S. patents to sixteen, ten having been issued in 2002. The company also has more than 100 patent applications pending. The recently issued patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office apply to an automated controller which allows the fuel cell system to be operated efficiently under varying loads; the design for an endplate incorporated into an enclosure for the hydrogen separation assembly; and a hydrogen purification device, its components and fuel processors and fuel cell systems containing such devices.

Mobil, silent and emission-free: The fuel cell system PowerPac combines many advantages. The portable current generator, developed by the Paul Scherrer Institut (psi) and the ETH Zurich received the Swiss Technology Award on Thursday, 13.02.03.

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) has received 60 proposals in response to its 2002 Fuel Cell Request for Proposal (RFP). A total of 41 companies and 13 fuel cell manufacturers are represented within the prospective proposals. CCEF issued the 2002 RFP, following the success of the 2001 Fuel Cell RFP, which resulted in 31 proposals from 19 companies. The thrust of the CCEF fuel cell initiative is to promote clean, reliable distributed generation in Connecticut while also advancing the commercialisation and acceptance of fuel cells. 

Next-Generation Micro Power Source Provides "Always-On" Power for Portable Devices and Laptop Computers

PolyFuel Inc., a leading provider of direct methanol fuel cell technology (DMFC) for portable devices and laptop computers, today unveiled its latest prototype at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF). Anand Chandrasekher, vice president of Intel's Mobile Platform Group, displayed a working prototype of PolyFuel's newest DMFC technology to more than 4,000 IDF attendees today at the San Jose Convention Center.

During his keynote presentation, Chandrasekher discussed PolyFuel's DMFC technology that enables unlimited runtimes for mobile computing with a hot-swappable fuel cartridge. The PolyFuel solution enables hot-swapping of fuel cartridges without interruption of applications running on the mobile PC.

Although there likely will be few public places to buy hydrogen seven years from now, General Motors is sticking to its plan to start mass-producing fuel cell cars by 2010. 

U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, in a recent speech to the Detroit Economic Club, said the government thinks fuel cell vehicles and a hydrogen-refueling infrastructure would be ready no sooner than 2015 to 2020. But Larry Burns, GM vice president for r&d and planning, says infrastructure will not delay its goal for 2010. 

"My view on the infrastructure is pretty simplistic," Burns says. "It's an appliance. You can create the hydrogen today in your garage if you want, with electrolyzers and natural gas reformers. If infrastructure means how do you create hydrogen and put it in a car, I don't think that will be a showstopper." 

FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM: FCEL) announced today that it has received notice from the California Energy Commission (CEC) that its DFC300A Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plant is certified for grid interconnection under California's "Rule 21" standard.
This makes the DFC300A the largest fuel cell power plant to receive such certification by the CEC.

Rule 21, a collaborative effort of the CEC and California's three largest investor-owned utilities, specifies standard interconnection, operating, and metering requirements for distributed electric power generators such as fuel cells. It is intended to streamline the process of permitting such generators while ensuring safe connection to the electrical grid. This certification will significantly reduce the time, cost and complexity for future interconnection with the state's grid system, avoiding costly external equipment procurement requirements and extensive site-by-site as well as utility-by-utility analyses.

Toshiba International Corporation (TIC) and Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq: PLUG) announced
today 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.

Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ:BLDP - News; TSX:BLD.TO - News) has confirmed the appointment of Dennis Campbell as President and Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2003 as the company completes the succession plan announced in July 2002. Firoz Rasul will continue as Chairman of the Board and will focus on board governance issues and will work closely with governments and industry to address the barriers to the mass commercialization of fuel cells.

The report was written for decision makers who need to be aware of the potential which fuel cells will offer this decade. With several fuel cell technologies reaching commercial viability in the coming months, there are likely to be enormous commercial opportunities in sectors ranging from home power-and-heat to combined heat-and-power in commercial and industrial settings, distributed power and, over the longer term, for central power generation. 

First things first, this guy knows it will take a lot of time, money and new production methods before hydrogen- powered fuel cell vehicles are commercialized and on the road in mass quantities. He knows it's the 'Holy Grail' and he knows it won't be easy getting there.

Nonetheless, Stefan Geiger, of advocacy group Fuel Cell Today, predicts a major uptick in established hydrogen infrastructure around the world for 2003.

The United States Army Tank- automotive and Armaments Command's National Automotive Center (NAC) will exhibit the Army's continuing role in developing fuel cells and a broad range of cutting-edge ground vehicle technologies at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2003 World Congress in Detroit's Cobo Center, March 3-6, 2003. The Army's three display booths will demonstrate innovations that improve vehicle efficiency, safety and endurance while reducing design, manufacturing, and operation and maintenance costs.

General Paul J. Kern, Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command, will deliver the keynote address at the SAE 2003 World Congress on Tuesday, March 4. The General will address the future of military ground propulsion and give an update on the Army's advancement of vehicle technologies through automotive industry partnerships.

These buses were equipped with a MAN internal combustion engine (ICE) fueled by compressed hydrogen and were fitted with Dynetek's 3600psi (250bar) Dynecell(R) cylinders. 

These buses are in service at the airport since mid 1999 and have traveled over 300,000kms.

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.

The international Hydrofueler project is being led by the University of Warwick's 'Warwick process technology group', and will receive 1.62 million euro funding under the energy, environment and sustainable development programme of the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5).

Dr Ashok Bhattacharya, Director of the Warwick process technology group, told CORDIS News: 'We believe we have developed the first practical process that provides a clean and efficient source of hydrogen on a wide scale using pre-existing infrastructure. This project aims to deliver a viable source of hydrogen for petrol stations, but the same techniques could equally provide sustainable solutions for businesses and the home.'
 

Hydrogenics Corporation (Nasdaq: HYGS; TSX: HYG), a developer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell systems, is pleased to announce the appointment of Wesley R. Twiss to Hydrogenics' board of directors.

It seems that Zetek Power, the British alkaline fuel cell company may be about to spring back to life in the form of a new organization called Eident Energy, ending a period of uncertainty after it went into administration back in 2001. 

2002 was a challenging year for many fuel cell companies. Any number of successes, as reported on Fuel Cell Today, can readily be overshadowed by the death or prolonged illness of a few companies. At one end of the spectrum, Ballard Power Systems restructured at the end of the year and Global Thermoelectric has elected to review its strategy as well as immediately starting to cut costs. Towards the other end, the high profile deal between H Power and Plug Power has still not shown its full effect and we have lost players like DCH Technology.

But this is not really surprising news. Any industry loses players throughout its life. In fact, this process started much earlier in the economic cycle with the demise of Zetek Power as it passed into administration. As with many other companies, in any number of markets, Zetek perhaps overstretched itself and was caught out by a lack of cash as the market turned against new technology and revenues proved harder to come by than might have been expected.

The company went into administration in the UK in 2001 and had been largely dormant since, albeit with Apollo Energy Systems using its production facilities in Germany and companies such as Scotland's ReGenTech employing Zetek technology.

U.S. Patents via NewsEdge Corporation : Abstract: A vehicle comprising a combustion engine capable of delivering mechanical power for driving at least one wheel drive shaft with driving wheels, auxiliary vehicular electric loads, an alternator powered by the combustion engine for generating electricity, an electric storage device for storing alternator generated electricity, and at least one auxiliary electric power supply for supplying electrical energy to said electric loads. The auxiliary electric power supply includes a fuel cell system with an anode fuel input and a cathode fuel input, and an electrolyzer which is capable of generating hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen production side of said electrolyzer is in fluid connection with the at least one anode fuel supply.