Researchers in Germany are now able to generate ten times as much electricity using microbial fuel cells compared with previous designs, thanks to the use of a newly designed anode and help from the bacteria themselves.

A team from the Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald have designed an experimental fuel cell that generates electricity when bacteria, in this case Escherichia coli (E. coli), feed on sugar. The resulting output is enough to power a medical ventilator or similar appliance.

During fermentation, micro organisms such as E. coli convert sugar to alcohols, acids and carbon dioxide. When no air is present, hydrogen can also be produced. As with conventional fuel cells, this hydrogen is then used to generate electricity.

As reported in the scientific journal Nature, the researchers noticed that the power output of their prototype fuel cell appeared to be much higher than the hydrogen produced could account for alone. They believe the reason for this lies in the novel design of the charge gathering anode.

Earlier microbial fuel cells proved to be inefficient because their metal anodes became contaminated with by-products from the fermentation process. The new design uses a platinum anode coated with a conducting polymer called polyaniline, significantly slowing down its rate of contamination.

The team believes it is this coating that may also allow the E. coli bacteria to donate electrons directly to the anode, an explanation consistent with the observed increase in power generation. If so, and more research is needed before the theory can be proved, the German researchers may have inadvertently discovered the key to efficient generation of electricity from bacteria.

A small tank of hydrogen makes a camp lantern glow in one of the University of Notre Dame's underground engineering labs.

Hydrogen flows through a series of hoses, valves and gauges into what looks like a square stack of black wafers. Metal plates on each side of the stack are wired to the light.

The tabletop array, rigged up to demonstrate why hydrogen fuel cells are so promising and may change the world, also demonstrates the many reasons why the fuel cells may fizzle instead.

Despite the fact it's holding the lightest element there is, this tank is surprisingly heavy. The black wafers that strip electrical current from hydrogen are bulky and expensive.

Anyone in their right mind would pop a couple of old-fashioned D batteries into their lantern rather than cart this contraption to the woods.

"The big problem with hydrogen fuel cells is going to be cost,'' Paul McGinn, an ND professor of biochemical and chemical engineering, said. "It's going to have to compete with what's already out there.''

McGinn is among the army of researchers around the world who are chipping away at the technical problems that now block hydrogen fuel cells from making it big in the market.

He's the lead scientist on a team of Notre Dame researchers (and one from Indiana University Northwest) recently awarded a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Army's Communications and Electronics Command.

The ND team is looking for novel materials that can be substituted in the fuel cells to make them cost less, weigh less, work better or otherwise improve.

Hydrogen fuel cells are ballyhooed as an environmentally sound alternative to fossil fuel because they use an abundant element as fuel and give off water as the main byproduct.

The dream is to reduce both greenhouse gases and dependence on foreign oil in one stroke, converting society to a "hydrogen'' economy. Everything from powering cars to heating houses can be accomplished with hydrogen fuel cells.

What the Army wants from Notre Dame, McGinn said, are fundamental breakthroughs that lead to lighter, longer-lasting power sources for the many electronic devices that the modern soldier carries into battle.

"The Army is interested in mobility, as we saw in the recent Iraq conflict,'' he said. "They spend a huge amount of money bringing batteries to the battlefield.''

One angle the ND researchers are taking in this quest is to search for an alternative to the platinum and other precious, non-corroding metals currently used in fuel cells.

Platinum commonly serves as the key element in the catalyst that makes the cells work, McGinn said. They strip electrons off the hydrogen molecules and set up the electrical current that provides the power.

One experiment under way at ND tests different combinations of five metals as potential catalysts. It's being done in a lab two floors below ground level in the bottom of the Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering.

(The fact it's so subterranean also has to do with the issue of dependence on foreign oil. The building was designed during the energy crisis of the late 1970s to have 60 percent of its space underground insulated by earth.)

The metals are sprayed in thin layers on discs, which are then fed into a machine that evaluates their properties. Theory tells researchers which metals are most promising to try, McGinn said, but it takes actual trials to find the best combination.

It's a lottery with a big prize at stake. If the researchers find a combination that beats platinum, its contract with the Army allows the university to sell the information to private industry, McGinn said. Other results of the experiment will be published.

Other ND researchers are looking at potential uses for carbon nanotubes in fuel cells as well as studying the "microfluidics,'' or interplay of liquids and gases, within the cells.

Nanotubes, tubes of carbon molecules that are very tiny and very strong, might help reduce the weight of hydrogen storage tanks. The tanks now being used are basically metal sponges, composed of hydrides that absorb hydrogen.

There's no guarantee ND's research will bear fruit, just as the future of hydrogen fuel in the free market remains an open question.

"Can we say for sure we'll find something in the next six months?'' McGinn said. "No, you can never say that.''

Millennium Cell Inc. (NASDAQ: MCEL), a leading technology company that has created a proprietary technology to safely store, generate and deliver pure hydrogen, has been awarded U.S. Patent number 6,586,563 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a process for making sodium borohydride, a key component in the Millennium Cell Hydrogen on Demand(TM) fuel system. The patent relates to a process for the synthesis of sodium borohydride using more readily available metal salts rather than metallic sodium used in the current commercial process.

"We are very pleased to announce the award of this patent, "said Dr. Stephen S. Tang, Millennium Cell President and CEO. "It supplements our intellectual property portfolio and further supports the commercial development of our Hydrogen on Demand(TM) system. By advancing the science critical to the manufacture of sodium borohydride, we are meeting the challenge of providing a lower cost and more efficient process important to the marketplace while gaining a competitive advantage.

"With each new patent, we are ensuring future licensing opportunities for our innovative technologies," Tang said. "Since going public in 2000, our intellectual property portfolio has been growing an average of 20 percent per year. Obtaining this legal protection for our research on sodium borohydride is protecting Millennium Cell's future."

The process described in this patent uses an approach that involves less energy and is less costly than the current process. In comparison, other approaches which have been tried produce large quantities of waste products, need more energy and are more expensive.

Earlier this year, the company was awarded Patent No.6,524,542 for a process with reduced energy requirements for synthesizing borohydride compounds, Patent No. 6,534,033 for a system for the storage and controlled release of hydrogen, in particular for the use of borohydride-based solutions as a hydrogen storage source and a catalyst system to release hydrogen, and Patent No. 6,544,679 for an electrochemical cell assembly.

Millennium Cell currently holds 17 patents in the U.S. and abroad and has over 40 additional pending U.S. and foreign applications, in the areas of hydrogen generation, catalyst development and borohydride synthesis.

With more than 13 years of experience, Century is charged with the mandate of elevating Palcan's global profile by creating increased awareness among the media, financial community and the general public about its commercial ready, mass-market focused, low wattage fuel cell power sources.

Century Communications has developed successful communications programs for a number of publicly listed companies on Canadian and American stock exchanges.

"We are very pleased to be partners in working with Palcan to assist in bringing their success story to the public's attention. Palcan, which has been an R&D Company for some time, has evolved into a commercial-ready enterprise. Its evolution is very similar to that of one of our long-term clients which has recently seen considerable appreciation in its share price and daily trading volume. We think Palcan has the same kind of potential," said Century's President & CEO, John L. Carswell. "A clean, readily renewable energy source is sorely lacking in developing countries where smaller transportation devices like two and three wheeled vehicles dominate the landscape and Palcan has that source," he added.

Palcan's combined expertise in the design and manufacturing of fuel cells, fuelling infrastructure and electronics is unique to the industry. The ability to optimize fuel cell stack and balance of plant designs via an integrated system emphasis leverages a strong competitive advantage in performance, overall cost and speed to market for Palcan's PEM fuel cell stacks and PalPac(TM) power products.

Palcan Fuel Cells' President & CEO, Dr. John Shen said "Century Communications was selected from among a number of communications firms because of its many years of success and experience in developing effective information programs to communicate with key financial, business and consumer media. The opportunity that Palcan offers potential investors is significant and early stage. Therefore, we selected Century at this particular time to convey this message to as many people and as quickly as possible. Our recent announcements stating that our fuel cell stacks are market ready makes Century's appointment most timely."

The previously announced appointment, made on May 27, 2003, of Mr. Jim Simpson as a consultant to the Company will not proceed. Engagement of Century Communications is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Stuart Energy Systems Corporation (TSX:HHO) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Vandenborre Technologies N.V., has signed a preferred supplier agreement with Linde Gas, a division of Linde AG, a world leading industrial gas supplier based in Germany. Stuart Energy, through Vandenborre, will be Linde's preferred supplier of on-site water electrolysis hydrogen generation equipment. Linde will sell and market the product world-wide under the HYDROSS(R) brand name.

"With the signing of this agreement, we have significantly expanded our global access to new industrial markets through Linde's extensive world-wide distribution sales channels," said Jon Slangerup, President and CEO of Stuart Energy. "This agreement is an important step in our strategic plan for growth and will accelerate our goal of building a strong order book for our products in the near term."

The two companies came to the agreement after Linde successfully tested the Vandenborre technology for two years.

"Linde Gas wants to offer their customers a choice of additional hydrogen options including on-site generation through electrolysis. It is a resounding endorsement of our products that Linde Gas has chosen to distribute our solutions to their customers," added Hugo Vandenborre, founder of Vandenborre Technologies.

Mazda will continue development of a hydrogen-powered rotary engine in an effort to compete with bigger rivals investing in fuel cells and other reduced-emission technology, according to Bloomberg News service. 

Hiroshima-based Mazda's chairman Kazuhide Watanabe told investors at the company's annual shareholders' meeting that it would continue development work on such an engine. 

Mazda unveiled its first prototype hydrogen-powered rotary engine in 1991, in its HR-X concept car. 

It announced an improved version in 1993, powering the HRX2 car. 

Bloomberg News noted that Mazda is the only company that makes rotary engines, making it a brand icon for the company and using it in the RX-8 sports car. 

The engine has "advantages and weaknesses" and "wasn't appropriate" for all vehicles, company president Lewis Booth reportedly said at the meeting. 

The report said Mazda is also collaborating with its largest shareholder Ford in fuel-cell technology, which many motor industry watchers see as the future of low-emission driving. 

Mazda's larger rivals, Toyota and Honda, were the first two car makers to market fuel-cell hybrid vehicles, leasing them to institutions in Japan and the US. 

According to Bloomberg News, Mazda plans to raise research and development spending 3.6 per cent to $US773 million (NZ$1332.7 million) in the business year started April 1. 

The news agency report said Booth reiterated that Mazda plans to get 5 per cent of the domestic market in the current business year, up from 4.6 per cent the previous year.

Highlighting California's leadership role in demonstrating clean vehicles and fuels, collaborative work to encourage fuel cell vehicle commercialization will continue at the California Fuel Cell Partnership (www.cafcp.org) through 2007. The group's original charter called for joint activities through 2003. 

"When we started this demonstration program four years ago, we had eight members involved, including just two automakers and one fuel cell company," said Alan Lloyd, 2003 CaFCP Chair and Chair of the California Air Resources Board. "Today, we have 30 members on board - all playing integral roles in the development and demonstration of fuel cell technology.

"The value of working together the past four years is so clear," said Lloyd. "To successfully bridge from fuel cell vehicle demonstration to commercialization, the fastest way remains through collaboration. The CaFCP remains a powerful force on this path." 

The CaFCP will facilitate and support its members' placement of fuel cell vehicles and fueling stations into early customer trials, such as fleets. CaFCP members plan to pursue both individual and combined efforts. Over the next four years, the organization will work to facilitate the placement of fuel cell passenger cars operating within the state, primarily focused in the greater Los Angeles region and the San Francisco-Sacramento corridor. Fuel cell buses will operate in regular, daily route operations in at least three transit districts.

Hydrogen fueling stations, featuring innovative technologies, are envisioned to demonstrate early applications of hydrogen fueling technology and to support the collaborative demonstration projects. It is anticipated that, by closely coordinating operational procedures, prototype fuel cell vehicles in fleet use would be able to utilize this growing network of fuel stations.

CaFCP members will also continue to promote the development of practical codes and standards for fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations, and to help prepare local communities for the vehicles and fueling by training local officials, including emergency response personnel. Members will also continue to expand public awareness through education and outreach activities, consistent with the pace of technology development.

The next "real world" fuel cell vehicle demonstration takes place September 23-25, 2003, when the partnerships' fuel cell vehicles will participate in the annual Michelin Challenge Bibendum, held in the San Francisco Bay area. More information is available at: www.cafcp.org. 

Fuel cells are like tiny engines that generate power through chemical reactions. If you need more power, you put in more "gas" — in most cases, a mixture of methanol, or wood alcohol, and other chemicals. The methanol will likely be housed in a replaceable cartridge, much as printer ink is.

The technology, around for more than a decade, has yet to take off because it is:

•Expensive. Most fuel cells use platinum and other pricey materials. A fuel cell powerful enough to run a car costs $300,000, says Elton Cairns, a University of California, Berkeley, engineering professor. Automakers say they'll build an affordable fuel cell-powered car by 2010.

Because a laptop uses much less power, cost is less prohibitive. Start-up Neah Power Systems says, within several years, laptop fuel cells will wholesale for about $75 — same as today's batteries.

•Hard-to-find fuel. Fuel cell companies have a vexing chicken-or-egg problem. No one wants to sell fuel until there's demand, and there won't be demand until fuel is widely available. "You can't just go to the hardware store and buy (methanol) cartridges," says John Goodman, an executive with fuel cell component maker Entegris. 

Companies are working on supply plans. Goodman says someday you'll buy fuel canisters on the same racks as AA batteries.

•Flammable Airlines are unlikely to allow passengers to carry methanol canisters because of fire dangers, researchers say. That would be a big blow, because laptops are frequently used by business travelers. Companies developing them say the fuel is no more dangerous than liquor and perfume. They are working with airlines and government agencies to overcome concerns.

Illinois 2H2, established by the Illinois Coalition and Illinois' Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity to create an industry cluster centered on the development of hydrogen as an energy carrier, kicked off today with a meeting of leaders in the public and private sector.  The organization resulted from an April conference of industry leaders at Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines, where there was overwhelming support for formalizing a public-private partnership to capitalize on national momentum and Illinois' inherent strength in this emerging industry.

"The State of Illinois has the historic precedent of being home to some of the world's most vibrant hydrogen research programs, as well as the manufacturing base to commercialize the research in the future," said Chris Tynan, the Illinois Coalition's spokesperson for Illinois 2H2. "As we sit on the brink of commercialization, Illinois 2H2 has taken a leadership role in catalyzing the forces around Illinois to take advantage of this opportunity."

Illinois 2H2 is facilitating this collaboration of industry, government, and academic leaders to achieve the following objectives:

    -- Continue to attract major hydrogen-related research programs to
       Illinois institutions
    -- Promote technology transfer and commercialization from the state's
       major research institutions
    -- Create a culture conducive to the formation and growth of hydrogen
       economy businesses
    -- Provide access to appropriate sources of funding
    -- Develop public policy and infrastructure to create initial demand for
       hydrogen-based technologies
    -- Establish Illinois as a national leader in support and standards for
       promoting distributed generation and hydrogen refueling.

Today's meeting concluded with a goal to create a strategic action plan by the end of November centered on hydrogen and fuel cell opportunities, which will be presented to governing bodies on the federal, state and local levels. Illinois 2H2 will also draw from four regional forums to engage the public and build localized grass roots support. The events will be co-hosted with local economic development organizations and elected officials, taking place in central Illinois, Chicagoland, Rock River Valley, and southern Illinois. For more information contact Chris Tynan at 312-229-1970, Tynan@ILCoalition.org.

A new project that involves Fuel Cell Technologies Corporation (FCT) in a consortium led by BC Research Inc. (BCRI), will be funded by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). FCT will be funded to provide one of its 5-kilowatt fuel cell products to the project.

On June 9th, 2003, SDTC announced that it approved the project in principle and that contract negotiations will now follow. "Our product has attracted attention and contracts from around the world. Many of our Canadian-based shareholders have looked forward to news of an installation in Canada. We are pleased to announce that BCRI and SDTC have ensured that we now have this project," said Barbara Haines, Manager, Investor Relations.

The project is a trial of the multi-fuel capabilities of FCT's 5-kilowatt solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit in a commercial setting in Vancouver: the BCRI laboratories building. The fuel cell unit will use a variety of fuels such as natural gas, methanol, hydrogen, propane, and heavier hydrocarbons to generate electricity and heat without combustion. The unit's output electricity and the co-generated heat will be incorporated into the building's utility system. 

The project will look at optimizing performance of the fuel cell unit and its multi-fuel capabilities. Ability to use a variety of readily available fuels, high electrical efficiency, and secondary production of useful heat are attributes that give the FCT product the potential for commercial success. 

From this trial, the consortium will gain information that will assist with the continued development of leading edge energy technology, and development of ancillary technologies and services that will ensure that fuel cell products attain rapid and widespread market penetration.

In the future, aircraft pilots may not have to rely solely on their jet fuel to power their planes. They could turn to fuel cells to power at least some onboard systems. 

NASA researchers and aerospace engineers are working to do just that, develop fuel cells that could supply aircraft with the power needed to run onboard systems while jet fuel pushes the plane through the sky. More advanced fuel cells could even keep airships aloft for weeks at a time. 

"What we're doing is mainly along the same lines as the [U.S.] Department of Energy, which is to focus on reducing the cost of these aircraft systems," said Anita Liang, chief of the aeropropulsion projects at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Fuel cells can convert a variety of fuels, such as hydrogen, natural gas or even the Jet A fuel used in commercial airplanes into energy without combustion, making them a cleaner and quieter alternative for aircraft. 

Airships away

Liang's team at Glenn Research Center is tackling the challenges of aircraft fuel cells on two fronts. The first is developing regenerative fuel cells for unmanned high-altitude airships

Mr. Blaine Froats, Chairman of Alternate Energy Corporation (OTCBB:ARGY), today announced information on an exciting new agreement for AEC.

Mr. Froats stated, "AEC has signed a letter of intent with Canadian based Select Molecular Technologies, Inc. (Mississauga, Ontario) to explore a sharing of technologies to create a new and novel method of generating electricity for the retail consumer. This will involve the use of a newly developed fuel cell and storage battery." Mr. Froats continued, "Select Molecular Technologies Inc is a private Canadian company that is associated with Mega-C Technologies and Mega-C Power. Mega-C Power is a technology leader in the field of next-generation high-efficiency and environmentally friendly batteries."

Additional announcements regarding the business plans and operations of AEC will be forthcoming. 

As part of the Japanese government's initiative to explore the viability of FCVs, the world's largest automaker and the delivery firm will operate GM's HydroGen3 vehicles on FedEx Express's regular routes in Tokyo.

Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co, Japan's top two automakers, became the first to put the no-emissions vehicles on the road last year, but their FCVs have only been leased out to ministries and other public agencies due to the vehicles' steep price tag.

The first commercial use of an FCV, which runs on hydrogen and only emits water as a by-product, has huge implications for the future, GM and FedEx said.

"In addition to giving General Motors lots of data from how fuel cell technology handles in real world situations, it's also another step toward true commercialization -- when fuel cell vehicles can be sold to consumers at prices they can afford and auto companies make a profit from them," GM said.

The two U.S. companies have no similar alliance elsewhere in the world.

By storing liquid hydrogen on board the vehicle, HydroGen3 can run for 400 km (250 miles) before refueling, GM said. That is about 100 km more than FCVs developed by Toyota and Honda. The Japanese government wants to lay the groundwork for full commercialization of FCVs by 2005, with the aim of having five million of the vehicles on the road by 2020.

Automakers, however, have said commercialization could take longer due to high development costs and lack of infrastructure, such as hydrogen fueling stations.

Headwaters Incorporated (NASDAQ: HDWR) has announced formation of a fuel cell technology development and commercialization joint venture with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics ("DICP") of the Peoples Republic of China.

Housing three national laboratories for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has a similar role to U.S. national laboratories such as Sandia and Argonne. Established for over 50 years, DICP is a world leader in chemical research. With more than 1,200 research scientists covering a broad range of fields, DICP has developed cutting-edge technology in catalysis, molecular reaction dynamics and fuel cells.

Headwaters NanoKinetix ("HNI"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Headwaters, is a leader in nanocatalyst development. With unique technology to control catalyst structure at a molecular level, HNI is working with major chemical and catalyst producers to create high-performance catalysts.

The new partnership will develop and plans to market fuel cell nanocatalysts, fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies, fuel cell systems and other related electronic devices. Initial focus will be on direct alcohol fuel cells for portable applications.

The nanocatalysts used in these devices facilitate the conversion of simple alcohol fuels such as methanol to electrical energy. Fuel cells are being developed to power portable electrical devices such as cell phones and laptop computers. Through the combination of HNI expertise in nanocatalysis and DICP's world-class fuel cell capabilities, the partnership looks to produce small, durable and cost-efficient fuel cells.

According to Ray Balee, president of Headwaters NanoKinetix, "By bringing together leaders in nanocatalysis and fuel cell technology, the partnership is well positioned to pursue the development of economically viable fuel cells." Balee credits Dr. Bing Zhou, vice president and chief technology officer of HNI, for bringing the two institutions together. Zhou was honored earlier this year by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as one of its "outstanding overseas scholars," which included an endowment for nanocatalysis developmental work to be done under Zhou's direction.

Dr. Gong-Quan Sun, who led the Dalian Institute's Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell team to its world competitive position, stated, "Our partnership with Headwaters NanoKinetix capitalizes on our strong relationship with Dr. Zhou, joins us with a leader in nanocatalyst development and provides an international showcase for commercialization of the Institute's world-class fuel cell technologies."

Honda Motor Co. will consider cooperating with companies outside the automobile industry in developing fuel-cell vehicles, the new president of the leading Japanese automaker said Thursday. 

"Various forms of cooperation are conceivable in the electronic and chemical fields" for Honda's development of fuel cells, Takeo Fukui said during an interview with Kyodo News. 

Fuel-cell vehicles are pollution-free as they are powered by electricity generated through the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen and emit only water. Honda currently uses foreign-made cells for such vehicles. 

Fukui said Honda's performance in the domestic market is "somewhat difficult" in contrast with favorable results in the U.S. and European markets, reflecting slowed sales in reaction to the big hit of its Fit small passenger car and increased competition in the market for minivans. 

Honda will implement domestic strategies, such as the release of low-priced vehicles, "on the assumption that personal consumption in Japan will remain sluggish," Fukui said. 

Honda remains independent without concluding capital tie-ups with overseas automakers despite global industrial consolidation over the past years. 

"We thought we would be adversely affected if we lost the independence and originality of management," Fukui said. "I now think our decision was absolutely right."

Sulzer Hexis Ltd and the German company G. Kromschröder AG have signed an agreement for the development and supply of a safety module and burner controller for the near-series fuel cell system of Sulzer Hexis. Kromschröder is a leading manufacturer worldwide in the fields of safety, measurement and control of gases. The market launch for the next generation of fuel cell systems from Sulzer Hexis is planned for the end of 2004/beginning of 2005.

G. Kromschröder AG, with headquarters in Osnabrück (Germany), belongs to Ruhrgas Industries GmbH. Kromschröder is among the leading suppliers worldwide of products and system solutions for the measurement and control of gases, automation of industrial furnaces, control of heat treatment processes and heating system control. Many years of experience – primarily in the fields of safety electronics and burner control – will enable Kromschröder to
support further development of fuel cell systems at Sulzer Hexis.

Kromschröder will develop a safety module for monitoring the fuel supply to the fuel cell system.

The company will also modify a module for controlling the burner integrated in the fuel cell system. Kromschröder will manufacture both modules for Sulzer Hexis.

Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced its partners for a demonstrator airplane project aimed at exploring the use of fuel cell technology for future aerospace applications. The research project, led by the Boeing Research and Technology Center in Madrid, Spain, includes Intelligent Energy (UK), Diamond Aircraft Industries (Austria), the Spanish companies Sener and Aerlyper, and Advanced Technology Products (ATP), from the United States.

The project will evaluate the potential application of fuel cell technology -- which is cleaner, quieter and more efficient than current gas turbine technology -- for future commercial airplane products.  As part of the evaluation, the project will develop and flight-demonstrate an electric-motor- driven airplane powered by fuel cells.

With respect to the five partners collaborating in the project, Diamond Aircraft of Austria will supply the demonstrator airplane, based on a certified Katana Xtreme motor-glider (in Europe called the Super Dimona); Intelligent Energy of the United Kingdom will provide the Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell hardware and technical support; Sener will design and build a fuel cell controller unit to be used in research activities; Aerlyper will integrate the electric motor into the airplane and perform airframe modification work; and ATP will supply the motor, batteries, and controllers to complete the electric propulsion system, and perform the flight testing of the airplane.

"Boeing will collaborate with these companies to investigate the integration of fuel cells into aerospace vehicles, a potential new field of application, which promises to reduce emissions while increasing the efficiency of electrical power generation," said Miguel Hernan, managing director of the Madrid Center. "Research into environmentally acceptable technologies is a key focus for the Center's work in Europe."

In addition to the five partners involved, two Spanish universities will also collaborate in this project. The Polytechnic University of Madrid will test a sub-scale version of the fuel cells that will power the demonstrator airplane and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia will work to understand the possible failure modes of this completely new form of airborne electrical power generation.

Work to integrate the fuel cells into the demonstrator airframe is expected to begin at the end of summer 2003. This would enable a possible flight test in late 2004 or early 2005. While test results are not expected to allow for any near-term applications of the new technology to production aircraft, they are expected to contribute to the eventual use of this technology in aircraft to provide cleaner, more efficient performance.

In addition to being inherently cleaner and quieter than current technology gas turbines, fuel cells can generate approximately twice as much electricity from the same amount of fuel. Unlike a battery, which needs to be recharged, fuel cells keep working as long as the fuel lasts. While fuel cells and electric motors will not replace jet engines, they could potentially replace gas turbine auxiliary power units, which provide electricity and air for airplane systems.

The Madrid Research and Technology Center, which is part of the Boeing Phantom Works advanced R&D unit, was opened in July 2002 to serve as a center of excellence in environmental, safety and reliability and air traffic control technologies. Because Spain in particular and Europe in general have demonstrated strong interest and results in these areas, the Boeing R&T Center
plans to collaborate with industries, academia and other research centers across Europe to advance technology development in these areas.

HONG KONG, July 11 (Reuters) - Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd (HKSE:1038.HK - News), controlled by Asia's richest businessman Li Ka-shing, will launch an experimental hydrogen-powered bus in Hong Kong by the end of the year, the company said on Friday.

 Hoping to capitalise on the power-hungry Chinese market, Cheung Kong (CKI) will spend HK$15 million (US$1.9 million) on the one-year experiment and said Hong Kong could become the base for much wider use of hydrogen as a primary energy source.

 "Hydrogen is the second industrial revolution," said Barrie Cook, executive director of Cheung Kong Infrastructure and a member of Hong Kong's sustainability committee.

 The 41-seat Ford bus will store hydrogen in a rooftop tank.

 CKI will conduct the experiment with Toronto based Stuart Energy Systems (Toronto:HHO.TO - News), in which it owns a 12.5 percent stake.

 But while analysts say hydrogen has some future potential, it remains very much a niche source of power.

 "Everyone talks about the hydrogen future but it's at least a decade away," said Mark Hutchinson, an energy consultant with Cambridge Associates in Thailand.

 Cost, he said, is the major factor limiting widespread use of alternative energy. Japanese carmakers Honda Motor Co (Tokyo:7267.T - News) and Toyota Motor Corp (Tokyo:7203.T - News), for example, have developed hydrogen powered cars, but they cost at least $1 million each.

 Cheung Kong's Cook, however, says the experiment could lead to the commercial launch of hydrogen projects in Hong Kong by the end of 2004. He expects that costs will drop dramatically.

Japanese scientists have developed a new substance capable of storing three times more hydrogen than an existing alloy, Hiroshima University researchers said Saturday.

Members of a university research group led by Hironobu Fujii, a professor of material science, said the achievement is expected to be useful in developing fuel cell-powered vehicles.