General Motors Corp. GM.N expects to sign new agreements for testing stationary fuel cells similar to a pact unveiled recently with Dow Chemical Co., a company official said on Monday.

 The automaker, which is testing the units in its broader effort to build fuel cells for cars, is in talks with other hydrogen producers, said Timothy Vail, a director of market development in GM's fuel cell development operation.

 Vail did not name the potential partners but said he expected an announcement to be made "soon."

 "It difficult for me to say (exactly when). It took a little bit longer than I thought to get the Dow agreement closed," Vail told reporters in Vancouver where he was speaking at a fuel cell industry conference.

 GM and Dow Chemical DOW.N announced in May that the automaker would supply and test a fuel cell system to help power a Dow plant in Freeport, Texas. The plant will supply fuel for the cells, which produce electricity via a chemical reaction rather than through combustion.

 If the initial testing is successful, the cells could eventually produce up to 35 megawatts of electricity per year for the plant, enough for 25,000 homes.

 Testing is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2003, and the companies will decide in 2005 whether to extend and expand the agreement.

 Vail said GM still views its testing of stationary fuel cells as part of a broader effort to develop cells for cars that will be cost competitive with gasoline-powered engines.

By the year 2050, Ford Motor Co. expects nearly half the cars it sells will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Fifty years after that, some Ford officials muse, the company might be making high-speed trains for commuters tired of traffic. They expect one thing won’t change: Ford’s commitment, ever since founder Henry Ford started the business, to an inexpensive, reliable vehicle for the common person. 

Voller Energy  and Palcan Fuel Cells Ltd. are pleased to announce that Voller Energy has selected Palcan's PC-150 Fuel Cell Stack as the power source in the Voller Energy VE100 Portable Fuel Cell system. 

Voller Energy is a leading European manufacturer of portable fuel cell systems. The company designs battery rechargers and mobile generator products that are portable to provide silent, clean, 
safe and reliable remote power. The new Voller Energy VE100 hand held product is approximately the size and weight of a laptop computer or portable typewriter and provides both DC and AC 
output. This means any electrical device that has an ordinary mains or wall socket plug can be plugged into the VE100, just as if the user was plugging into a mains electrical supply at home 
or in the office. The VE100 also has a 13.8v DC 'cigar lighter' or automotive type electrical socket which can be used to recharge a battery in a mobile phone or laptop, or to recharge a 
automobile battery. 

Stephen Owen, Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Indian Affairs and Northern Development), on behalf of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada's
National Research Council and Western Economic Diversification Canada, today announced a number of investments in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies at the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells International Conference, taking place from June 8-11, 2003 in Vancouver. The conference showcases Canadian fuel cell and hydrogen industry capabilities to international markets, helps foster strategic alliances and raises awareness of fuel cells and hydrogen domestically.

Fuel cells that generate electricity via a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen are emerging as an environment-friendly alternative source of power.
While they are used in a wide range of products, from motor vehicles to household power generators, a Tokyo company has found a unique application -- powering a robot guard and receptionist.

 Sohgo Security Services Co., a major security firm, is currently developing a robot equipped with a fuel-cell battery that will work round the clock for one week without a recharge.

PSA Peugeot-Citroën has confirmed the group's commitment to fuel cell technology by jointly staging a press conference on hydrogen-sourced energy in conjunction with the French Hydrogen Association and the French Atomic Energy Commission. It was announced at the press briefing that France is to host the first European Hydrogen Energy Conference at Grenoble from 2nd to 5th September 2003.

Multiple Unit Order Combined With NRCan Funding Paves Road to Commercialization
 

MGE UPS SYSTEMS Inc., the technology leader in providing unsurpassed power protection solutions to computer data centers, telecommunications and industrial operations, today announced that Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ:BLDP;TSX:BLD) has appointed MGE as an authorized worldwide (excluding Japan) distributor and service provider for Ballard Power's AirGen(TM) fuel cell generator for back-up power.
    
This new alliance brings two of the world's leaders together to offer the latest in advanced power protection technologies. As the technology and service leader in power quality, protection, and distribution, MGE is dedicated to expanding its technology leadership. Through this commitment, MGE becomes one of the first UPS manufacturers to embrace the environmentally friendly fuel cell technology and offer a zero-emission generator power solution with Ballard(R) fuel cells.

Iwatani International Corp. (TSE:8088) announced Monday that it has completed construction of Japan's first hydrogen refueling station for fuel cell vehicles. 

The roughly 300 million yen (US$2.5 million) cost of the station, which will open for business June 12, was covered by the government. 

Built in Tokyo in cooperation with Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, the station can store 10,000 liters of liquid hydrogen, which is enough to refuel more than 70 fuel cell vehicles. 

For refueling, the liquid hydrogen is first converted into gas, and refueling takes less than 10 minutes. 

Iwatani is an industrial-gas trader, and the liquid hydrogen for this station will be produced by its subsidiary Iwatani Industrial Gases Corp. 

Rogers Corporation (NYSE:ROG) today announced that it is working to develop and sell fuel cell stacks in systems requiring 20 watts to 5 kilowatts of power.
    
Mr. Walter E. Boomer, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Rogers Corp., remarked, "We are excited about our new role in developing stacks for the fuel cell industry. This is an emerging industry that will be enabled by creative use of specialty materials. This opportunity is consistent with our strategy to leverage Rogers' specialty materials competence into growth markets."
    
Rogers has worked with a number of companies over the past few years on specialty materials for use in fuel cells and recently signed an agreement to license additional technology related to its own development activities. The technologies involved include proton exchange membrane (PEM) materials, bipolar plates, and stack control systems. With the benefits of both noise and exhaust elimination, these fuel cell stacks are intended for use in portable generators, and as replacements for battery packs, where the fuel cell's potential for reduced weight and longer power life will be significant advantages.

Stand Alone/Fully Integrated Fuel Processor Turns Natural Gas/Propane Into Hydrogen
    
ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures (CTTV), a unit of ChevronTexaco Corp. (NYSE: CVX), announced today that its hydrocarbon fuel processor HALIAS(TM) was selected by Hydrogenics Corp., through its subsidiary Greenlight Power Technologies in Canada, for use in Greenlight's fuel cell testing station as part of the Fuel Cells Canada demonstration program.

Energy Visions Inc. (EVI) (NASD: OTCBB: "EGYV"  and TSXV: "EVI.S") announced today that it has accepted a Letter of Commitment of Brethren Venture Corporation (BVC) of Mississauga, Ontario, to provide a Cdn. $2.0 Million loan to permit EVI to acquire shares of Pure Energy Inc. (PEI) and to 
provide working capital for both PEI and EVI.  

The loan will be at 11% per annum for a 2-year term. The completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions. As part of the loan package BVC will receive 1,533,333 two year stock warrants in EVI exercisable at Cdn. $0.20 per share. The outstanding loan principal is, at the 
election of BVC, to be convertible into EVI stock at Cdn. $0.75 of loan principal per EVI share for a 2-year period. This transaction is subject to the necessary approvals of TSX Venture 
Exchange (TSXV). 

NGK Insulators Ltd. (TSE:5333) has developed a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that can maintain high power output even when operating at the relatively low temperature of about 700 C, some 200-300 degrees lower than a conventional SOFC. 

The new SOFC can operate at the lower temperature, so the metal components and the current collector members can be made from less expensive materials, opening the way to low-cost distributed power systems for a wide range of applications, including in the home and office. 

The new disk-shaped fuel cell is 12cm in diameter and made from a triple-layer structure of fuel electrode, electrolyte and air electrode. 

The electrolyte is a ceramic material processed as a 10-micron film that can operate at low temperatures. 

According to the company, this cell can produce electricity with a high power density of 0.6 watts per sq. centimeter at a temperature of 650 C and 1.6 watts at 750 C when the voltage is at 0.7 volts. 

Multiple cells can be stacked to design power systems of various output and size, in principle providing anywhere from 1kw to several thousand kilowatts of power. 

WASHINGTON - Widespread use of the hydrogen fuel cells that President Bush (news - web sites) has made a centerpiece of his energy plan might not be as environmentally friendly as many believe.

Scientists say the new technology could lead to greater destruction of the ozone layer that protects Earth from cancer-causing ultraviolet rays. 

Researchers said in a report Thursday saying that if hydrogen replaced fossil fuels to run everything from cars to power plants, large amounts of hydrogen would drift into the stratosphere as a result of leakage and indirectly cause increased depletion of the ozone. 

They acknowledged that much is still unknown about the hydrogen cycle and that technologies could be developed to curtail hydrogen releases, mitigating the problem. But they say hydrogen's impact on ozone destruction should be considered when gauging the potential environmental downside of a hydrogen-fuel economy. 

The one kilowatt unit, which is one metre high, 60 centimeters wide and 30 centimeters deep and while this model uses household gas or LPG to create electricity, Mitsubishi said that kerosene, naptha and methanol versions are under development.

It claims that the device will easily power the needs of an average household and that the size of such devices will shrink quickly, demonstrating the advances it's made from its previous model to its latest unit.

One kilowatt doesn't seem to be quite enough for most households we know...

The firm did not say how much the PEFC device, pictured below next to an earlier model, will cost. µ

TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Suzuki Motor Corp and Hino Motors Ltd plan to take part in demonstration tests of fuel-cell vehicles being conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). 

Mitsubishi and Suzuki will participate using vehicles they developed in-house, while Hino will use its fuel-cell vehicle developed with Toyota Motor Corp, to collect data concerning safety and environmental impact. This brings the total number of auto makers participating in the project to eight. 

Mitsubishi plans to develop by this autumn a fuel-cell version of its new Grandis minivan, which hit the market last month. It will obtain basic technology from German top shareholder DaimlerChrysler AG and incorporate fuel cells made by Canada's Ballard Power Systems Inc. 

Suzuki is expected to get technological assistance from US firm General Motors Corp. It is undecided when the company's fuel-cell vehicle will be developed or what model it will be based on. Hino has already developed with Toyota a large fuel-cell-powered bus.