As I arrived at The Fair the first thing I saw was a lady from INETI (Ms Carmen Rangel) in Portugal speaking at the forum. Unfortunately I only caught the last couple of minutes of the session, but I managed to catch her afterwards to find out what has been going in the fuel cell scene in Portugal over the last year. I should point out here that I was working on fuel cells in Portugal until I joined Fuel Cell Today very recently, so I have some interest in the general situation there. Carmen told me that there is significant activity going on at INETI in raising the level of awareness of hydrogen and fuel cells amongst the public of Portugal. There are currently 4 demonstration projects INETI is involved with, mainly renewables-based hydrogen production linked with fuel cell systems. Indeed INETI’s own building now has a fuel cell system running off solar power. However, and perhaps more importantly, Portugal is become heavily involved with training programmes related to fuel cell technologies, with the emphasis being on constructing Masters and PhD level programmes.

This neatly leads me to the first company I visited – Portugal’s SRE – which can genuinely be regarded as a success story. SRE was formed in 2002 by a small group of engineers involved mainly in systems integration for the portable market. Now, 4 years later, they have a staff of 24 (it was 12 just 1 year ago) and 4 products up and running and for sale at The Fair. Their stand has a price list, something which has been conspicuous by its absence at fuel cell trade fairs until very recently. They also are in the final stages of development of a 30W 12V military model which they aim to bring to market around January of next year. All good signs indeed.

My next port of call was a UK company called Fuel Cell Control. Fuel Cell Control has been in operation since 1999 and produces PEM and alkaline fuel cells. They describe their fuel cells as “transportable” rather than portable - the model on display is the size and shape of a fridge. They have found a rather specialised niche market – supplying power systems to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Apparently contractors on the site are not allowed to use diesel gensets because of the environmental sensitivities, so fuel cells are being seriously considered as an alternative. I was told that because of the somewhat compacted timeframe of the Games preparation period, they are not able to meet the full demand for their product – a nice problem to have. And, dear readers, I am happy to bring you an exclusive piece of news. Fuel Cell Control has just merged with LPG. converters Alternative Fuel Systems, and they now operate under the same roof. This exploits a range of natural synergies between the two companies and brings down development and production costs. Fuel Cell Control is in a position to expand, and it is actively seeking new partners.

Onwards, and to one of the big boys of the automotive fuel cell industry – Honda. I was interested in what their latest project is, what they have planned, and what they make of the so-called clash between fuel cell vehicles and hybrid vehicles. On display was the Honda Fuel Cell Power FCX, a car which has been around since 2004, and of which there are currently 23 driving around in the US and Japan (including one private customer in the US). The next product they have planned is the FCX’s successor, the FCX Concept. They plan to put the car on minimal production runs in 2010, and roll it out to the mass markets in 2020. I was told, interestingly enough, that environmental regulations planned to come into force in California in 2012 were a significant driver for the development of this vehicle. Concerning any perceived threat from hybrid cars, Honda believes that fuel cells have not receded from industry’s plans nor from the public’s minds since hybrids have taken off in recent years. They are viewed not as a rival technology, more as a complimentary, transitional technology. Honda is currently on its 4th hybrid model and still has not scaled down its fuel cell development programme.

My next visit was quite a departure from Honda – the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC). This is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1992 to facilitate the channelling of funds from a group of Western countries (plus Japan) to provide funds for Russian and CIS nation scientists previously involved in physics and weapons research so that they might remain at their institutions. The worry at the time, following the break-up of the Soviet Union, was that the significant skills and knowledge base found in these countries might leak away to nations which might not put them to the most constructive use. In more recent times, this threat has all but disappeared, but the ISTC remains and continues its work in building up businesses, matchmaking, introduction and travel support, and implementing IPR ownership settlement procedures. The ISTC has allocated $600m in the years since 1994, and now has over 300 members. It is represents a formidable bloc and can claim a number of successes from countries ranging from Russia to Tajikistan and Belarus.

Well that is just about it for my first day and The Fair’s fourth. I have had a good time, learned an awful lot, and am looking forwards to more of the same tomorrow.

Day 5 at the Hannover Fair

My second day of the Hannover Fair has been busier than the first. More company stands to visit, more colleagues to talk to, and a forum interview to do.

I must start with two Hydrogen Ambassador teams that particularly interested me. First was Team Canada with a novel and interestingly named “gun engine”. I know Kerry-Ann visited their stand earlier but with an exhibit name like that I couldn’t resist. The exhibitor has invented (or rather, rediscovered) a type of hydrogen engine which is extremely robust in terms of the quality of the hydrogen it runs off, and which has impressive environmental performance. Interestingly enough, the technology was invented in the 1930s but has been gathering dust ever since. Now it has been rediscovered and tweaked, and by the sound of it, it could attract a good deal of interest. Unfortunately, there was no model of the engine on display – they had all been tested to destruction!

Another Team Canada exhibit was the Fuel Cell Diver Propulsion Vehicle. This is essentially a commercial battery powered product which has been converted to run on a fuel cell. This move has doubled the range of the vehicle and cut the recharge time from 7 hours to 3.5 minutes. It is a simple and clever idea, and I think it has a significant commercial potential. I have an additional snippet I am pleased to write here – the Team Canada, from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, found out about the Hannover Fair on the Fuel Cell Today website some time ago, and went straight into the development of their exhibit with The Fair in mind. The system works!

Next, Idatech. They are exhibiting two new products, a 3kW and a 5 kW critical power backup system. Both products run on bottled hydrogen, but are also capable, with an additional reformer unit, to run on a water / methanol mix, for on site generation if customers cannot easily gain access to bottled hydrogen. Idatech also has a price list – as with other companies I have seen at The Fair – and again this is a very positive development. For me the most interesting point was that their systems are genuine critical power backup systems, with no additional backup backup (follow me?) paraphernalia such as flywheels, microturbines and a diesel engine, as I have seen in the not too distant past.

I had been trying to talk to Plug Power since yesterday morning, but was slightly hampered by the fact that only one of the four team members were briefed to talking to the press, and I didn’t manage to catch her. Still, I did talk to one representative about the Plug Power exhibit, the GenCore, their first commercial product which was introduced back in June 2003. Its main target market is the telecommunications industry, and the product has clocked up a very impressive 232 units shipped so far. I was hoping to get their take on the big news of the industry of a couple of weeks ago, Plug Power’s tie-in with a consortium from Russia. They weren’t touching this subject with a long stick.

Then it was my turn to be put in the hot seat – perhaps some kind of payback for hassling the nice chap from Plug Power. I was interviewed on the Forum about the role of Fuel Cell Today, recent market developments, and The Fair itself from my perspective. For those of you who had better things to do than listen to me, these are my thoughts that I have taken away from The Fair in summary:

• Product price information is proliferating. This can only be a good sign, not only because the products are finally reaching the market, but also because the companies producing them are confident enough to openly publish this potentially sensitive information in such an open manner.
• There was some significant evidence of growing recognition that engaging with the general public should be done now rather than later. I heard of a number of university courses being run, and even teaching at school level on hydrogen and fuel cells.
• The audience of the fuel cell industry is growing and, importantly, diversifying. For a number of years, it just talked just to itself (worrying...), but now I saw a number of people from other parts of the Hannover Fair wandering around the hydrogen and fuel cell stands. Engagement with related but once-removed areas such as wind power or solar cells is critical and I think that this is now happening on a level that hasn’t been reached in the past. This, I must say, is helped by the fact that The Fair is organised in such a way that this is encouraged – with non-fuel cell technologies being displayed next door. Perhaps this is a model to follow. Or perhaps the guys from the industrial cabling exhibition were looking for the gents?

Which brings me to the end of my report on the final day of the Hannover Fair. I would like to thank Arno A. Evers and his team for their faultless organisation and support, and also for the orange tie I was presented with after my Forum piece. I promise to put it in my wardrobe. My impressions of the state of play of the industry were almost all positive. And, I think I have discovered a whole new niche market for fuel cells. One poor exhibitor was unfortunate enough to have his bag stolen from his fuel cell car exhibit! Fuel cell powered anti-theft car door handles, anyone?

Until next year,

Mike Hugh