FuelCellsWorks

Industry News & Information Leader
SFC EFOY ReliOn Hydrogenics Honda Plug Power Toyota BMW

Latest News

Sweden includes hydrogen in eco-efficiency roadmap for Europe

Source : European Hydrogen Association

A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, entitled ‘A European Eco-efficient Economy’, will provide a basis for discussions during an informal meeting of energy and environment ministers in Åre on 23-25 July. Thus, Sweden, which took over the EU’s rotating Presidency on July 1st, has pledged to put energy efficiency high on its agenda. One of its priorities is to lead a shift to an eco-efficient economy where economic growth and climate-friendly policies go hand-in-hand.

The report argues that Europe’s leadership is “primarily evident” in its climate change commitments, but in order to continue attracting investment and businesses, greater efforts must be made to promote innovation and energy efficiency. Crucially, the report urges the EU to step up programmed interventions, alongside more generic policies, to induce development and diffusion of eco-efficient technologies such as hydrogen. Due to the lack of support system, EU has so far lagged behind main competitors such as the US and Japan. The importance of a strong domestic market to nurture the growth of new industries is well known but the potential of Europe becoming a lead market for new technologies is partly unfulfilled today. The report suggests that one example to learn from is the approach in renewable electricity: supporting early-stage technologies through fixing prices and guaranteeing market access, and letting more mature technologies compete with each other under a quota system or other pricing mechanism.

To download the report please click here

July 31, 2009 - 8:00 AM No Comments

Senate OKs Energy Bill ; Hydrogen Research Gets $190 Million

Source :

By Jeff Wilkinson

The U.S. Senate late Wednesday approved an energy funding bill that includes $190 million for hydrogen research.

The appropriation comes after an Obama administration budget request that cut funding for hydrogen to $68 million in 2010 from $169 million spent this year.

The passage of the Senate Energy-Water Appropriations Bill comes a week after the U.S. House approved a bill that included $153 million for hydrogen.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., voted for the bill. U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., was one of nine senators who voted no.

The two bills now go to a conference committee, which is expected to vote on a compromise version in September after Congress returns from its recess.

The president’s requested cuts might have affected work at the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken County, which studies hydrogen production and storage, but likely would not have affected grants at the University of South Carolina, which focuses on fuel cells.

“This is more good news for Columbia,” said attorney and lobbyist Kyle Michel, who represents Engenuity SC, which heads up Columbia’s and USC’s hydrogen push. “It shows that the Senate agrees with the House that funding for hydrogen research and development should be robust.”

Michel said the final amount likely will fall between the House and Senate’s versions.

Energy Secretary Stephen Chu, in submitting the administration request in May, told lawmakers that taxpayer money was better spent on research for electric cars, better batteries for plug-in cars and biofuels, which he deemed quicker fixes than hydrogen for the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

Columbia Mayor Bob Coble and others immediately traveled to Washington to lobby the S.C. Congressional delegation to help restore the money.

Shannon Baxter-Clemmons, executive director of the S.C. Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance, which represents hydrogen interests statewide, credited the delegation with helping to restore the money.

Graham, a Republican, is chairman of the Senate Hydrogen Caucus. Upstate U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, a Republican, heads the House Hydrogen Caucus. Columbia Democrat Jim Clyburn, the House majority leader, was instrumental in restoring the House funding, Baxter-Clemmons said.

“This is a great example of Democrats and Republicans to put politics aside and do something good for the country,” she said.

“This is a great example of Democrats and Republicans to put politics aside and do something good for the country.”

Shannon Baxter-Clemmons, executive director of the S.C. Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Alliance

Originally published by Jeff Wilkinson; The (Columbia) Sptate.

(c) 2009 Herald; Rock Hill, S.C.. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.

July 31, 2009 - 7:10 AM No Comments

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) Developer NanoDynamics files for Ch. 7 bankruptcy

Source : BizJournal

Less than a month after CEO and cofounder Keith Blakely was ousted, NanoDynamics Inc. filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection July 27 citing a lack of available capital to keep the research company afloat.

The “straight liquidation” of Chapter 7, means there will be no reorganization of the company, which was founded in Buffalo in 2002. NanoDynamics made solid oxide fuel cells, water filters and other advanced materials related to nanotechnology. The company was based in Buffalo and operated three other facilities outside the region. According to an S-1 filing in 2008 as part of a plan to raise capital through an IPO, over the past five years the company had revenues of about $8.8 million, and net losses of nearly $34 million.

The bankruptcy filing ends a turbulent seven years marked by high hopes, promises of job creation, and ultimately, a lack of financial backing that led to its closure, leaving approximately 100 employees out of work.

In 2007, a plan to take the company public was unveiled with then-CEO Blakely saying NanoDynamics intended to sell 6.5 million shares of stock, raising over $78 million in the process. Citing the poor economy, those plans were scrapped in early 2008, though at the same time, Blakely spoke to Business First about his plans to list the company on the Dubai International Financial Exchange, making it the first company in the United States to do so.

“NanoDynamics is focused on addressing global challenges in the alternative energy, clean technology and infrastructure markets,” Blakely said at the time. “Our customers, suppliers, and partners are located throughout the world, and we see major opportunities in the Middle East and Africa for many of our products.”

Those plans didn’t materialize, and in March of 2008, the company laid off an undisclosed number of employees in connection with the aborted plans to go public.

Though NanoDynamics announced over $2.5 million in grants and contracts it received as recently as January, Raymond Fink, a partner at Harter Seacrest & Emery LLP, who is representing the company in bankruptcy proceedings said it simply wasn’t enough.

“Their operating capital needs were considerably higher,” Fink said. Putting it into perspective, he said “A million dollars didn’t put much gas in the tank.”

In addition to NanoDynamics Inc., a second filing was made on Monday for NanoDynamics Energy Inc., which operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company.

“The reason it filed is that it is the owner of quite a few patents and trademarks which we believe have value,” Fink said.

With their headquarters on Furhman Boulevard closed, calls placed to the firm handling public relations for NanoDynamics seeking comment on the filing were not returned. Fink pointed to the economic downturn as the final nail in the coffin for the company.

“The company was trying to raise capital and given the current financial market conditions the ability to raise capital is very, very difficult,” he said, “particularly for a company that is primarily research and development and hasn’t quite yet gotten most of its products to the market.”

July 31, 2009 - 7:04 AM No Comments

Tokyo Gas increases sales target of ENEFARMs (residential fuel cell cogenerating systems)

Source : fuel cell japan

TOKYO GAS put ENEFARMs (residential fuel cell cogenerating systems) on the market on this May. The results of sales of ENEFARMs show that the ENEFARM cogenerators have been sold in an unexpected way. The number of ENEFARMs having been sold up to now to customers having already built houses has reached the target number of sales.
The fact teaches that the customers who will reform their houses show relatively high interest in ENEFARMs. On the basis of this fact, the company decided to increase the target number of sales from 1,500 units to 2,100 units.
Before putting ENEFARMs on the market, the company predicted that it would be easy to sell ENEFARMs to customers newly building houses.
In the sales plan, the target number of sales of ENEFARMs was set at about 1,500 units a year. About 1,000 units of the target number were assigned to the customers who will build new houses.

July 31, 2009 - 7:00 AM No Comments