FuelCellsWorks

Danish industrial players have expressed a strong need for support in the process to push fuel cell and hydrogen technologies from the research and development stage into the commercial domain. Risø DTU has now with Danish Gas Technology Center (DGC) as partner received support from the Danish Programme for Energy Technology Development and Demonstration (EUPD) to initialize a center which will eventually support industry with test, development, analysis, approval, certification, consultation, and training in the areas of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.

The current EUDP-project runs over a period of two years with Anke Hagen, Risø, as project manager and has the aim to initialize the center. The project also includes start-up of first activities. These will focus on the development of accelerated lifetime tests of fuel cell systems, preparations for standardization of these methods, and advising in relation to certification and approval of fuel cell systems and will be carried out at Risø DTU and DGC in close cooperation with industry, specifically, Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S (TOFC).

Already at this stage, the further development of the center over a 5-6 years horizon has been addressed and outlined, including the needed means.

The ultimate goal for the center is to become an accepted one-stop-shopping for all needed services in relation to fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. The related activities will be shared between the partners in the center, which are currently Risø DTU and DGC, where Risø for example will carry out advanced testing and microscopy while examples for DGC’s activities are standardization and approval.

GREENE, N.Y. — The Raymond Corporation is now an independent distributor for the sale, rental and lease of Plug Power (Nasdaq:PLUG) GenDrive™ fuel cell units in North America. As an Authorized Service Provider, Raymond also will provide warranty and maintenance service on GenDrive products through its North American Sales and Service Center network. In addition, Raymond is a GenDrive Authorized Distributor of service parts.

“Plug Power is a fuel cell market leader, and this partnership enables Raymond to offer cutting-edge lift truck power solutions to the material handling industry,” says Chuck Pascarelli, executive vice president of sales and marketing for The Raymond Corporation. “Through this agreement, Raymond and its Sales and Service Center network can aid companies in the deployment of fuel cell-powered lift trucks and provide ongoing service and support throughout the life of the trucks.”

“Raymond’s leading AC technology, coupled with Plug Power’s proven GenDrive solutions will bring superior power and performance to the electric lift truck market,” says Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power. “By investigating and commercializing new technologies to power its durable, reliable lift trucks, Raymond is helping to offer companies a seamless solution for installing fuel cell-powered lift trucks.”

GenDrive fuel cell power units have been tested and approved for use in Raymond® Model 8400 pallet trucks, Model 4100 and 4200 stand-up counterbalanced trucks, and various Model 7400 Reach-Fork® trucks. Raymond is evaluating additional Raymond lift truck models to assess their compatibility with hydrogen fuel cells.

Based on recent demonstrations by lift truck and fuel cell manufacturers, there appears to be significant potential to improve warehouse productivity when fuel cells are used to power lift trucks in high-throughput warehouse applications. Hydrogen fuel cells can offer higher productivity in electric lift trucks because they can be rapidly refueled by operators, eliminating the need to change, store and maintain batteries. Plus, fuel cells produce constant voltage, which means there is no battery drop toward the end of a shift, and the vehicle experiences no performance degradation.

For more information about Raymond fuel cell-powered lift trucks or Plug Power’s GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell units, or to locate a Raymond Sales and Service Center, visit www.raymondcorp.com or call (800) 235-7200.

About The Raymond Corporation

The Raymond Corporation is a global provider of material handling solutions that improve space utilization and productivity, with lower cost of operation and greater operator acceptance. Raymond offers the iWarehouse® system, an enterprise fleet optimization solution for warehouse and distribution center managers to collect and analyze real-time lift truck data to maximize fleet productivity and reduce costs.

High-performance, reliable, ergonomically designed Raymond lift trucks range from a full line of manual and electric pallet trucks and walkie stackers to counterbalanced trucks, Reach-Fork® trucks, orderpickers and dual-purpose (pallet handling/case picking) Swing-Reach® trucks.

About Plug Power Inc.

Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), an established leader in the development and deployment of clean, reliable energy solutions, integrates fuel cell technology into motive and continuous power products. The Company is actively engaged with private and public customers in targeted markets throughout the world. For more information about how to join Plug Power’s energy revolution as an investor, customer, supplier or strategic partner, please visit www.plugpower.com.

FOLSOM, California – Altergy Systems, announced today that its Freedom Power™ Systems turned the red carpet “green” at Sunday’s 82nd annual Oscars® by supplying the first clean hydrogen fuel cell power systems used to power numerous applications at the Academy Awards® ceremonies.

Altergy’s Freedom Power™ Systems provided clean “off the grid,” electricity to fulfill various power requirements at the Oscars® red carpet ceremony.  Additionally, another Altergy 5kW fuel cell was used as the power source of a unique new portable lighting system which was also employed throughout the week for specific lighting demands at Hollywood’s biggest awards ceremony.

Saunders Electric of Los Angeles has provided power for every Oscar® presentation since 1953. They specialize in supplying the challenging power needs of the motion picture and television industry with clients that include the Grammy Awards®, the Country Music Awards®, and the Emmy Awards®. Saunders Electric, who also received its own Technical Emmy® in 1995, chose Altergy’s Freedom Power™ fuel cells for specific uses at the Oscars® this year.

CEO Russell Saunders says: “We have been looking for a dependable clean power system to use at the Academy Awards® and in the entire motion picture industry for years. We needed a power system that was portable, efficient, and quiet that could literally be placed at the point of use without emitting the noxious fumes and noise of standard power generators  such as diesels. We chose Altergy’s clean “zero emission” fuel cell systems … and we’re glad we did. They performed beautifully!”

Academy (A.M.P.A.S.®) technician, Gary Lenz, who worked directly with the mobile lighting system throughout the production was asked to give it a Hollywood review. He emphatically replied: “Awesome! It’s the coolest thing ever! It’s unbelievably quiet and we were even able to use the clean warm air it generated to stay warm on the cold nights!”

Altergy joined with Sandia National Laboratories, The Boeing Company, Caltrans and manufacturers Multiquip, Luxim, Lumenworks, Stray Light and others in developing and introducing the new fuel cell powered mobile lighting system.  Additionally Alpha Technologies of Bellingham, WA provided the DC to AC inverters used in the systems.

The new high intensity plasma lighting system utilizes Altergy’s Freedom Power™ hydrogen fuel cells to power the lights.  Each self-contained unit has the ability to illuminate an area approximately the size of a football field, and has a projected continuous run time of 40 plus hours.

The new Freedom Power™ mobile lighting system is both environmentally friendly and “whisper” quiet. Unlike the diesel generators now in use, the new fuel cell lighting system is a California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.) certified “zero-emission” power generator.

“This application demonstrates the versatility of Altergy’s fuel cell systems. They have been dominating telecom applications over the last couple of years and now we are deploying them in distributed peak shaving, mobile and prime power applications.  We are very proud of our involvement with the Academy, and consider it an honor to be selected,” commented Eric Mettler, Altergy’s President and CEO.

DFC-ERG System Significantly Reduces Air Emissions Over Power Generation Alternatives While Achieving Record Peak Electrical Efficiency Over 70 Percent and Commercial-Level Up-Time

DANBURY, Conn. — FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government and utility customers, today reported its hybrid power plant attained an average electrical efficiency of 62.5 percent, equipment up-time of 93 percent and reduced greenhouse gas emissions of up to 45 percent.

In its first full year of operation, the Direct FuelCell-Energy Recovery Generation™ (DFC-ERG®) power plant, a joint project with Enbridge Inc., achieved results underscoring its success over a range of scenarios. Since January 2009, Enbridge monitored the DFC-ERG plant under several configurations — matching operating modes for different markets — to measure its emissions and electrical efficiency (that is, the percentage of fuel converted to useful grid power).

While the DFC-ERG unit demonstrated an availability averaging 93 percent for the entire year, it exceeded 96 percent availability during the final six months of 2009. Similarly, although its average electrical efficiency of 62.5 percent compares favorably to a typical conventional fossil fuel generation of about 35 to 40 percent, the plant’s peak electrical efficiency topped 70 percent in some of the scenarios under which it was evaluated. In all of those tests, the benchmark for air quality used was California’s toughest-in-the-nation clean air standards.

The system’s high electrical efficiency allowed it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 45 percent compared to a conventional natural gas power plant (based on Environment Canada’s “National Inventory Report — Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada 1990–2007″).

“All the time we were operating this plant and getting remarkable electrical efficiencies, we were seeing availability numbers in the 90s,” said Chuck Szmurlo, Vice President, Alternative and Emerging Technologies, Enbridge. “That tells me this is a commercially robust technology. We will submit our results to be independently verified and, when the review is complete, we’ll disclose our data to the industry.”

Although Toronto represents the initial DFC-ERG installation, FuelCell Energy and Enbridge are advancing the necessary commitments for others totaling 18 MW, which were selected by the Connecticut Clean Energy fund as part of that state’s renewable energy portfolio. Gas utilities in other U.S. states also are evaluating the technology. International interest stems from the Toronto project’s evaluation by the Asia Pacific Partnership (APP), a clean energy cooperative involving Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

“Enbridge’s validation of the DFC-ERG system is a significant milestone, especially since the market potential is worldwide,” said R. Daniel Brdar, CEO and Chairman of FuelCell Energy. “It gives gas utilities a way of improving pipeline efficiency, reducing emissions and delivering clean energy to the world’s power grid as a byproduct of their daily operations.”

DFC-ERG plant harvests waste energy while reducing pollution

Natural gas is transported via pipelines for use throughout North America. Over most of this route, gas is maintained under high pressure. As the gas enters urban centers, its pressure is purposely reduced at “letdown” stations so it may be safely distributed to homes and businesses.

Normally, the pressure-reduction process involves heating the gas — a step which itself burns some gas, wasting energy and sending pollutants into the air. Integrating a DFC-ERG unit with a letdown station reduces or eliminates this local source of emissions while harvesting energy from the moving gas for clean power. The fuel cell, a non-combustion means of generating ultra-clean energy, also provides additional electricity while using the high quality, zero emission heat to reduce the pollutants normally linked to preheating the natural gas.

The DFC-ERG power plant in Toronto generates ultra-clean electricity while harvesting energy normally lost during natural gas pipeline distribution operations. A joint development effort of FuelCell Energy and Enbridge, the system produces 2.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power approximately 1,700 homes.

Funding for the project includes $2.3 million from Natural Resources Canada and a $500,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. NYSEARCH, the research arm of the Northeast Gas Association, also provided funding for the project’s performance monitoring so US-based gas utilities can better understand how the technology might be adapted for their pipeline networks. Support was provided by the City of Toronto, which enacted a measure allowing residents and businesses to export clean electricity to the grid.

The technology is marketed as the DFC-ERG system in the United States and as Hybrid FuelCells in Canada. More information about the technology is available from FuelCell Energy. Fuel cells are a key technology that supports a portfolio of low-carbon energy supplies that can be viewed on the Enbridge Web site. An independently produced video about the Toronto power plant is available at The Discovery Channel, which is responsible for its own content.

About FuelCell Energy

FuelCell Energy is the world leader in the development and production of stationary fuel cells for commercial, industrial, municipal and utility customers. FuelCell Energy’s ultra-clean and high efficiency DFC® fuel cells are generating power at more than 50 locations worldwide. The company’s power plants have generated over 450 million kilowatt hours of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas, biogas from beer and food processing, as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers and power companies around the world. The company also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such as fuel cells. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com.

About Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc., a Canadian company, is a North American leader in delivering energy. As a transporter of energy, Enbridge operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, in Canada and the U.S., the world’s longest crude oil and liquids transportation system. The Company also has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and midstream businesses, and is expanding its interests in renewable and green energy technologies, including wind and solar energy, hybrid fuel cells and carbon dioxide sequestration. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., Canada’s largest natural gas distribution company and provides distribution services to about 1.9 million customers in Ontario, New York State, New Brunswick and southwestern Quebec. A Top 100 Canadian Employer for 2010, Enbridge employs approximately 6,000 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. Enbridge’s common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit enbridge.com.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Adaptive Materials, the leader in developing and manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells, was recently awarded a $2.9 million contract to develop a 300-watt fuel cell system for the Department of Defense.  This contract award also includes three option phases that, if awarded, could include delivery of more than 100 fuel cells, increasing the total value of the contract to $5 million.

The fuel cell systems that Adaptive Materials will deliver to the U.S. Army will provide a lightweight, portable power and energy resource that soldiers can use to charge battery-powered devices in the field.

“Winning the 300-watt contract from the Department of Defense is a huge accomplishment for Adaptive Materials,” said Michelle Crumm, chief business officer.  “Adaptive Materials continues to demonstrate superior value and win fuel cell contracts to provide portable power to our soldiers.  Having to demonstrate the ruggedness, durability and reliability of fuel cells has narrowed down the field of viable manufacturers, and we’re extremely pleased that Adaptive Materials is able to demonstrate, time and again, its leadership.”

Adaptive Materials’ fuel cell systems are being designed to serve as a portable battery charger capable of charging up to six batteries simultaneously.  These six batteries can be any combination of lithium ion batteries used by the U.S. Army for its field operations.  The fuel cell systems will also provide a 28-volt output.

In keeping with its established product performance in the field, Adaptive Materials will focus on delivering reliable energy output durable in a rugged 300-watt fuel cell with extended service life.  Its fuel cell will also minimize weight and volume, ultimately providing a lightweight and portable power source for soldiers on the move.

Prototypes of the 300-watt fuel cell developed by Adaptive Materials will be delivered to the U.S. Army in June.

About Adaptive Materials, Inc.

Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Adaptive Materials, Inc. is the first company to develop, demonstrate and deliver a portable, affordable, and fuel flexible solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system.  The company offers 50 and 250-watt fuel cell systems that are powered by globally available and energy dense propane, butane and LPG.  Adaptive Materials’ fuel cell system provides portable power to the United States Armed Forces as well as industries including leisure, remote monitoring, and medical devices.  For more information, visit www.adaptivematerials.com.

By TODD WOODY

While Google, Wal-Mart and other corporations have embraced fuel cells, California regulators have turned down requests from the state’s two biggest utilities to install the technology.

In a preliminary decision, an administrative law judge with the California Public Utilities Commission found unwarranted an application from Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California to spend more than $43 million to install fuel cells that would generate six megawatts of electricity.

The technology transforms hydrogen, natural gas or other fuels into electricity through an electrochemical process, emitting fewer or no pollutants, depending on the type of fuel used.

“It is unreasonable to spend three times the price paid to renewable generation for the proposed Fuel Cell Projects, which are nonrenewable and fueled by natural gas,” wrote the administrative law judge, Dorothy J. Duda, in a proposed ruling issued last week. “In addition, the applications do not satisfactorily address how full ratepayer funding of utility-owned fuel cell generation would enhance private market investment and market transformation of the fuel cell industry.”

An alternative decision issued by the president of the California Public Utilities Commission, Michael R. Peevey, would approve the applications but lower how much of the program’s cost the utilities could recover from their ratepayers. The utilities commission can either accept or reject the recommendations.

Last month, Bloom Energy lifted the curtain on its fuel cell technology and announced that Google, Wal-Mart and other big companies have purchased its Bloom Energy Server to supply off-the-grid electricity to corporate campuses.

P.G&.E and Southern California Edison, on the other hand, are interested in how well fuel cells can provide power to the grid.

“The objective of P.G.&E.’s Fuel Cell Project is to advance the installation of fuel cell technologies in California,” the utility said in a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. “Fuel cells can play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing fuels with low or neutral carbon content at high electrical efficiencies.”

The utility proposed installing fuel cells that would generate three megawatts of electricity at California State University campuses in San Francisco and Hayward, Calif.

FuelCell Energy of Danbury, Conn., would provide two 1.4-megawatt molten carbonate fuel cells that would also produce heat and water for the campuses for 10 years, according to Janice Berman, a senior director at P.G.&E.

She said the utility has signed a contract with Bloom Energy for two of the Silicon Valley start-up’s 100-kilowatt solid oxide fuel cells that would provide electricity at San Francisco State University.

Bloom’s fuel cells use any excess heat to increase the efficiency of the devices.

“Monitoring at the point of distribution will assist the utility in developing the right tools as the penetration of distributed generation in urban areas continues to increase,” the utility said in its filing. “P.G.&E. will evaluate the use of fuel cell by-products by the universities to identify economic efficiencies achieved by the combined generation of electricity and heat along with the utilization of discharged water.”

Southern California Edison proposed installing 1.4-megawatt molten carbonate fuel cells at two California State University campuses and solid oxide fuel cells that would generate 200 kilowatts at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Despite the recent corporate enthusiasm for Bloom Energy, fuel cell technology has not made much headway in California.

P.G.&.E. noted that a state program to subsidize fuel cells has resulted in the installation of only 13 megawatts, providing just 0.01 percent of California’s peak electricity demand.

When the state Department of General Services offered power purchase agreements for electricity generated by fuel cells, Bloom Energy was the only manufacturer that responded, according to the filing.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/california-utility-regulators-not-quite-ready-for-fuel-cells/