FuelCellsWorks

Being aware of its responsibility towards the territory and future generations, the Brenner Motorway wants to actively contribute to a zero emissions future in the transport sector.

The particular location of the Brenner Motorway (A22) along the European Corridor 1 proves to be strategic in order to sensitize and favour the circulation of hydrogen vehicles.

In the Alpine area there is a concrete opportunity to obtain hydrogen from renewable sources through the use of hydroelectric power. Hydrogen represents a form of ‘clean’ energy and increases the efficiency of local energy production from the economic as well as environmental point of view. Furthermore, the use of hydrogen avoids harmful effects on health and environment due to fossil fuels and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

A22 is member of the Institute for Technical Innovations (I.I.T. Scarl), which carries out research and innovation activities and which in the future aims at extending its structure to other institutional as well as private subjects in order to implement an overall project along the whole Brenner – Modena axis.

Within the framework of the industrial plan drawn up by the A22, which foresees the construction of hydrogen filling stations every 100 km along the section Munich.

– Modena, the Brenner Motorway individuated 5 areas considered to be particular adequate for the production and distribution of ‘green’ hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced through ‘electrolysis’ by using different types of renewable energy sources. These sites,
within the framework of the project under discussion, were located near the Brenner Pass (wind power), in Bolzano South (hydroelectric power), in Trentino (combination of photovoltaic and hydroelectric power), in the Province of Verona (interconnection with the A4 motorway) and near the interconnection with the A1 motorway (biomass).

It must be emphasized that the Brenner Motorway considers to be strategic in a first phase to invest in hydrogen-methane blends vehicles, with internal combustion engines, awaiting for the circulation of fuel cell vehicles.

The advanced technology of hydrogen-methane blends (hydromethane) can in fact offer an important contribution versus the reduction of CO2 and other noxious emissions, guaranteeing a strong synergy with additional gaseous fuels from renewable sources such as biomethane.

Hydromethane can therefore enable the development of hydrogen infrastructure, necessary for the future implementation of fuel cell electric vehicles.

The project was presented on June 23 at the European Parliament.

Highlights of the period

• Receipt of first commercial revenue; £50k instalment of £200k from Linc Energy
• Significant progress in development of the Beta (large scale) fuel cell system
• £2.18 million net raised through share placing and option/warrant conversions
• Positive outcome of third independent technology review by the Centre for Process Innovation
• Filed 2 patents that further strengthen our IP portfolio
• WSP Group plc, CEL International and Air Products confirmed as world class partners
• Agreement with Centrica plc for reservation of future capacity
• Post-tax losses: £1.25 million (30 April 2009: £1.04 million), reflecting the strengthening of the technical team, whilst maintaining cost control
• Net cash outflow from operating and investing activities of £1.37 million (30 April 2009: £1.06 million)
• Cash balance at 30 April 2010: £2.68 million (30 April 2009: £2.55 Million)

Since period end

• Successful testing of an Alpha fuel cell system at Linc Energy’s Chinchilla facility in Australia, operating on hydrogen from underground coal gasification
• Commenced testing of commercial electrodes for Beta fuel cell system
• Developing in-house capacity for  annual pilot production of up to 2MW of fuel cell systems

Ian Balchin, CEO commented, “The goal of producing the lowest unit cost electricity using fuel cells is a simple one. Our initial target market is the chlorine (chlor-alkali) industry which produces well documented surpluses of hydrogen suitable for use directly in AFC’s alkaline fuel cell systems. The Board believes that we have significantly reduced the risk in our business plan by choosing existing alkaline fuel cell technology and re-engineering it to reduce the capital and operating costs. 

“AFC Energy’s Alpha fuel cell systems are now installed as test-beds both at AkzoNobel in Germany and at Linc Energy in Australia. We have also commenced testing of our commercial electrodes which are based on thin metal plates and have more than twice the volumetric power density of our previous design. These are the electrodes that will be used in our modular Beta (large-scale) fuel cell system – the building block of our multi-megawatt power station concept.

“In preparation for initial demand we have already commenced the commissioning of a pilot production facility which will be capable of producing up to 2MW of fuel cell systems per year, whilst providing a valuable demonstration and training facility for our roll-out partners. This facility is due for completion over the summer and the Company remains on track for producing its first commercial Beta Fuel cell system in 2011.

“As a company we will endeavour to continue to be as open as we can whilst safeguarding commercial and intellectual property assets. We have received favourable feedback from the open days which we have hosted for private investors and shall be holding further open days later in the year.

I look forward to reporting more on the progress being made as we transition towards commercialisation.”

• Hydrogen is produced according to energy demand by controlled lithium-water electrochemical reactions.
• The system can supply both clean hydrogen and electricity.
• Generated lithium hydroxide (LiOH) can be recovered for reuse by recharge operations using sunlight etc.

Haoshen Zhou (Leader) and Yonggang Wang (Post-Doctoral Research Scientist) of Energy Interface Technology Group, the Energy Technology Research Institute (Director: Yasuo Hasegawa) of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST; President: Tamotsu Nomakuchi), have developed the concept of a clean hydrogen production system based on controlled lithium-water electrochemical reactions and have successfully investigated the system.

In recent years, hydrogen has attracted attention as a clean energy source for reducing the increase in CO₂ emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. However, the use of hydrogen as an energy source involves many issues. It is particularly necessary to establish technologies for the safe and convenient storage of hydrogen. To achieve this safety and convenience it is desirable to produce the needed hydrogen on-site.

The concept of a device called a lithium-water battery, using metallic lithium as the active material at a negative electrode and water as the active material at a positive electrode, has been proposed before, but the use of hydrogen, a byproduct of the battery, had not been investigated. We have now developed a new concept of producing both hydrogen and electricity by stably controlled reactions using metallic lithium as the negative electrode and carbon as the positive electrode, with a hybrid electrolyte (a combination of an organic electrolyte, a solid electrolyte, and an aqueous electrolyte) (see Figure). We have succeeded in the substantiation of the concept with this system, which allows as much clean hydrogen to be produced as needed and when needed, while generating electricity from electrical discharge from the electrochemical reactions. The amount of hydrogen produced is currently about 230 μmol h^–1 per one square centimeter of positive electrode surface. This system can be regenerated by recharging, and it can therefore be used as an energy storage system that stores electrical energy from natural energy sources such as solar cells, and surplus power at night in the form of metallic lithium; it is thus able to produce hydrogen and electricity as needed. We intend to investigate suitable applications for this system.

Left: Schematic of the lithium-water battery and hydrogen productionRight: Amount of hydrogen produced at the positive electrode of the lithium-water battery