FuelCellsWorks

Today, a major step in the Smart Fuel Solutions^TM project was announced with the launch of a hydrogen vehicle loading and fuelling station in Saskatoon.

The station, located in Saskatoon’s north industrial district, will fuel a fleet of seven hydrogen trucks from both SaskEnergy and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC). The demonstration trucks will reduce environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The vehicles incorporate a more flexible and lower cost technology that assists in bridging the way to 100 per cent hydrogen use.

“The Saskatchewan Research Council is a leader in developing alternative fuel technologies,” Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister and Minister responsible for SRC Rob Norris said. “This project reflects and reinforces Saskatchewan’s strong innovative capacity. As vehicle manufacturers adopt hybrid and enviro-friendly engines, hydrogen technology like this one has the potential to be commercialized and benefit Saskatchewan’s economy.”

The project’s cost is more than $2.3 million with funding provided by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Enterprise Saskatchewan, SaskEnergy and SRC. A significant amount of in-kind support has also been provided by AkzoNobel, ERCO Worldwide and SaskEnergy.

“SaskEnergy’s expertise, combined with their existing fleet of natural gas/gasoline vehicles and province-wide network of natural gas refuelling stations, assists SRC to test this cutting-edge technology in real-world situations,” Minister responsible for SaskEnergy Dustin Duncan said. “This project demonstrates SaskEnergy’s commitment to finding alternative, green energy sources for the future.”

“Investing in the development of new, cleaner energy for our roads is good for our economy and the environment,” said David Anderson, Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills-Grasslands and Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources. “The Government of Canada is building partnerships to improve efficiency in the commercial sector, which will benefit all Canadians in the long run.”

Using more than three decade’s worth of technology, research, development and demonstrations, four SRC trucks and three SaskEnergy trucks have been adapted to operate on hydrogen.

“The Smart Fuel Solutions^TM project – in particular the hydrogen fuelling station – will allow SRC to safely and efficiently fuel the hydrogen vehicles,” SRC President and CEO Dr. Laurier Schramm said. “Besides the potential environmental benefits for Canadians, this project provides real-world testing to advance the commercialization of hydrogen technology.”

To obtain hydrogen fuel for the project, SRC engineers designed a system that takes by-product hydrogen from ERCO Worldwide’s Saskatoon chemical production plant and transfers it through a short pipeline to a loading station at AkzoNobel’s nearby facility. There the hydrogen is dried, compressed and injected into tube trailers that make their way to SaskEnergy’s commercial fuelling station in Saskatoon where it is pumped into vehicles.

When operating in the hydrogen mode, the vehicles substitute about 45 per cent hydrogen for fossil fuel use in city and highway traffic. At idle and low load, the gasoline and diesel engines operate on approximately 100 per cent and 60 per cent hydrogen, respectively.

Vehicles will be delivered by ATK to the Defense Logistics Agency for demonstration

BLOOMINGTON– The Toro Company  was selected by ATK, an aerospace and defense company, to help design and build two fuel cell powered utility vehicles with advanced hydrogen storage technology. The project is part of a contract awarded to ATK by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, which is collaborating with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to coordinate hydrogen storage development efforts for the U.S. Department of Energy.

As partner in the project, Toro provides extensive operational experience in the area of fuel cell technologies having recently completed a three-year demonstration with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The NYSERDA project used three prototype hydrogen-powered Toro(R) Workman(R) utility vehicles at various sites, including Niagara Falls State Park, Bethpage State Park, and Rockefeller Plaza Government Center. These vehicles operated reliably in shuttling workers and grounds equipment, hauling turf materials, and assisting with refuse removal. The demonstration proved fuel cells technically viable and feedback from operators was consistently positive.

With proven experience in mobile fuel cell technology and off-road utility vehicle application, Toro caught the attention of ATK’s Center for Energy and Aerospace Innovation (CEAI), based in Ronkonkoma, New York. Toro’s Center for Advanced Turf Technology (CATT) will assist in designing two operational machines based on the Toro Workman chassis and similar to what the company successfully demonstrated in New York. The group will also provide technical expertise on end-use applications.

“We’re excited to partner on this project to leverage our field experience and further our efforts in the development of alternative fuel solutions,” said Dana Lonn, director of Toro’s CATT Group. “Our motivation in alternative energy is to reduce emissions, hydraulic leaks and noise levels for our customers. Therefore, we need to remain aggressive in identifying the best technologies to deliver these results at a competitive price.”

The fuel cell utility vehicles, powered by a solid hydrogen storage system, are scheduled for delivery later this fall to the DLA for a 12-month operational demonstration. During this time, the vehicles will retrieve and transport materials between warehouses with data being collected to better understand the performance, durability and sustainability of the hydrogen fuel cell system.

Shaped by concerns over energy usage and the environment, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that the U.S. Department of Defense reduce oil consumption rates by 20% before the end of 2015. The energy law also establishes a hydrogen and fuel cell program with a goal of producing commercial fuel cell vehicles and developing hydrogen infrastructure by 2020.

About The Toro Company

The Toro Company is a leading worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment, and precision irrigation systems. With sales of more than $1.5 billion in fiscal 2009, Toro’s global presence extends to more than 80 countries through its reputation of world-class service, innovation and turf expertise. Since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong brands to help customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields.

By Patrick Serfass

The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), has tapped Charlie Freese, General Motors (GM) top fuel cell executive, to chair its 2011 annual conference and expo.

Toro Co., Bloomington, has been selected by Eden Prairie-based Alliant Techsystems Inc. to help design and build two fuel cell-powered utility vehicles with advanced hydrogen storage technology.

The work is part of a contract awarded to Eden Prairie-based Alliant to coordinate hydrogen storage development efforts for the U.S. Department of Energy. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery later this fall for a 12-month operational demonstration.

Scientists in China and the US have developed a miniature fuel cell that can produce electricity from biological fluids such as blood. The cell could, the researchers suggest, be an autonomous source of power for devices implanted in living tissues, such as medical biosensors.

Jing Zhu, of Tsinghua University in Beijing, and colleagues constructed the fuel cell by coupling two redox enzymes via a nanowire of a polymer composite capable of conducting single protons. Glucose oxidase is tethered to one end of the 200-800nm diameter wire by carbon nanotubes, which improve its stability, while laccase is attached to the other end of the wire. Each end of the wire sits on a gold electrode.

At the anode the glucose, an almost ubiquitous solute in biological fluids, is oxidised, generating protons and electrons. The protons are siphoned away down the nanowire while the electrons are directed around an external circuit to provide an electrical current. At the cathode the protons and electrons are combined with dissolved oxygen to generate water, catalysed by the laccase enzyme. The researchers were able to generate electricity from the fuel cell in human blood and the juice of a watermelon.

‘The nanowire-based fuel cell generates an output power as high as 0.5-3microwatts, and it has been integrated with a set of nanowire based sensors for performing self-powered sensing,’ says Zhu. ‘It shows the feasibility of building self-powered nanodevices for biological sciences, environmental monitoring, defence technology and even personal electronics.’ Zhu adds that different pairs of enzymes could be used depending on the local environment in which the fuel cell is to operate.

Peter Harrop, chairman of the company IDTechEx which carries out research and analysis on energy harvesting technologies, says, ‘This is an interesting initial study of a new approach to energy harvesting in the human body and the power generated appears to be suitable for nanodevices.’ Harrop adds, however, ‘Whether it becomes a commercial prospect depends on adequate life, reliability and cost being demonstrated in further work.’ Nowadays, says Harrop, there is huge interest in implanted medical devices including for drug delivery, sensing vital signs, defibrillation, heart pacemakers and so on. ‘This device may suit the low power end, notably sensors, but there are alternative approaches,’ he adds.

Simon Hadlington

WASHINGTON–The U.S. Fuel Cell Council (USFCC) and the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) announced today they are joining forces to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies.

The newly formed Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) will bring a strong, unified voice to the drive for clean energy. The merger of the industry’s leading advocacy organizations will deliver an integrated strategy to the industry and a singular message to stakeholders: fuel cells and hydrogen are integral components of our clean energy portfolio.

The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association’s membership represents the entire supply chain for the delivery of these clean energy solutions. The organization will be led by President and Executive Director, Ruth Cox, and headquartered in Washington, D.C.

“Bringing the two organizations together to form the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association will give us the critical mass necessary to help shape the clean energy agenda,” said Cox. “Study after study has shown that fuel cells and hydrogen are essential to meeting our environmental, economic, energy and national security goals.”

Current users of fuel cells include some of the country’s most prominent brands, like Coca-Cola, Google, FedEx, Walmart, eBay, Sheraton, Hilton, Staples, Verizon and Sprint.

“Fuel cells are the cleanest, most-efficient and unobtrusive way to harness the power of hydrogen,” said Mike Hicks, FCHEA co-chairman and fuel cell engineer at Idatech, LLC. “The FCHEA will focus on supporting growth in early markets and commercializing fuel cells and hydrogen energy wherever they can add value to the 21^st century’s clean energy architecture.”

“The merger of the USFCC and NHA was market and member driven,” said Mike McGowan, FCHEA co-chairman and head of strategic alliances for Linde, LLC’s Alternative Energy Team. “The issues affecting the fuel cell and hydrogen industries are inevitably linked. Without mass deployments of fuel cells, the market for hydrogen as a fuel is limited – and without a hydrogen refueling infrastructure, the ability to operate many types of fuel cells is limited.“

As a result of the merger, the National Hydrogen Association’s premier annual conference, scheduled for February 13-16, 2011 in the Washington, D.C. area, is being renamed the “Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy 2011 Conference and Expo.” The conference is entitled “Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Pathway to Our Clean Energy Economy,” and will feature high profile speakers, such as policy makers, corporate leaders, and independent energy strategists. The expo will provide an opportunity to “kick the tires” of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell products.

The websites for the USFCC and NHA will be accessible directly and through the new organization’s website, which can be found at www.fchea.org. For more information, please contact Sanderson Hull at Sanderson@usfcc.com or (202) 293-5500 x15.

About the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association:

The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is the world’s premier advocacy organization dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. Its membership represents the full spectrum of the supply chain, including universities, government laboratories and agencies, fuel cell materials, component and system manufacturers, hydrogen producers, fuel distributors, utilities and other end users.

About Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Energy Technologies:

Fuel cells and hydrogen energy systems function as energy servers. As such, they supply power in a broad range of applications:

• Generating efficient, clean and reliable power from existing domestic fuels, like natural gas and coal
• Converting and storing renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind, as hydrogen to power fuel cell electric vehicles, materials handling equipment or other fuel cell applications, or to generate electricity for the grid during peak hours
• Turning waste gas from landfills, wastewater treatment plants and biomass into clean, efficient power
• The ability to scale to power anything – from handheld devices, to vehicles, to buildings, to central power stations
• Playing a vital role – through distributed generation – in meeting the growing demand from business, government and residential users either on-site or at the grid’s edge, thereby increasing efficiency and easing grid congestion

Grant Will Have Major Impact on Advancing Columbia’s Growing Knowledge Economy

Columbia, S.C. – Today Congressman James Clyburn joined officials from EngenuitySC, The University of South Carolina, The City of Columbia, and SCRA for a major announcement at the University’s Horizon I Future FuelsTM building located on the InnovistaTM campus . Clyburn announced a $3.6 M grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is the research and development office for the Department of Defense, to support research and commercialization of the next generation of fuel flexible fuel cells for portable applications.

“I am an outspoken advocate for alternative energy development, which is why I was eager to support this innovative fuel cell research,” said U.S. Congressman Clyburn. “I am very proud that this important research will be conducted in our state and that we will contribute to providing clean energy solutions for our nation,” he added.

“We are proud and thankful for Congressman Clyburn’s continued leadership in advancing the clean energy industry and for his commitment to the state of South Carolina,” said Neil McLean, executive director of EngenuitySC. “This will be a major step toward enhancing the region’s innovation and commercialization pipeline for hydrogen and fuel cell technology,” he continued.

The project will be an innovative industry/university collaboration involving applied research at the University, product development with private sector partners and technical assistance through ATI, an affiliate of SCRA. The research will work to identify novel fuel cell applications for portable power applications within the Department of Defense (DoD) that can be deployed into both the military and commercial marketplace.

“SCRA is proud to be a founding member of the USC-Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative and looks forward to leveraging its leadership in applied research and commercialization on this project,” said Bill Mahoney, CEO of SCRA.

All of the work will be performed in the three new research labs at the Horizon I Future FuelsTM facility on the InnovistaTM campus, with more than $1 M of investment in Horizon I’s world class facilities and equipment. Five new research, engineering and post-doc staff from the Future FuelsTM team will be added to the project.

The project will be led by three of the University’s endowed chairs: Dr. Brian Benicewicz, endowed chair for polymer nanocomposites; Dr. Jochen Lauterbach, endowed chair for strategic environmental approaches to electricity production from coal; and Dr. Kenneth Reifsnider, endowed chair and director of the University’s solid oxide fuel cell program. This project will mark the first major research collaboration between these three endowed chairs.

“The University of South Carolina is dedicated to supporting the research and development of future fuels, and we thank Congressman Clyburn for his vision in advancing this mission,” said Dr. Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina. “Discovery and innovation are at the heart of the knowledge economy, and USC and Innovista are committed to advancing South Carolina’s economic prosperity.”

“Building our knowledge-based economy through unique collaborations like this is key to our vision of making Columbia the most talented, educated, and entrepreneurial city in the Southeast if not America,” said Steve Benjamin, mayor of the City of Columbia and chair of EngenuitySC.

About EngenuitySC
EngenuitySC is a public/private partnership focused on developing and growing the Columbia, South Carolina’s knowledge-based economy. Comprised of leaders from business, government and higher education, EngenuitySC fosters an environment where entrepreneurship, innovation, and the creation of knowledge are fundamental elements of our region’s culture, identity, and economic development strategy. Further information is available online at www.Engenuitysc.com

ITM Power, the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Building Research Establishment (“BRE”) to progress it’s development of hydrogen technology for the built environment.

Work will focus on renewable hydrogen energy systems for low energy homes. Residential energy demands (for power, heat and cooking) will be met by combining renewable power, electrolysis, energy storage and hydrogen utilisation technologies. By integrating the design of hydrogen energy systems into the building design process, ITM Power and BRE will identify built environment solutions that are truly green. It is expected that zero carbon footprint home designs and a demonstration home will result from the collaboration.

Graham Cooley, Chief Executive Officer of ITM Power commented: “We are delighted to be working with the Building Research Establishment to develop very low carbon footprint energy systems for the built environment”

Martin Watson, Development Director of BRE commented: “We are pleased to be working with ITM Power on the development of this exciting new approach for achieving zero-carbon homes. It is important that the building industry considers decarbonisation pathways based on renewable hydrogen and ITM Power’s expertise and technology in this area will be essential to that process”.

About BRE

BRE helps government, industry and business to meet the challenges of our built environment. Today’s need to combat climate change, and the significant economic and social issues we now face, are no exceptions. BRE is an independent and impartial, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, offering expertise in every aspect of the built environment and associated industries. We help clients create better, safer and more sustainable products, buildings, communities and businesses – and we support the innovation needed to achieve this.

About ITM Power

ITM Power is committed to clean sustainable energy solutions based around water electrolysis. The Company’s principal motivation is to engineer zero-carbon hydrogen energy systems that provide energy security and independence from fossil fuels.

ITM Power’s electrolyser and fuel cell technologies have the potential to become the cornerstones of a future hydrogen economy based on ‘green’ hydrogen. Our hydrogen systems are able to convert renewable energy to a clean fuel that can be indefinitely stored for use in transport, residential and industrial applications.

ITM Power has grown from its original platform of novel polymeric electrolytes (for water electrolysis and hydrogen fuel cells) to that of a technology provider. ITM Power now has both a strong base of intellectual property and engineering expertise for providing complete hydrogen solutions.

BEAVERTON, Ore.–Hydra Fuel Cell Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Security Resources Corporation (OTCQB: ARSC), announced today that Liberty Towers, LLC will be receiving the first commercial installation of a HydraStax® fuel cell.

Jim Twedt, CEO of Hydra, stated, “We are working with Liberty on the pre-delivery site engineering and installation details right now and expect to ship sometime in the next several weeks, with installation to follow shortly thereafter.”

Michael Hofe, President and COO of Liberty Towers, stated, “Liberty is excited to work with Hydra Fuel Cell Corporation and their PEM based fuel cell product, as part of our off-grid solutions program, to select back-up and primary power solutions to support tower operations during emergency conditions or as an overall grid replacement for remote tower sites that have no reasonable possibility of securing grid power. We believe Hydra’s highly scalable fuel cell solutions can provide us the ability to cost effectively employ off-grid solutions, while controlling costs.”

Liberty Towers, LLC

Liberty Towers is a communications tower company which develops, acquires and manages wireless communications towers in the continental United States. Liberty is headquartered in the greater Washington, DC area. For more information, please see: www.libertytowers.com

Volvo Cars is now taking the next step towards next-generation electric car technology. Backed by research support from the Swedish Energy Agency the company is initiating development of a fuel cell that can extend the electric car’s operating range without any carbon dioxide emissions.

The aim is to have two prototype chassis based on the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric ready for testing in everyday traffic in 2012.

“This is an exciting expansion of our focus on electrification. Battery cost and size means that all-electric cars still have a relatively limited operating range. Fuel cells may be one way of extending the distance these cars can cover before they need to be recharged. What is more, the project gives us increased knowledge about fuel cells and hydrogen gas,” says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stefan Jacoby.

Volvo Cars is working together with the company Powercell Sweden AB on this project. In the first phase, a preliminary study is being conducted into what is known as a Range Extender, which consists of a fuel cell with a reformer. The task of the reformer is to break down a liquid fuel, in this case petrol, and create hydrogen gas. In the fuel cell, this hydrogen gas is converted into electrical energy, which is used to power the car’s electric motor.

The technology generates electricity completely without any emissions of carbon oxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particles.  Due to the highly efficient process, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are significantly reduced compared with a conventional vehicle. The end products are electricity, water and a small amount of carbon dioxide.

The technology also can be adapted for renewable fuels.

Significantly increased operating range
This technology is expected to increase the electric car’s operating range by up to 250 kilometres – in addition to the range provided by the car’s battery pack. The fuel cell industry expects that the cost efficiency will improve continuously through refined technology and large-scale production.

In the next phase, pending support from the Swedish Energy Agency, Volvo Cars and Powercell will produce two test cars based on the current Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric. Testing of the cars will begin in 2012.

“We have just taken the first steps and it is naturally too early to talk about market introduction of electric cars with Range Extenders. The industrial decision will come after we have learned more about fuel cells and the opportunities they offer,” says Stefan Jacoby.

UK clean power systems company continues global expansion strategy with new presence in India

BANGALORE, INDIA–Intelligent Energy, the global clean power systems company, has today announced the establishment of Intelligent Energy India Private Ltd. as its Bangalore, India based business liaison office. Intelligent Energy is now actively seeking partners to deploy its clean hydrogen fuel cell power systems and hydrogen generation technologies in the backup power, automotive and defence markets.

Intelligent Energy India Private Ltd. will be led by Murali Arikara who was promoted to the position of EVP for Emerging Markets earlier this year. Arikara previously held the role of VP of US Operations, responsible for leading Intelligent Energy’s US business from its delivery site in Long Beach, California.

“Intelligent Energy sees the opening of a business liaison office in India as the next logical step towards building on its existing portfolio of business and further exploring the tremendous opportunity that exists in the region,” explained Arikara. “India has already begun to embrace clean technology to address its own environmental and energy security challenges. In partnership with companies like Intelligent Energy, the country is in a prime position to develop technologies that can have an impact globally.”

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Intelligent Energy has partnered internationally with leading companies across a range of industry sectors including Boeing, Scottish & Southern Energy plc and The Suzuki Motor Corporation. The company has recently received worldwide recognition for its role as lead partner in a consortium to deliver a fleet of zero emission Fuel Cell Hybrid Black Cabs onto the roads of London in time for 2012.

“The opening of Intelligent Energy India Private Ltd. is a momentous move for Intelligent Energy. The speed with which India has deployed new infrastructures such as cell phone telephony has been particularly striking. These require clean, efficient power and demand the forging of different partnerships to deliver and scale-up commercially. We have a proven track record working in partnership with large international Blue Chip multinationals and having worked quietly to develop this market, it is now time to come out of “stealth mode” and state clearly that we aim to assist India in positioning itself as a leading ‘global partner’ for clean technology,” said Dr Henri Winand, Chief Executive, Intelligent Energy.

About Intelligent Energy

Intelligent Energy is a clean power systems company, with a range of leading fuel cell and hydrogen generation technologies. The company is focused on the provision of cleaner power and low carbon technologies. Intelligent Energy partners with leading companies globally, in the transportation, oil and gas, aerospace, defence, distributed generation and portable power markets. Current partners and customers include Scottish & Southern Energy plc with whom the company has formed a joint venture to commercialise fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) systems, and The Suzuki Motor Corporation. Intelligent Energy’s successes in recent years include the development of the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell motorbike and supplying the fuel cell system to Boeing which powered the world’s first manned fuel cell aircraft. The company also recently supplied Airbus with a multi-functional fuel cell auxiliary power unit (APU) aimed at on-board power and other loads in future commercial airliners.

Columbia, SC (AP) — U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn is announcing a federal grant aimed at helping fund fuel cell research at the University of South Carolina.

The university says the Democrat is in Columbia on Wednesday to participate in the announcement of the grant for EngenuitySC.

Organizers say EngenuitySC is a public-private partnership that aims to encourage entrepreneurship. The university is part of the group’s consortium for conducting research and development of fuel cells.

Clyburn faces Republican Jim Pratt and Green Party candidate Nammu Muhammad on Nov. 2 in a bid for a 10th term from South Carolina’s 6th District.

Third Local Authority Joins HOST

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce that Southampton City Council has signed an agreement to participate in the Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) of ITM Power’s transportable high pressure refueling unit (HFuel), becoming the third English local authority to join the trials. The HFuel unit was built with support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and launched at the Company’s AGM on 15^th September 2010.

Southampton is often referred to as the “Home of the Transit” as commercial Transit vehicles are manufactured nearby at Ford’s plant at Swaythling. Southampton City Council has an environmental strategy targeting air quality improvements from transport and increasing the use of renewable energy. The Council’s Carbon Reduction policy includes a target to reduce CO2emissions by 40% by 2020. In 2009/10 alone an impressive reduction of 7.5% was achieved, including 400 tonnes through an LED traffic light replacement programme.

Commenting for ITM Power, CEO Graham Cooley said: “We are very pleased to welcome Southampton City Council as our third local authority to our HOST programme.  Their assessment of our energy storage: clean fuel technology, for decarbonising return to base logistics fleet vehicles, will provide ITM Power with exceptionally useful data in the urban and suburban environment.”

Lorraine Brown, Executive Director of Environment for Southampton City Council, added: “This is a win-win for Southampton as we strive to make the city exemplary in its standards of air quality, whilst promoting the local production of clean transport technology.  We are particularly pleased to support ITM Power in the trialling of its Transportable High Pressure Hydrogen Refuelling Station, such initiatives will be invaluable in pursuing our carbon reduction targets. It is also especially appropriate for ITM’s hydrogen trials to be undertaken using vehicles that were manufactured in the city of Southampton.”

About HOST

HOST will begin in 2011, and comprises the operation and refueling of two Revolve Technologies hydrogen Ford Transit vehicles, with hydrogen produced on site at the point of use, at sites operated by participating companies and in the Gateway to London development area.  Southampton City Council joins local authorities Sheffield City Council and the London Borough of Camden, DHL Supply Chain, London Stansted Airport, The Forestry Commission, Scottish Water, SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy), Vestas Wind Systems AS, Scottish Police Services Authority and Center Parcs who have already joined the programme.

HOST provides each partner with a one week free trial of HFuel and the Revolve HICE transit vehicles, and an option to lease both HFuel and vehicles for additional week(s). The demonstrations are 100% managed and operated by ITM personnel in liaison with site owners’ operations and management.

As part of the HOST programme ITM Power is actively seeking both technical partners interested in storing renewable energy, and commercial partners seeking to trial zero carbon fleets.

For further information please visit www.itm-power.com

MIAMI, FL–Xynergy Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) (PINKSHEETS: XYNH). The preliminary testing of a second generation fuel cell offers promising results. While powering the engine of a Ford 7.3 liter diesel truck a modest gain in fuel efficiency was experienced. CEO JC Ley comments, “Our development team felt that fuel efficiency could improve between the hydrogen cell and diesel engine so further development was conducted. During this time, small flaws were discovered that inhibited the fuel cell from working at its maximum performance level.” Further analysis pointed to possible engine imperfections. The engine is being overhauled in order to dismiss any doubts or questions about its performance capabilities. This is expected to be completed within the coming weeks. Testing will then resume after the normal engine break- in period. Ley continues, “This is an R & D project, and as such, it involves trial and error. If it was easily attainable, I suspect many people would have already capitalized on this technology. We understand the value of alternative fuels and their contribution, not only to the future of our planet, but to the economic impact it could represent for our shareholders as well. For this reason, the plan is to continue to forge forward with our best efforts to complete this hydrogen fuel cell project, while at the same time, pursuing other revenue generating opportunities.”

LATHAM, N.Y. – Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, today announced that it has licensed the intellectual property (IP) relating to its stationary power products, GenCore^® and GenSys^®, to IdaTech plc on a non-exclusive basis. As part of the transaction, Plug Power also sold inventory, equipment and certain other assets related to its stationary power business. Plug Power currently has over 140 patents and maintains ownership of, and the right to use, the patents and other intellectual property licensed to IdaTech. Total consideration for the licensing and assets was $5 million.

GenCore and GenSys are stationary backup and prime power sources, respectively, for telecommunication sites around the world. GenCore, a direct hydrogen-fueled product, gives wireless providers reliable, onsite power, increasing subscriber uptime in the case of lost power. GenSys, a liquid petroleum gas-fueled system, integrates state-of-the-art reforming technology to provide wireless providers with a prime power source in remote areas of the world where the electrical grid infrastructure is non-existent or unreliable.

Both products were proven as the most reliable and commercially-viable in the stationary power market. Leveraging its strong IP portfolio while staying consistent to its business strategy, Plug Power views this transaction as an important agreement for forward progress of the fuel cell industry. Currently, Plug Power remains committed to its core material handling business, where its GenDrive™ product is replacing lead-acid batteries in large distribution centers for customers such as Walmart, BMW and Sysco.

“This agreement with IdaTech is a success for Plug Power, IdaTech, and the fuel cell industry as a whole,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. “As companies cooperate to jointly develop and commercialize the fuel cell industry, improvements across the board will be recognized, most significantly in the developing supply chain for fuel cell components. These types of agreements will continue to help drive down price and improve reliability in order achieve standardization for the industry.”

Brunnthal/Munich, Germany–SFC Energy AG, technology and market leader for mobile and off-grid power solutions based on fuel cells, is announcing the availability of its fuel cells systems on GSA Schedule GS-07F-0149T through MaxaVision Technologies. MaxaVision Technologies is an authorized GSA distributor of high performance, reliable, approved equipment for all branches of the US military and government law enforcement agencies for a variety of tactical, surveillance and force protection applications. The availability of SFC products on GSA  through MaxaVision Technologies simplifies the procurement of SFC fuel cells systems and solutions for all government organizations. SFC fuel cell products offer reliable, off-grid energy supply for defense and security applications and are already in use by leading defense and governmental organizations as a reliable, non-detectable, lightweight mobile source of power.

“We are delighted to be able to offer SFC solutions on GSA  through MaxaVision”, says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG. “The fact that our products are now easily and simply available for Defense and Government agencies shows that our products and technology are leading the way when it comes to silent, lightweight and emission-free off-grid power supply with simplified logistics. With our products we are making a significant contribution to increase in safety and security whether it is in the field or in remote locations”.

“We look forward to offer SFC’s advanced fuel cell products on our schedule. There are broad ranging applications for this unique energy source with our existing and future GSA customers”, stated Lester Limerick, MaxaVision’s President.

Having sold over 19,000 fully commercialised fuel cells for leisure, industry and defense markets worldwide, SFC Energy offers reliable, lightweight and zero-emission energy supply for off-grid applications. With the portable energy network consisting of JENNY fuel cell and SFC Power Manager, the new JENNY ND Terra for covert operations or the mobile EMILY 2200 fuel cell for vehicle-based operations, SFC Energy ensures that soldiers and operators of off-grid security devices have a dependable electricity supply for their electrical devices even in remote locations. SFC solutions have met rigorous military requirements and are in field use by NATO- and Partnership for Peace organisations in Europe and the US for years. Moreover, SFC Energy has received prestigious awards such as first and third place in U.S. Defense Department’s Wearable Power Competition 2008, and the 2009 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award.

More information at www.sfc.com

SFC Energy will demonstrate its product portfolio at AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C., USA, German Pavilion, booth 960, October 25-27, 2010.

Demonstration Program Proceeding Toward Hydrogen-Fueled Flight Test Phase

WASHINGTON-- AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV) today announced that the first aircraft developed under the Global Observer(tm) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program has successfully completed initial flight testing consisting of multiple low-altitude flights at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California. This initial flight test phase of the demonstration program employed batteries to power the hybrid-electric aircraft and to approximate full aircraft weight and center of gravity for flight control, performance and responsiveness evaluation.

The program team has installed and is currently ground testing the aircraft’s innovative, hydrogen-fueled generator and liquid hydrogen fuel tanks which will power it through stratospheric, extreme endurance flights during the joint operational utility assessment phase of the program.

“These successful flights validated Global Observer’s airworthiness, and represent critical milestones as the team proceeds toward demonstrating stratospheric, extreme endurance operations,” said Tim Conver, AV’s president and chief executive officer. “The liquid-hydrogen fueled flight test series will be historic for AV and the JCTD team as Global Observer moves closer to demonstrating mission-readiness and supporting our troops whenever and wherever needed.”

The initial test flights took place during the months of August and September and have succeeded in achieving the primary objectives of the low altitude flight test program. The primary objectives for initial flight testing were to test guidance, manual and autonomous controls, navigation, structural performance, thrust levels and handling in various winds and turbulence conditions.

AV also has successfully operated Global Observer’s hydrogen-fueled generator for more than 1,500 hours in a specialized environmental chamber, including an uninterrupted 7-day mission cycle. The chamber subjects the generator to the range of temperatures, pressures and air densities that the aircraft will experience during the climb, loiter and descent stages of high altitude missions. Successful wing load tests performed in August validated the Global Observer wing at its load limit.

AV is developing the Global Observer unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to be the first to provide robust, cost-effective and persistent communications and surveillance over any location. Six U.S. government agencies have provided funding for the JCTD program.

Global Observer is designed to address an urgent national security need for a persistent stratospheric platform and to offer a means to satisfy numerous high value civil and commercial applications. The system is intended to provide mission capabilities that include robust observation over areas with little or no existing coverage, persistent communications relay, the ability to relocate the system as required by theater commanders, dedicated communications support to other UAS and tactical on-station weather monitoring and data support. Because of its extreme endurance the Global Observer system can be based out-of-theater, reducing costs, supply chain requirements and potential risk to operational personnel.

About Global Observer
With 20 years of experience developing stratospheric, long-endurance unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), AV is developing Global Observer to operate as a “stratospheric geosynchronous satellite system” with regional coverage and minimal signal delay. Two Global Observer aircraft, each flying for up to a week at a time, will alternate coverage over any area on the earth, providing a seamless, persistent platform for high value missions such as communications relay, remote sensing, long-term surveillance border patrol. Offering greater flexibility than a satellite and significantly longer duration than conventional manned and unmanned aircraft, Global Observer is designed to provide critical new capabilities in a reliable and more affordable manner, all while consuming no fossil fuels and emitting no carbon emissions.

Each aircraft in a Global Observer system is designed to fly at an altitude of between 55,000 and 65,000 feet for 5 to 7 days. In addition to flying above weather and above other conventional airplanes, operation in this altitude range means that sensor payloads on the aircraft will be able to view a circular area on the surface of the earth up to 600 miles in diameter, equivalent to more than 280,000 square miles of coverage. Equipped with payloads that are readily available today, two Global Observer aircraft would alternate coverage over any location on the globe, making this the first solution to provide customers with practical, seamless coverage, wherever and whenever required.

Billerica, MA – Nuvera Fuel Cells, leading provider of fuel cell and hydrogen generation products, announced today that Robert Schafer has joined the alternative energy company as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In this position Schafer will head the sales and marketing group within Nuvera, with a primary focus on the material handling and logistics sectors. As a member of the senior management group he will work closely within the team to formulate and guide the company�s policies and strategies.

Schafer has a long history of successful operations, marketing, sales, and management experience in logistics and material handling. Previously, he spent over 14 years with NACCO, a leading manufacturer of forklifts and industrial equipment, as Managing Director of National Account Sales and Vice President, National Accounts and Government Sales. His extensive experience in fleet management, strategic relationship development and retail operations are a welcome addition to Nuvera�s existing sales and marketing team.

�We are very pleased with the addition of Robert to the leadership team at Nuvera,� commented Roberto Cordaro, President and CEO. �His breadth and depth of industry knowledge, combined with his strong leadership skills, will help us succeed as we enter the logistics market with exciting productivity-enhancing solutions.�

Nuvera Fuel Cells is a global leader in the development of fuel cell systems and fuel processors for both end users and OEMs. With offices located in the U.S. and Europe, Nuvera provides clean, safe, and efficient products for industrial vehicles and equipment in addition to furthering the development of power systems for automotive and transportation applications. Visit www.nuvera.com for more information.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the release of a draft version of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Plan. This document outlines the strategy, activities, and plans of DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program, which is part of DOE’s diverse efforts for addressing the critical energy challenges facing the nation. It is initially published as a draft to solicit feedback from relevant stakeholders, with a final version to be published in FY 2011. Comments may be submitted through November 30, 2010, to DOEH2ProgramPlan@ee.doe.gov.

The plan describes the Program’s activities—which are conducted to overcome the technical, institutional, and economic barriers to the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for transportation, stationary, and portable applications. The plan also identifies the specific obstacles that each Program activity addresses, the strategies employed, key milestones, and future plans for both individual activities and the Program as a whole. The plan updates and expands upon previous editions of the Hydrogen Posture Plan, issued in 2006 and 2004, and continues to serve the purposes for which those documents were developed. It reflects the significant progress and changes that have taken place within DOE and the broader research community to date.

After the final version is published, the Program will continue to periodically revise the plan, along with the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) plans of participating program offices, to reflect technological progress, programmatic changes, policy decisions, and updates based on external reviews.

With its efficiency declining, the fuel cell at Santa Barbara’s El Estero Wastewater Plant is likely to be replaced with a more reliable internal combustion generator.

The Public Works Department will recommend at today’s Santa Barbara City Council meeting that the city terminate its current Power Purchase Agreement with Alliance Monterey, LLC. after several attempts to fix the efficiency issues failed.

The fuel cell, which produces electricity by converting methane into electrical current, was installed in 2004 to improve the energy efficiency of the wastewater plant.

The plant, which is the city’s biggest consumer of electricity, generates enough methane to provide approximately 500 kilowatts of electricity—enough to provide about half of the plant’s electricity needs. The city agreed to let Alliance Monterey install the fuel cell at the company’s expense in exchange for selling the city electricity from the cell at a discount from what the city would normally pay the utility.

“It was a really good idea,” Jim Dewey, energy manager for the City of Santa Barbara, said. “But it was really kind of a pilot project experiment to see if fuel cells could really work with this kind of gas.”

Fuel cell technology had not yet been widely tested in a real production plant but the cell seemed to work initially. As time went by, however, the efficiency began to drop.

Tests showed that the chemical composition of the gas being produced by the wastewater plant contained impurities that eroded the function of the cell.

Attempts were made to compensate, but a type of sulfur in the gas proved too difficult to eliminate due to the low concentration needed to corrode parts of cell.

“To clean up a component like this at the parts-per-billion level is very difficult,” Dewey said. “And I don’t think they fully understood what could happen with that.”

Efficiency dropped to nearly 5% of its total capacity and it was decided that the fuel cell needed to be replaced.

The fuel cell wasn’t considered a total failure.

“The city didn’t put up any money, so the city’s not out of anything,” Dewey said. “We’ve learned a lot of things from the process like how much gas was produced, the quality of gas, and we can move forward at this point with a lot more knowledge…it wasn’t a wasted effort.”

And methane internal combustion units, which generate electricity by rotating a turbine with combustion force, have a proven track record in waste management facilities.

“It’s a technology that’s been in use at wastewater facilities for years,” Dewey said. “So we feel good about the project.”

City Council member Dale Francisco agrees.

“No matter what the technology you use,” he said, “being able to generate electricity onsite for the city’s single largest electricity user from gas that would otherwise just be burned off, that’s a big win.”

Das Williams also believes it illustrates the value of advancing renewable energy.

“We’ve made huge strides in the last few years,” he said. “And created a lot of jobs by investing in alternative energy and saved a lot of money.”

Fuel-cell cars will cost the same as the equivalent hybrid or range-entender by 2025, according to GM expert George Hansen.

Speaking to Autocar, Hansen predicted that huge cost reductions brought about by advances in materials and the volumes being produced will significantly drop the manufacturing cost of hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

Read Autocar’s first drive of the Chevrolet Volt

By 2025 infrastructure will have improved to the point where hydrogen filling stations will be commonplace too, especially in hydrogen-advanced regions such as Germany, Korea, Japan and California.

Key to the fuel-cell cost reductions is the amount of ultra-expensive platinum used in the powertrain. Current fuel-cell cars such as GM’s Equinox SUV use around 80g of the precious metal, whereas Hansen is predicting that by 2025 it will be reduced to around 2g – a similar amount to that currently used in a catalytic convertor.

Read more on GM’s expansion in China

GM plans to put a fuel-cell car on general sale before then though in 2015. This so-called second-generation system will be both half the weight and size of the one being used in the Equinox. As such it can be made far more cheaply and be used to power a smaller car, possibly a small Chevy Volt-sized saloon. This system will also use just 30g of platinum.

GM engineers claim to have tested fuel-cell cars more than any other manufacturer. Engineers have now completed over two million kilometres in testing, using 100 different cars, mainly the Equinox (pictured). Prospective customers have also had them on test for three-month stints in order to give feedback.

DATELINE: SOUTHBOROUGH, MA; Protonex Technology Corporation (”Protonex” or “the Company”), a leading provider of advanced portable power solutions, today announced that it has received a $3.0 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for the development of its next generation soldier-worn portable power managers (SPMs), which dramatically reduce a soldier’s logistics burden by minimizing the number and type of batteries a soldier must carry.

Under the terms of this 18-month AFRL contract, Protonex will continue to advance the capabilities of its portable soldier power manager products by delivering reduced size and weight, increased reliability, usability, efficiency, and further ruggedization while reducing its overall costs. The resulting products will automatically and safely maintain power to critical soldier-portable devices and will facilitate the recharging of batteries in a safe manner from a variety of sources.

Protonex’ soldier power managers are small, lightweight and easy-to-use power management systems designed to dramatically reduce the number and variety of batteries needed by a soldier, while actively monitoring and managing power usage to assure mission success. These unique systems combine leading edge advances in ultra-high efficiency power conversion, equipment power management, solar power support and energy harvesting technology to charge batteries and simultaneously power radios, computers and other portable military gear. This enables the military to more efficiently use any available field energy source to power virtually any piece of portable electronic gear.

“We are very pleased that, with the continued support of the AFRL, we are able to build upon our current power management capability and products. This will allow us to expand our power management product set. Our power managers are universal, plug-and-play power solutions for our military customers, addressing both on- and off-mission requirements.” stated Greg Cipriano, VP, Marketing and Business Development for Protonex. “These unique systems deliver specific portable power capabilities historically unavailable to the soldier and further complement our growing product portfolio for diverse military portable power applications.”

About Protonex Technology Corporation

www.protonex.com

Protonex develops and manufactures compact, lightweight, high-performance portable power solutions in the 100 to 1000-watt range. These solutions incorporate advanced, proprietary power electronics and fuel cell technology. Our product family is designed to meet the needs of military, commercial and consumer customers for a wide range of off-grid power applications. The Company is headquartered in Southborough, Massachusetts.

ITM Power (AIM: ITM), the energy storage and clean fuel company, is pleased to announce that Center Parcs has signed an agreement to participate in the Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) of ITM Power’s transportable high pressure refueling unit (HFuel). The HFuel unit was built with support from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and was launched at the Company’s AGM on 15 September 2010.

Center Parcs is the UK’s leading short break holiday operator with four 400 acre holiday villages. The ITM Power HOST trial will form part of a wider project launched by Center Parcs to investigate its own energy usage and to research energy sourcing alternatives.

Commenting for ITM Power, CEO Graham Cooley said: “Center Parcs provides a perfect demonstration of return to base commercial fleet refuelling. We are delighted that an organisation like Center Parcs with such a strong commitment to environmental protection and air quality has joined HOST. Center Parcs are pioneering the leisure industry’s early adoption of clean technology”

Chris Brooks, Sustainability Manager, Center Parcs, added: “Center Parcs is committed to seeking new ways of minimising its environmental impact. We are excited about being involved in this trial and the HOST scheme is just one of many initiatives we are considering as part of our ongoing sustainability strategy.”

About HOST

HOST will begin in 2011, and comprises the operation and refuelling of two Revolve Technologies hydrogen Ford Transit vehicles, with hydrogen produced on site at the point of use, at sites operated by participating companies and in the Gateway to London development area.  Center Parcs joins DHL Supply Chain, London Stansted Airport, The Forestry Commission, Scottish Water, SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy), Vestas Wind Systems AS, the Scottish Police Services Authority and local authorities Sheffield City Council and the London Borough of Camden who have already joined the programme.

HOST provides each partner with a one week free trial of HFuel and the Revolve HICE transit vehicles, and an option to lease both HFuel and vehicles for additional week(s). The demonstrations are 100% managed and operated by ITM Power personnel in liaison with site owners’ operations and management.  As part of the HOST programme ITM Power is actively seeking both technical partners interested in storing renewable energy, and commercial partners seeking to trial zero carbon fleets.

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. and ELMSFORD, N.Y.– Coca-Cola Refreshments USA (CCR) today announced that operations at its Elmsford, New York production facility are being powered by two UTC Power fuel cells.  UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. company (NYSE: UTX), installed and is operating two PureCell® Model 400 fuel cell systems that provide 35 percent of the electricity and heat required by the facility. The clean, efficient power plants will help the Company lower its energy costs and further its sustainability efforts, specifically around energy conservation and water stewardship.

A ceremony to commission the fuel cells was attended by leaders from Coca-Cola Refreshments USA and UTC Power, and representatives of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which provided funding to support Coca-Cola’s fuel cell project.

“By producing clean power on-site with fuel cells, Coca-Cola Refreshments will reduce the amount of electricity drawn from the utility grid, which will result in less air pollution and greater water savings,” said Neal Montany, director of UTC Power stationary fuel cell business.  ”UTC Power is delighted to be associated with CCR and we are proud that our fuel cells are helping CCR achieve its sustainability goals.”

The UTC Power fuel cells on-site at CCR are capable of operating independent of the local utility power company.  If there’s a large-scale power outage in the Elmsford area, the fuel cells will allow select operations to continue at the facility, while grid power is being restored.  

Fuel cells are one of the cleanest energy-generation sources available in the world and meet the strictest U.S. emission standards. Highly energy efficient and virtually pollution-free, fuel cells produce electricity, heat and water through an electrochemical process.  Coca-Cola Refreshments will prevent the release of more than 2,635 metric tons of carbon dioxide and more than 4 metric tons of nitrogen oxide emissions by using the fuel cells instead of non-base load utility power plants.  

With its proven phosphoric acid-based fuel cell technology, the Model 400 boasts an industry best 20-year product life with a 10-year stack life, overall system efficiency of up to 90 percent, and is designed to operate in water-balance — no consumption or discharge of water in normal operations — saving millions of gallons of water when compared to central generation and other fuel cell technologies.

“Coca-Cola is focusing on implementing green innovations and initiatives to reduce our Company’s overall environmental footprint at each step of our operations,” said John Lacey, Sales Center Manager.  ”Use of these fuel cell systems at our Elmsford facility is one way in which we are working to achieve our 2020 environmental goals.”  

Coca-Cola has demonstrated a strong commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability in New York and at facilities outside of New York.  The company recently signed a contract to install two more UTC Power fuel cells at its bottling plant in East Hartford, Conn.

“Coca-Cola Refreshments is to be commended for working to reduce its environmental impact by choosing clean, efficient fuel cells to support its Elmsford operations,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “As NYSERDA works to assist companies seeking cleaner fuel options, we hope Coca-Cola’s use of innovative fuel cell technologies will serve as a model for industries and manufacturers all across New York State.” 

About Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Together with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com

About UTC Power

UTC Power is part of United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which provides energy-efficient products and services to the aerospace and building industries.  UTC is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index each year since it was launched in 1999. Based in South Windsor, Conn., UTC Power is the world leader in developing and producing fuel cells that generate energy for buildings and for transportation, space and defense applications.  For more information, please visit www.utcpower.com.

About NYSERDA

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), offers innovative programs, technical expertise and funding to help consumers increase energy efficiency and save money while helping businesses create clean energy solutions.  NYSERDA professionals use an objective, multi-faceted approach to help New Yorkers reduce energy consumption, increase the use of renewable energy, protect our environment and create clean energy jobs.  A public benefit corporation, NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in NY since 1975.