FuelCellsWorks

Munich. 22 new hydrogen refuelling stations opened worldwide in 2010, increasing the total number to 212. This is the result of the third annual assessment by H2stations.org, a website of TÜV SÜD and Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik (LBST). Another 127 refuelling stations are in the planning stage around the world.

The announcement by the international automotive industry to offer fuel-cell cars for sale in 2015 triggered extensive preparations for building up a closely meshed hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. “However, preparations have not yet resulted in definite announcements, and are therefore not yet reflected in the current numbers of refuelling stations”, says Evi Pschorr-Schoberer, Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH. To prepare for the market launch of fuel-cell vehicles, a significant increase in the number of hydrogen refuelling stations will be needed.

TÜV SÜD and LBST offer extensive information and services for professional users and interested members of the public at their hydrogen and fuel-cell portal www.netinform.de/H2. The H2stations.org www.H2stations.org site directs users to interactive maps of all operational, planned or shut-down hydrogen refuelling stations around the world. The database is continuously updated and includes detailed information about 418 refuelling stations that are either already in existence or for which planning is under way.

27 hydrogen refuelling stations were in operation in Germany in 2010 and definite plans have been made for a further 13. Throughout Europe including Germany, eleven new hydrogen refuelling stations took up operations last year, while five new stations opened in the US and another nine will be completed shortly. However, some refuelling stations also closed, so that LBST’s records show the number of hydrogen refuelling stations in operation as 80 each in Europe and the USA and 48 in Asia. The other four refuelling stations are located in Latin America and Australia. In addition to the announced extensions in Japan and Hawaii, definite plans for another 30 new hydrogen refuelling stations across the world have been reported. In this context, the numbers of new hydrogen refuelling stations in North America and Europe are equal, at 13 refuelling stations in each region.

In addition to the H2stations.org site, the hydrogen and fuel cell portal of TÜV SÜD and LBST also includes the www.H2mobility.org website, which offers an overview of all types of hydrogen vehicles since 1807, extensive technical information and a detailed guide to standards and regulations. “The Internet-based database is updated on an ongoing basis and is free for non-commercial users”, explains LBST expert Pschorr-Schoberer. “We also offer more extensive in-depth data and targeted data analysis for our commercial clients.”

Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST) specializes in energy and environmental consultancy. The renowned experts support their international clients from industry, the financial sector, politics and professional associations in all issues arising within the context of technology, strategy and sustainability. LBST’s comprehensive expertise is based on two decades of continuous experience by its interdisciplinary team. The international service group TÜV SÜD has held a minority interest in Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik since 2006. The common goal of the two companies is the safe and cost-effective application of renewable energy carriers.

Further information about Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik and TÜV SÜD can be found on the Internet at www.lbst.de or www.tuev-sued.de respectively.

Media Relations:

Dr. Thomas Oberst
TÜV SÜD AG
Corporate Communications INDUSTRY
Westendstr. 199, 80686 München

Aviva Presser Aiden will use a grant from the Gates Foundation to develop a cell phone charger that could be readily made with "locally available materials, such as window screens and old soda cans." (Photo courtesy of Flickr user Kris Krug.)

Aviva Presser Aiden ‘09 to develop microbial-based cell phone charger to increase access to health care via mobile apps

- Fuel cell system to be powered from renewable bio-gas

- System will provide heat in addition to clean electricity

VANCOUVER– Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) (NASDAQ: BLDP) today announced an agreement to deploy a one-megawatt fuel cell generator that will provide peak electrical power and heat at the Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) sales and marketing headquarters campus in Torrance, California.

Michael Goldstein, Ballard’s Chief Commercial Officer said, “This agreement with Toyota for our CLEARgen(TM) system reaffirms the attractiveness of fuel cell power generation solutions for large-scale needs. The ability to ‘power up’ and ‘power down’, load-follow and dispatch power when required, are all keys to our flexible and reliable grid-scale solutions.”

The CLEARgen(TM) fuel cell system will utilize hydrogen produced by steam-reformation of renewable bio-gas generated at a landfill. Powered by Ballard’s proprietary proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, deployment of the CLEARgen(TM) system will enable Toyota to satisfy peak and mid-peak power needs using electricity from either the fuel cell system or from the power grid.

CLEARgen(TM) will be used to provide power to a number of locations on the multi-building campus, including Toyota and Lexus headquarter buildings, data center operations building and employee fitness centre. It is estimated that the system will facilitate reduced consumption of peak grid power and avoidance of up to 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

“The TMS headquarters campus houses 5,000 associates over 125 acres,” said Mark Yamauchi, TMS Facilities Operations Manager. “The ability to offset peak electricity usage with an emission-free fuel cell system will create significant savings, while reducing our environmental footprint.”

Heat created by the fuel cell system will also be utilized to provide hot water and space heating in the Toyota employee activity center and in the Lexus headquarter building within the office campus. Use of this heat will offset natural gas consumption on campus, thereby avoiding as much as a further 28 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

The system is expected to be commissioned in 2012. Project funding is being provided through California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). A stationary fuel cell power generation platform currently under development at Ballard and financially supported by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), an arm’s-length, not-for-profit corporation created by the Government of Canada, will be used in the TMS campus system.

H2Expo 2011 – low emissions in port and at sea

8th International Conference and Exhibition on Hydrogen
Fuel Cells and Electric Drives at Hamburg Messe

The first fuel cell applications on seagoing vessels will be competitive with diesel engines as early as 2020. A market survey, conducted by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) on “Fuel Cell Systems in Shipping”, explains this mainly by the rise in fuel costs and the introduction of CO2 levies. It shows that specifically high-temperature fuel cells are suitable for efficient, low-emission base load supply on ships. The first maritime applications have been in trial for some time now. The current state of research will be covered by a series of presentations at H2Expo in Hamburg. The 8th International Conference and Exhibition on Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Electric Drives is a forum for intensive know-how transfer in these areas. About 70 experts from 11 countries are expected to attend the specialist conference on 8 and 9 June, to discuss the latest developments in research and application, and to present current projects. The industry will showcase its market-specific products and services at the accompanying exhibition.

The successful application of fuel cell systems in merchant shipping is demonstrated by the Methapu project, a practical trial with methanol powered SOFC modules (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) for onboard power supply for the car transporter MV Undine. Detailed analysis of the project, completed in November, is currently in progress. It is already evident that SOFC technology is capable of handling maritime requirements and that methanol as a fuel is also viable from the safety viewpoint, said Ed Fort of the British ship classification society Lloyd’s Register, adding that Methapu is a “door opener for the use of alternative sustainable energies in shipping.” He will present the international project at a workshop chaired by Dr. Gerd Würsig, a fuel cell expert from GL. The technical and economic potentials of fuel cell systems will be explained in more detail at this session by Finn Vogler, GL.

Important results on the feasibility of this technology are also provided by the Norwegian-Finnish-German Fellowship Project. As Thomas H. Tronstad of the lead company DNV Det Norske Veritas reports, the 320 kW test plant on the tender vessel Viking Lady has completed more than 7000 operating hours in North Sea conditions. There have been no serious problems or even any significant degradation of the MCFC stacks (Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell), which are powered with LNG and mostly operate under continuous load. One of Thomas Tronstad’s aims at the conference is to present the current third phase of this project, integrating fuel cells, gas engines and batteries in a hybrid system. The goal is to keep the ship completely emission-free in port.

First results from the flagship project e4ships are likewise to be discussed at the conference. e4ships is a part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP), and focuses on onboard power supply for shipping. The sub-project SchIBZ is aimed at developing a maritime FC-APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) for diesel fuel. The SchIBZ programme differs from other pilot projects on ships in that it uses a fuel that is basically known and easily available and has the highest possible energy content. “The use of pure hydrogen is not viable at the present time, because there is no acceptable process available to store the hydrogen within a reasonable volume,” explains Keno Leites, Project Manager of Blohm + Voss Naval GmbH, the lead company. Solutions are possible with all the membrane solutions, according to a preliminary study which compares the systems available in the market. But the expense is “unacceptably high” for PEM (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane), especially in comparison with SOFC. “That is why we have decided to use a configuration with SOFC, where the diesel reformer simultaneously acts as a back-up sulphur trap.”

A second e4ships sub-project, Pa-X-ell, studies the use of FC systems on passenger ships. Under the lead management of Meyer Werft, a shipyard based in Papenburg, Germany, it is developing a universally applicable standard energy module which can then be tested in support mode on board. A first module of a high-temperature FC in PEM technology is to be completed in autumn as a prototype with some 20 kW electric output. A 100 to 150 kW unit is then expected to be available about one year later, said Gerhard Untiedt, Research and Development Manager for the project at Meyer Werft. Energy use will then be the main subject in a second implementation phase – the aim is to integrate a number of energy modules to get a new, highly efficient energy distribution concept. “We are examining an energy module that supplies electric power, heating, refrigeration and also water,” he said. The team is trying to find the optimal system configuration to make the most efficient possible use of combined heat and power. The goal is complete installation in 2013.

A combination of fuel cell and hydrogen in metal hydride cells is ideal for submarines, because it gives “an absolutely silent, highly efficient method of generating energy in underwater operation”, said Stefan Krummrich of Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH. Alongside this solution, which is already used in the market, Krummrich will also present a new approach based on a methanol reformer, which will in future provide larger quantities of energy and thus permit longer diving times.

The complete conference programme with the specific subjects and all speakers is available at the website. For further information, please visit www.h2expo.de and www.h2expo.com

Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., announces today that it has successfully conducted a demonstration experiment verifying the outdoor operation of a fuel cell that utilizes sewage digester gas during cold weather conditions. The experiment was carried out at the Yamagata Purification Center in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.

The Yamagata Purification Center has already been operating two 100-kilowatt fuel cells made by Fuji Electric and installed by its affiliated company Metawater Co., Ltd. For the demonstration experiment the Fuji Electric FP-100i, a new 100-kilowatt fuel cell model, was installed outdoors and sewage digester gas was used for power generation. Startup and shutdown tests were conducted and operating patterns were examined during the winter months of this cold-weather region. The experiment was designed to test for problems in the unit’s operating performance during cold weather conditions.

The demonstration experiment was carried out from January through March 2011, and verified that no problems occurred in the operating performance of the fuel cell over approximately 2,000 hours of operation.
The new FP-100i model is fitted with all the peripheral equipment required for operating fuel cells as an all-in-one unit, and is capable of analyzing thermal-fluid for optimized equipment placement. As a result, it can be installed in environments with temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius. The low-noise, low-vibration fuel cell power-generation equipment can be installed outdoors without the need of a housing structure, thus enabling substantial savings in installation and construction costs.
In addition, at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck the area on March 11, the fuel cell continued to generate power using sewage digester gas until commercially available electric power networks were brought back on line. When the networks were restored two days later, the unit immediately switched back to normal operations.
Looking forward, Fuji Electric intends to promote its fuel cells to institutions such as national and local government bodies as an alternate power supply system, which can be used in anticipation of electricity shortages due to scheduled blackouts and other factors.

Highlights

· Started deploying integrated home power and heating products with EWE as part of the order for up to 200 units

· Further BlueGen sales in Germany, United Kingdom and Australia

· Progress towards MCS accreditation in United Kingdom

· Robust and repeatable performance – all BlueGen units have achieved electrical efficiency of 60 percent

Operational Review

Order for 200 integrated products

In December the Company received a conditional order for up to 200 integrated power and heat generators from German energy service provider EWE.  This is the largest order the Company has received, with total revenue of up to EUR 4.9 million over two years.  The order is conditional on EWE receiving partial funding under the German government’s national hydrogen and fuel cell technology innovation program. This Government program is providing EUR 700 million between 2008 and 2018.

The Company is pleased to announce that EWE has received a letter of intent from the funding body confirming the intention to fund the project. Based on this letter of intent, EWE and CFCL have begun installing integrated units in homes as part of the project.

Subject to formal funding approval and to the units meeting agreed performance targets, EWE will order 72 units for delivery in 2011 and 130 units for delivery in 2012. The Company will update shareholders further when a final response is received from the funding body.

The integrated units use Ceramic Fuel Cells’ patented technology to convert natural gas into electricity, hot water and space heating, with the world’s highest level of electrical efficiency in small scale generators.

Ceramic Fuel Cells will supply the core Gennex fuel cell module and related components. Ceramic Fuel Cells and its local manufacturing partner, Gebrüder Bruns Heiztechnik GmbH, will integrate the fuel cell module with a boiler into an integrated power and heating product for supply to EWE. EWE will then install the units in homes in the Lower Saxony region in northern Germany.

This is a significant follow-on order from EWE, the Company’s longest standing utility customer.  EWE is one of the largest utilities in Germany, with 6,400 staff and revenues of EUR 5.8 billion.  Based in Northern Germany, EWE also has operations in other German states as well as Poland and Turkey.

Further BlueGen sales

Apart from the integrated product, the Company has also developed a modular power and heat generator called BlueGen, to provide low emission power plus heat for hot water.  One BlueGen can provide about double the electricity the average home needs – excess power can be exported to the grid – plus hot water for an average family’s needs.

Like the integrated product, BlueGen uses the Company’s Gennex fuel cell module to achieve electrical efficiency of 60 percent – far higher than any other small scale generator.  The Company believes this very high electrical efficiency will deliver significant value to BlueGen customers, and will create a significant competitive advantage in the fast growing global market for small scale power generation.

During the March quarter the Company continued to make sales of BlueGen units to leading energy companies and other foundation customers in several markets.  For confidentiality and competitive reasons the Company is unable to reveal the identity of some of its customers at this time.

As at 27 April 2011 the Company has received orders for 70 BlueGen units, from a total of 31 customers in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA.

Highlights during the March quarter and up to date include:

BlueGen installed in Amsterdam

A consortium of innovative companies has installed a BlueGen in a 17th century canal house “De Groene Bocht” in the centre of Amsterdam.  BlueGen is expected to produce all the electricity the site needs whilst reducing carbon emissions by more than 50 percent compared to the local power grid.

The members of the consortium, which has a strategy to accelerate the transition to clean energy, include Cool Endeavour, which initiates the rollout of sustainable technologies, and Amsterdam Smart City, a joint venture between the Municipality of Amsterdam and leading Amsterdam companies.

Several leading energy companies in The Netherlands are also members of the consortium: Eneco generates, distributes and sells electricity, gas, heating and cooling to approximately two million business and residential customers; Liander is a distribution company with 2.9 million electricity customers and 2.1 million gas customers; and GasTerra is an international natural gas trading company with revenues of EUR 18 billion.  GasTerra is owned by Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and the Dutch Government.  A BlueGen unit is also installed at the home of a Director of GasTerra.

Durham University, UK

During the quarter a BlueGen unit was chosen as an integral component of Durham University’s GBP 54 million low-carbon Smart Grid project.  The Smart Grid project involves 14,000 homes and businesses and will assess the impact of low carbon distributed generation technologies such as BlueGen on the low voltage electricity grid.  The project is designed to help shape the future for a low-emission, more efficient power grid across the United Kingdom.  The BlueGen will be housed in the Durham Energy Institute research laboratory where the impact on the low voltage grid of different microgeneration technologies will be assessed.

German Sales

The energy companies WINGAS GmbH and Technische Werke Ludwigshafen (TWL) AG have ordered a BlueGen for installation in a house in Ludwigshafen, Germany.¹

WINGAS is active in natural gas trading and distribution in Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark. WINGAS operates over 2,000 kilometers of natural gas pipelines and operates the largest natural gas storage facility in Western Europe.  Its customers include municipal utilities, regional gas suppliers, and large-scale industrial users. WINGAS is a joint venture of Germany’s largest crude oil and natural gas producer, BASF subsidiary Wintershall Holding GmbH, and Russia’s OAO Gazprom.

TWL is the local “Stadtwerke” (city utility) in the Ludwigshafen region, providing a range of services, including electricity, natural gas, heating, cooling and water, to residential and business customers.

In addition, two BlueGens were sold to an innovative distributor and retailer of new energy products.  One BlueGen is installed with the retailer and the second unit is installed with a leading German provider of services to the energy and telecommunications industries.

In April a further BlueGen unit was sold to Fachhochschule Köln, the Cologne University of Applied Sciences.

Australian Sales

In the March quarter the Company sold a BlueGen unit to GV Community Energy Pty Ltd (GVCE) for installation in a nursing home in Kyabram (Warramunda Village), in regional Victoria, in a project funded by Sustainability Victoria.  GVCE is a community not-for-profit company, assisting residents, businesses, community organizations and government authorities to reduce their carbon footprint through the introduction of renewable and low emission energy technologies and adoption of energy efficient practices.

Over the last two and a half years, GVCE has successfully deployed solar hot water units and solar PV units to more than 2,800 homes and small businesses through community purchasing schemes. GVCE is supported by the local Councils of Greater Shepparton City Council, Rural City of Benalla, Campaspe, Moira, Strathbogie and Murrindindi in regional Victoria.

The Company has also sold a BlueGen to the local head office of one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of motor vehicles and power products.  The Company is in discussions to secure further Australian orders and will make further announcements in due course.

Victorian Government Project

During the quarter the Company continued to work with the Victorian Government Office of Housing to deploy their order of 30 BlueGen units.  All the sites in Melbourne and Shepparton have been selected and inspected.  Three units have been installed in homes, and the remaining units will be installed in this quarter.

One of the BlueGen units has been installed in a three bedroom house in Melbourne as part of the AusZEH project. This project is to upgrade an existing housing property to a zero net emissions standard. The results of the upgrade will be used to improve the Environmentally Sustainable Design aspects of existing residential housing stock.

The Company is also working with the Office of Housing and leading Australian energy retailer Origin Energy, who is providing the Office of Housing clients with a one-for-one feed in tariff for the electricity generated by the BlueGen units.  This means that an Office of Housing tenant who exports power to the grid will get a credit on their bill equal to the normal retail rate of electricity.

BlueGen Distribution and Service in Australia

As reported in the last quarterly trading update, in January the Company signed an agreement with Adelaide-based Hills Holdings Limited (ASX: HIL) for Hills to sell and service the BlueGen product.  Hills will distribute BlueGen, initially in South Australia, and will also provide installation and after-sales service for BlueGen products Australia-wide. Hills is a leading manufacturer, distributor and installer of home products including premium solar hot water products.  The company had revenues last financial year of AUD 1.1 billion.

United Kingdom Market

The Company is in advanced discussions with a prospective distribution, installation and service partner in the United Kingdom market, and will make a further announcement in due course.

During the quarter the Company continued to make progress towards having BlueGen certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (”MCS”).  All microgeneration products must be accredited under MCS in order to be eligible for the UK Government’s feed in tariff.

The MCS accreditation process involves an extensive and rigorous third party review of all the procedures involved in manufacturing, installing and maintaining a microgeneration product.  In many cases the MCS process requires additional procedures to be formalised, over and above the thorough procedures already in place for CE safety approval.

Over the last six months the Company has invested a significant amount of resources into meeting the MCS requirements.  As part of the MCS process, more than 400 procedures have been written, more than 150 pieces of equipment have been tested and calibrated, and 15 test rigs have been built for quality control testing of subassemblies.

The Company expects the MCS accreditation process to be completed during the current quarter.  We expect to be the first fuel cell manufacturer to have a product accredited by MCS and eligible for the UK feed in tariff.

Japan

The Company’s current projects are progressing well with customers validating BlueGen’s efficiency and performance characteristics.  The Company is also working to secure additional sales of BlueGen to new long-term prospects who have a clear strategy for microgeneration products.

During the quarter the earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan, and the breakdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, has sparked renewed interest in small scale power generation and fuel cells.

BlueGen Performance Data

As at 27 April 2011, 43 BlueGen units are installed at sites in Europe, Japan, USA and Australia.  In aggregate, these units have been operating for more than 156,000 hours (more than 17 years of collective operation).  The earliest installed units have been operating for more than 11,000 hours.

All of these 43 BlueGen units have achieved starting electrical efficiency of 60 percent or more, demonstrating robust and repeatable performance in many different real world conditions.  Over time the electrical efficiency reduces and the thermal output of the fuel cell stack increases.  Electrical efficiency is also affected by how the customer wishes to operate the BlueGen unit: efficiency will be lower if the customer modulates the output of the unit or operates the unit at a lower power level.  Even with these tradeoffs, the electrical efficiency of BlueGen is far higher than any other microgeneration product. The Company believes this presents a clear and sustainable competitive advantage in the growing global market for small scale power generation products.

Marketing

Over the last year the Company has invested in additional product marketing activities, in order to support the deployment of products and increase sales.  During the March quarter several of these activities were finalised.  The Company has appointed a Marketing Communications Manager to manage the Company’s increasing marketing activities.

BlueGen Marketing

The Company has developed and now launched the BlueGen-net website.  This is a web-based customer portal for monitoring BlueGen units installed world-wide.  BlueGen customers can log-on and view their unit virtually anywhere, anytime.  The website is now live at www.bluegen.net.  The multi-language website contains aggregate data on all systems operating, which is available to the general public, and data on individual units, which is available to the particular customer.

CFCL product support engineers also use BlueGen-net to monitor the performance of each unit, remotely diagnose and pre-empt faults, and modulate the power output of the unit.

BlueGen-net is a very powerful and important tool to support the larger rollout of BlueGen units whilst reducing the cost of supporting each unit.  All the BlueGen-net software has been developed in-house by CFCL.  The Company will continue to enhance the website and add new functionality and features.

The Company has also launched a BlueGen product website, www.bluegen.info, initially in German language, and now also in English and Dutch.  This website creates a portal for BlueGen product information separate to the Company’s main corporate website.  The Company will continue to enhance the functionality and features of the BlueGen website.

To support the BlueGen product rollout, the Company has developed user-focussed and language specific product documentation, including installation and user manuals, and is also developing maintenance manuals for external parties.  This new documentation will be used to train local installation and service partners.  This ‘behind the scenes’ documentation and training work is important to lay the groundwork for larger deployments of units.

Industry Events

During the quarter the Company exhibited at several industry events:

· E-World Energy and Water, Essen, Germany: 544 exhibitors from the energy and water industries in 20 countries, with 19,700 visitors from the energy and water industries.  A BlueGen unit was on display, and the website www.bluegen.info was launched.

· Hannover Messe, Germany:  The Hannover Messe is Europe’s largest industry exhibition attracting over 230,000 visitors across 13 exhibition sectors. A BlueGen unit was on display at the booth sponsored by the Government of North Rhine Westphalia.   Gebrüder Bruns Heiztechnik GmbH was also displaying an integrated power and heating product using the Company’s technology, of the type which is being installed in the EWE project.

· Ecobuild, UK:  Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction, and the built environment attracting over 55,000 visitors.  A BlueGen unit was also on display here, at a booth sponsored by leading energy utility E.ON.

· FC Expo in Japan: Part of Japan Renewable Energy Week, FC EXPO attracts over 90,000 visitors to see the latest cutting edge Fuel Cell technologies.

DuPont Innovation Award

In March the Company’s achievements were publicly recognised when it was selected as a finalist in the 2010-11 Du Pont Australia and New Zealand Innovation awards.  The DuPont awards recognise the commercialisation of outstanding science and technology.  The Company’s BlueGen product has been selected as one of three finalists in the ‘Design for a Sustainable Future’ category.  The winner of the award will be announced on 13 May 2011.

RMIT report

During the quarter a team at RMIT University’s Centre for Design, in Melbourne, compiled a report on the opportunities for the Company’s products in the Australian commercial building sector.  The Company will release the report shortly.

Manufacturing

The Company is currently making fuel cell stacks at its volume plant in Heinsberg, Germany, and in Melbourne.  During the quarter the Company shipped three additional furnaces from Melbourne to Heinsberg, to increase furnace capacity. These additional furnaces are all fully operational.

As reported in previous updates, in order to further increase the volume of fuel cell stack production the Company intends to use larger furnaces already installed at the Heinsberg plant.  During the quarter the Company worked with the furnace supplier to identify changes needed to ensure the furnaces will produce fuel cell stacks in larger volumes at acceptable quality standards.  The parties have identified several ways of optimising the furnace operation, which the Company intends to implement during the June and September quarters.  These large scale furnaces are not currently constraining production.  The additional furnaces now operating at the Heinsberg plant have sufficient capacity to meet the forecast increase in production during this period.

The Heinsberg plant is now also making complete BlueGen units.  During the quarter the Company completed the process of transferring the BlueGen assembly operation from its Melbourne research and pilot production plant to the Heinsberg plant, in the same building as the fuel cell stack assembly operation.  The Company has expanded the Heinsberg plant, installed assembly and materials handling equipment and hired additional staff.

The first BlueGen unit made in the Heinsberg plant, installed with a fuel cell stack also made in the same plant, is installed and operating in the Heinsberg facility.

As noted in the last quarterly update, the Company has entered into a volume supply agreement with HC Starck for the supply of fuel cell components.  During the March quarter the Company and HC Starck began implementing this supply agreement, with HC Starck providing production samples to ensure that it can continue to supply cells to meet the Company’s quality requirements.

FORT COLLINS – General Motors’ Chevrolet Malibu is going to look a lot different after Colorado State University students get their hands on it.

Selected as one of 16 teams in North America by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy, students at Colorado State are gearing up to spend the next three years reengineering the GM vehicle at the university’s Motorsports Engineering Research Center and Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory. The three-year collegiate competition, “EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future,” will challenge teams to convert the Malibu into a hybrid/electric or fuel-cell vehicle to reduce its environmental impact without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain real-world, hands-on experience in the automotive engineering and clean-energy fields,” said Thomas Bradley, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and lead faculty advisor for the CSU team. “This project has great visibility with the automotive industry, and it provides an opportunity not only for our program, but for students who are seeking careers in the automotive field.”

Students will spend the first year developing the vehicle design. Years two and three will be spent converting, testing and integrating their designs. At the end of years two and three, the student vehicle prototypes will compete in a week-long competition of engineering tests, similar to tests GM conducts to determine a prototype’s readiness for production.

“Being selected for this competition is a result of the hard work that the students did to muster resources and write the proposal,” Bradley said. “This program builds on CSU’s decades of experience in automotive and energy research. EcoCAR2 provides a great opportunity to represent CSU and show our students’ capabilities at a national level.”

The CSU Motorsports Engineering Research Center supports researchers in the fields of vehicle dynamics, vehicles structures and materials, vehicle aerodynamics, and powertrain system design and vehicle-level control. The Motorsport Engineering Research Center, located at CSU’s Foothills Campus, houses a suite of automotive engineering research infrastructure, classroom and collaborative design space, and dedicated student design infrastructure.

The Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory, or EECL, is part of the College of Engineering’s Mechanical Engineering department. The lab is acknowledged as a world leader in developing large-scale solutions to global energy problems, with particular emphasis on engine technology, smart electric grids, advanced biofuels and energy technology for the developing world.

About EcoCAR 2

EcoCAR 2 is a three-year competition that builds on the 23-year history of DOE advanced vehicle technology competitions by giving engineering students the chance to design and build advanced vehicles that demonstrate cutting-edge automotive technologies.

General Motors provides production vehicles, vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The DOE and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, will provide competition management, team evaluation and technical and logistical support.

Concentration on core business with disposal of bicycle and e-bike activities almost complete

• Majority of Mobility unit sold
• Remaining fuel cell technology activities up for grabs despite good potential
• Core business of high-tech hoses with great revenue and profit momentum

Gelsenkirchen, 26 April 2011. Masterflex AG has successfully concluded the sale of its 51% equity interest in Clean Air Bike GmbH, Berlin, and its 100% share in Velodrive GmbH, Herten. The equity interests have been transferred to the buyer. Since the end of 2008, Masterflex has pursued a strategy of parting with activities that do not form part of its core business. Write-downs associated with the sale were fully taken into account in the 2010 annual financial statements, thus resulting in no further burdens for Masterflex AG.

Dr Andreas Bastin, Chief Executive Officer of Masterflex AG: “We have steered Masterflex AG through an extremely radical restructuring process and are now concentrating solely on our core business of high-tech hoses ¨C with good growth and excellent value creation compared with the rest of the industry. However, in order to leverage the significant potential demonstrated by our activities for climate-neutral mobility solutions, further investments would be necessary that we cannot and do not wish to make at present.”

The only Mobility unit activity still remaining within the Masterflex Group relates to fuel cell technology. Masterflex is also planning either to dispose of this segment or to partner it with a strong third party.

Masterflex Brennstoffzellentechnik GmbH is a specialist provider of fuel cell-based energy supply systems for mobile, portable and stationary applications for indoor and outdoor use. These systems supply energy using hydrogen produced regeneratively, with the option to combine this with renewable energies.

Masterflex Brennstoffzellentechnik GmbH develops innovative and tailored solutions for remote power supply. Examples of applications include independent and self-sufficient power supplies and auxiliary systems for measuring stations, sensors, signalling equipment, test vans, special-purpose vehicles, mobile phone networks as well as light electric vehicles for environmentally compatible mobility for leisure and industry. One of the highlights of the fuel cell technology unit is the internally developed, unrivalled safety technology for safely using hydrogen, even in enclosed areas. The safety module (Lopes) reduces the storage pressure to below ambient pressure, preventing hydrogen from escaping. Many fuel cell systems from other manufacturers are also based on this principle.

Dr Bastin: “Our fuel cell technology features interesting in-house developments and enjoys a good position on the market. We are offering these activities for sale, or looking to join forces with a strong partner, for one simple reason: following our successful restructuring, we must not spread ourselves too thin again, but must press ahead with our highly targeted investment plans. This is why we are prioritising the security of our high-margin core business ahead of the opportunities presented by fuel cell technology, which still requires intensive development and investment.”

Bac2 Ltd
Bac2 is the developer of ElectroPhen®, an electrically conductive plastic that will make a significant contribution to the early adoption of clean energy from fuel cell stacks. Fuel cells are technically proven sources of clean energy for our planet, but adoption is presently limited by cost. Bac2 is in the process of developing ElectroPhen® commercially and has patents pending in Europe, America and Japan. ElectroPhen® is made from readily available low-cost constituents, can be pressed or moulded to complex shapes, and is robust enough for harsh environments. By comparison, competitors produce composite plates using electrically insulating resins to bind together conductive particles such as graphite. In addition to its role in fuel cells, Bac2 will find an increasingly wide range of applications for ElectroPhen in electrical and electronic industries.

HOPKINTON, MA– Hy9 Corporation (http://www.hy9.com), a leading manufacturer of hydrogen generators and hydrogen purifiers for energy and transportation applications, is pleased to announce that its HPS industrial scale hydrogen purifiers as an integral component of ITM Power’s HFuel hydrogen refueling system are providing hydrogen of greater than 99.9999% purity to the 21 companies and organizations participating in the Hydrogen On Site Trials (HOST) program. The HOST program provides participants the experience of operating and refueling hydrogen fueled on road delivery vehicles. The primary barrier to the acceptance of hydrogen powered vehicles is the ready and cost effective availability of hydrogen of suitable purity. ITM Power’s HFuel product overcomes that barrier by providing hydrogen vehicle operators with the means to fuel their fleets at their distribution terminal.

Dr. Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power, said, “ITM Power is pleased to be trailing Hy9’s pd filter technology in Hfuel. Reducing maintenance costs is an important factor in alternative fueling solutions and Hy9 technology provides a one step, maintenance free solution to purifying and drying renewable hydrogen to the levels required for fuel cell vehicles.”

According to Brad Bradshaw, CEO of Hy9, “Hy9 is pleased to be a part of ITM Power’s HOST program and its goal of proving that hydrogen powered delivery vehicles provide a cost effective return today for return-to-base distribution operations.”

Hy9 has close to 1,000 hydrogen purifiers operating in customer facilities around the world, with a minimum of 3 million hours of operation over a period of 11 years. The HPS purifier is an absolute barrier to contaminants, allowing only pure hydrogen to pass through the membrane. The company has sold purifiers for use in a wide range of applications including laboratory gas generators, backup power, fork lift refueling, combined heat and power, vehicle refueling and hydrogen recycling.

About ITM Power

ITM Power (http://www.ITM-POWER.com) the energy storage and clean fuel company has developed a range of products to reduce the cost of hydrogen production and storage. The company is developing equipment to convert renewable energy to a clean fuel; storing the energy as green hydrogen for decarbonising transport, industrial and residential applications.

About Hy9 Corporation

Based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts (USA), Hy9 Corporation designs, manufactures and sells low-cost, high-performance hydrogen generators and hydrogen purifiers for the portable and stationary/backup power, industrial gas and transportation markets. Hy9’s HGS family of hydrogen generators provides pure hydrogen for backup and stationary power, targeting wireless telecommunications and combined heat and power applications. The HGS-M series of hydrogen generators run on methanol, reliably, efficiently and cost effectively producing high purity hydrogen for PEM fuel cells. Hy9’s HPS purifiers give customers the assurance that they are consistently and reliably receiving hydrogen for their applications at greater than 99.9999% purity.

MURRAY HILL, N.J. & NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.—Just as the nation has celebrated the 41st annual Earth Day, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, the U.S.’ largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, is announcing that it is boosting environmental sustainability with a hydrogen fueling system for materials handling equipment from Linde North America.

Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group, one of the world’s largest hydrogen energy producers and a leader in developing alternative fuel technologies. Coca-Cola Consolidated is a leader in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of soft drinks.

Beginning in June, Coca-Cola Consolidated’s Charlotte, North Carolina, distribution center will begin using forklift trucks that will run on green hydrogen produced and supplied by Linde. “Linde is helping Coca-Cola Consolidated bring its business to a new level of green and creating a win-win situation for consumers and the environment,” said Mike Beckman, vice president, alternative energy for Linde North America.

Linde is supplying a hydrogen fueling system with three indoor dispenser stations to support more than 40 pieces of materials handling equipment operating inside Coca-Cola Consolidated’s distribution center. The hydrogen fuel cell powered forklift trucks, which are replacing propane models, move pallets of soft drinks, juice and water around the center prior to shipment to retail outlets in the U.S. Southeast.

This is Coca-Cola Consolidated’s first application of hydrogen fuel cell powered forklift trucks. The hydrogen fuel cells are supplied by Latham, New York-based Plug Power Inc., the leading provider of hydrogen based fuel cells in the materials handling market.

Beckman said, “Linde is proud to celebrate Earth Day by bringing hydrogen into use as a cost-effective everyday fuel. We’re showing that our technology can help improve sustainability, lower emissions and reduce our dependence on foreign fuel. Hydrogen already is one of the most promising alternative fuels. And because of the way it is produced, the hydrogen Linde supplies to Coca-Cola Consolidated is truly green, with only a small carbon footprint incurred during shipping.”

“The Linde hydrogen fuel cell solution has allowed us to promote sustainable business practices that will help us achieve greater efficiencies in our materials handling,” said Alison Patient, director of corporate affairs for Coca-Cola Consolidated. “And due to the high efficiency of the hydrogen fuel cells and the convenient location of the refueling stations in our plant, we expect to improve both our operating cost and our productivity. I think this innovative installation may serve as a model for other Coca-Cola bottlers who want to achieve similar results. Coca-Cola Consolidated is pleased to celebrate Earth Day with the announcement of a new business practice that both adds shareholder value and helps reduce our overall carbon footprint.”

Coca-Cola Consolidated is able to boost productivity in two ways. Refueling these trucks with hydrogen takes an operator less than three minutes, compared with 10-15 minutes to change out a propane tank. The company also is able to reduce its total carbon footprint because no fossil fuel is required to power the trucks.

Linde is a leading supplier of hydrogen fueling systems, having equipped over 70 stations in 15 countries. Linde is implementing this earth-friendly fueling solution at numerous other customers, to include automotive manufacturers, large retailers and food service companies. Hydrogen fuel cell powered forklift applications build on Linde’s expertise in providing leading solutions for fueling hydrogen fuel cell cars and buses.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 48,500 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.9 billion (USD 17.9 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.

Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, visit Linde North America online at http://www.lindeus.com

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States and is a leader in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of refreshment beverages. The Company has one of the highest per capita soft drink consumption rates in the world and manages bottling territories with a consumer base of approximately 19 million people. The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ market under the symbol COKE.

Expanding Credit Would Expand Incentives, Creating Jobs Locally and Across State

LATHAM, N.Y., April 25, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG), a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, hosted Congressman Paul Tonko and Congressman Chris Gibson at its Latham, NY headquarters today. The two Congressmen are partnering on a bipartisan green jobs bill which has been introduced in the House of Representatives, H.R. 1659 Fuel Cell Industrial Jobs Act of 2011 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.1659:). The legislation will improve the current tax credit for fuel cell-powered industrial vehicles. For Plug Power, the expanded credit would cover the electric lift trucks which are powered by its GenDrive^® hydrogen fuel cells.

“Plug Power thanks Congressman Tonko and Congressman Gibson for their support of hydrogen fuel cell solutions,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. “During a time when fuel cell and hydrogen funding is experiencing cut backs at the national level, these two Congressmen recognize the commercial benefits fuel cells deliver today, as well as the impact fuel cells have toward our Nation’s ongoing efforts for energy independence.”

This bill is based on legislation authored by Congressman Tonko last year and introduced into the last session of Congress. Congressman Gibson is supporting the bill as an original co-sponsor. Both Tonko and Gibson have recently toured Plug Power and have historically been strong supporters of the clean energy solutions and green jobs the company brings to the New York State Capital Region.

The progressive legislation announced is intended to amend section 30B of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, also known as the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit (AMVC). The proposed legislation expands the definition of “fuel cell motor vehicle” to include fuel cell-powered material handling vehicles. Changes to the AMVC will provide tax credits for companies to invest in fuel cell-powered industrial vehicles, providing additional economic incentives to Plug Power’s customers and industry partners.

The bill also reforms section 48C of the tax code to apply tax credits to material handling fuel cells based on the vehicle’s kilowatt capacity. The modifications to section 48C provide a new qualified fuel cell motive property credit based on kilowatt capacity – an objective, widely accepted and verified industry standard measurement.

“With this legislation we make needed changes that will help make it easier for companies to transition to a clean energy alternative that will help them improve productivity and save money,” said Congressman Tonko. “It’s critical that we take advantage of new technologies that will help green up our energy outcome – and give a boost to an American industry that has a tremendous potential to create thousands of new jobs.”

“I firmly believe that an essential part of our economic recovery is providing businesses with clean, reliable, and affordable sources of power,” said Congressman Gibson. “Plug Power is a leader here in our backyard in developing clean fuel cell solutions that will increase our energy independence. I have been impressed by the existing forklift technology that Plug Power is already manufacturing as well as the potential future applications for a wide variety of business customers.  As fuel cells commercialize, businesses will be able to access a clean and cost-effective power solution and this legislation will aid that effort.”

GenDrive is a superior alternative to lead-acid batteries as a power source for electric lift trucks. By converting electric lift truck fleet operations to GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell power solutions, customers are able to increase productivity and lower operating costs with only heat and water as a byproduct. Fuel cells allow for significant greenhouse gas emission reductions – up to 90% when compared to electric battery powered units. Extending financial incentives to material handling vehicles will help accelerate and facilitate large-scale conversions to green technology at manufacturing and distribution centers across the country.

About Plug Power Inc.

The architects of modern fuel cell technology, Plug Power revolutionized the industry with cost-effective power solutions that increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon footprints.  Long-standing relationships with industry leaders forged the path for our key accounts, including Wegmans, Whole Foods, and FedEx Freight.  With more than 1,200 GenDrive units shipped to material handling customers, accumulating over 1.5 million hours of runtime, Plug Power manufactures tomorrow’s incumbent power solutions today. Visit us at www.plugpower.com.

BILL NOVAK | The Capital Times

A novel way to produce hydrogen from plant sugars in agricultural waste was worth $50,000 to four UW-Madison undergraduates who won an annual competition for new methods to fight climate change.

The $50,000 top prize in the third annual Climate Leadership Challenge was awarded to Joseph Keuler, Matthew Kirk, Patrick Kirk and David Osmalov, according to a news release from the UW-Madison news service.

The project created by the team, Cellulose Digesting Biogas Plants for Hydrogen Production (CDBP), also showed how the technology could be applied in biogas plants.

“The CDBP team really stood out,” said Tracey Holloway, director of the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, sponsor of the contest. “They had a clever idea for implementing a known technology in a novel way, producing two energy sources from agricultural waste.”

The four students also get a free one-year lease in the University Research Park Metro Innovation Center, and other incentives to further the CDBP idea.

Three projects won $2,000 each:

—  BioGRASP (Biogas Growth: Regional and Sustainable Partnerships), a regional network of biogas plants in western Uganda, by graduate students Aleia McCord, Jeffery Starke and Sarah Stefanos.

— The BrightWater Initiative, a self-sustaining water purification system designed to reduce deaths from the consumption of contaminated water in developing countries, by undergraduate students Brad Lindevig, Josh Zent, Parikshith Lingampaly and Luke Voellinger.

— The Refrigerator Aider, a ventilation system to boost the efficiency of household refrigerators by 10 percent or more without using more energy or moving parts, by graduate student Mike Hvasta.

The Climate Leadership Challenge is open to all UW-Madison students and is considered the largest university competition of its kind in the country.

Groningen/Netherlands, Duisburg, Essen/Germany – Researchers of the University Groningen (Netherlands) and Duisburg-Essen are currently investigating processes of the hydrogen storing in cars run by fuel cells.

The gas hydrogen which needs a high capacity is also highly explosive according to the researchers. The storing in the form of solid metal hydrides with a high density is a reliable alternative and ensures a manageable volume of the hydrogen. The focus of the research is placed on hydrides with light, frequently appearing metals like magnesium. At the moment, extremely small particles are being examined since they serve as a model substance to investigate the processes of hydrogen storing.

The project to create the online training is part of a proof of concept between the International Association of Fire Chiefs and several federal agencies.

TEEX, the Texas Engineering Extensive Service in College Station, Texas, announced April 19 that its Emergency Services Training Institute is developing the curriculum and online campus for a hydrogen fuel training program. The online training is targeted to volunteer firefighters but will be available for any emergency responder.

“According to an IAFC report, there are about 800,000 underserved responders who staff over 80 percent of America’s fire departments,” TEEX’s news release says. “Hydrogen is gaining momentum as an alternative fuel, and online hydrogen training needs to be robust, effective and interactive to cover various learning styles and engage volunteer first responders while providing the content and competencies needed. While IAFC recognizes that there will always be a hands-on component to emergency response training, research shows online and distance learning is more convenient, reduces training costs and improves learning outcomes, the report states.”

The project is part of a proof of concept between the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The online training system will ensure that fire personnel stay current on trends and issues relating to hazmat response and help them meet the competencies in NFPA 472. IAFC is working with other organizations — including DOE and the National Fire Academy — to ensure the accuracy of the course content. “The United States is a leader in the production of hydrogen fuel and H2 vehicles, so it is vital that responders know how this fuel behaves and how to respond to an emergency involving hydrogen fuel,” said Aimee Smith, business development coordinator with Knowledge Engineering. “We’re excited about working with the ESTI curriculum team on this project and continuing our relationship with IAFC. Based on the success of this initial program, we hope to develop a larger online resource center and additional courseware for IAFC.”

ESTI curriculum coordinator Aaron Bridge said the online course is expected to be completed in summer 2011.

SUZUKI has become the world’s first motorcycle maker to earn Whole Vehicle Type Approval 1 compliance for a fuel cell-powered vehicle in the European Union with a squadron of its Burgman scooters set to hit the road for testing.

Initially only one fuel cell scooter was given permission to test in Britain with approval from the British government’s Technology Strategy Board 2 with single vehicle approval for each scooter used in the trials.

The new Europe-wide approval means the single vehicle approval is no longer necessary.

Suzuki’s Burgman fuel cell scooter made its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show and since February last year Suzuki and British company Intelligent Energy, developer of the bike’s fuel cell system, have been involved with on-road trials.

The scooter employs an air-cooled fuel cell and hydrogen tank inside its frame to produce electricity which in turn powers a drive motor and the only exhaust emission is water.

Suzuki says it wants to have fuel-cell scooters ready to go when hydrogen filling stations come on line across Europe.

By John Holland

COLONIE — U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko and Chris Gibson will be at Latham fuel cell manufacturer Plug Power on Monday morning for a news conference to announce legislation that would benefit fuel cell makers.

The two are collaborating on a bill that would simplify and improve tax credits for fuel cell-powered vehicles, especially those for industrial use. They will speak with Plug Power Chief Executive Officer Andy Marsh.

Plug Power makes hydrogen powered fuel cells used in fork lifts for warehouses and distribution centers.

– Larry Rulison

Munich/Hanover: One hundred twenty-five exhibitors from 20 countries took part in Europe’s biggest hydrogen and fuel cells exhibition. By the closing day of the fair, one fourth of the exhibitors had already committed to the 2012 trade fair.

Two highlights of the Public Forum were the discussions: “Electric transport: What role does hydrogen play?” and “Decentralized energy supply – a power plant in every cellar?”

Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, Managing Director of NOW GmbH, and Patrick Schnell, Head of Sustainable Development and New Energies at TOTAL Deutschland GmbH and Chairman of the Clean Energy Partnership, emphasized that batteries and fuel cells are not exclusive of one another but rather complement each other in hybrid vehicles. The greatest challenge will be to create a wide-reaching hydrogen infrastructure i.e. a network of hydrogen filling stations.

Rainer Bomba, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development expressed his thoughts concerning decentralized energy supply: “The government supports joint projects with utility companies, with partners in industry and in research. Questions like ‘what should we do with surplus energy?’ have found their answer in fuel cell technology.

A major attraction for visitors was the 8000m² Ride+Drive area east of Hall 27. Visitors had the opportunity to drive fuel cell vehicles from Adam Opel / GM, Daimler, Volkswagen and Toyota.

“Over 30 exhibitors have already committed to the Group Exhibit Hydrogen + Fuel Cells at the HANNOVER MESSE 2012,” says Managing Director Tobias Renz. One hundred fifty exhibitors from 25 countries are expected to participate at the next Group Exhibit at HANNOVER MESSE 2012, April 23-27.

Press Contact:
Tobias Renz, Tobias Renz FAIR, Munich, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 7201 3840 / Mobile: +49 (0) 177 5218535
Email: tobias@h2fc-fair.com / Website: www.h2fc-fair.com
High resolution pictures and logos can be downloaded here:
www.h2fc-fair.com/media/index.html
www.h2fc-fair.com/media/photos.html

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico—Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have developed a way to avoid the use of expensive platinum in hydrogen fuel cells, the environmentally friendly devices that might replace current power sources in everything from personal data devices to automobiles.

In a paper published today in Science, Los Alamos researchers Gang Wu, Christina Johnston, and Piotr Zelenay, joined by researcher Karren More of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, describe the use of a platinum-free catalyst in the cathode of a hydrogen fuel cell. Eliminating platinum—a precious metal more expensive than gold—would solve a significant economic challenge that has thwarted widespread use of large-scale hydrogen fuel cell systems.

Polymer-electrolyte hydrogen fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. The cells can be enlarged and combined in series for high-power applications, including automobiles. Under optimal conditions, the hydrogen fuel cell produces water as a “waste” product and does not emit greenhouse gasses. However, because the use of platinum in catalysts is necessary to facilitate the reactions that produce electricity within a fuel cell, widespread use of fuel cells in common applications has been cost prohibitive. An increase in the demand for platinum-based catalysts could drive up the cost of platinum even higher than its current value of nearly $1,800 an ounce.

The Los Alamos researchers developed non-precious-metal catalysts for the part of the fuel cell that reacts with oxygen. The catalysts—which use carbon (partially derived from polyaniline in a high-temperature process), and inexpensive iron and cobalt instead of platinum—yielded high power output, good efficiency, and promising longevity. The researchers found that fuel cells containing the carbon-iron-cobalt catalyst synthesized by Wu not only generated currents comparable to the output of precious-metal-catalyst fuel cells, but held up favorably when cycled on and off—a condition that can damage inferior catalysts relatively quickly.

Moreover, the carbon-iron-cobalt catalyst fuel cells effectively completed the conversion of hydrogen and oxygen into water, rather than producing large amounts of undesirable hydrogen peroxide. Inefficient conversion of the fuels, which generates hydrogen peroxide, can reduce power output by up to 50 percent, and also has the potential to destroy fuel cell membranes. Fortunately, the carbon- iron-cobalt catalysts synthesized at Los Alamos create extremely small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, even when compared with state-of-the-art platinum-based oxygen-reduction catalysts.

Because of the successful performance of the new catalyst, the Los Alamos researchers have filed a patent for it.

“The encouraging point is that we have found a catalyst with a good durability and life cycle relative to platinum-based catalysts,” said Zelenay, corresponding author for the paper. “For all intents and purposes, this is a zero-cost catalyst in comparison to platinum, so it directly addresses one of the main barriers to hydrogen fuel cells.”

The next step in the team’s research will be to better understand the mechanism underlying the carbon-iron-cobalt catalyst. Micrographic images of portions of the catalyst by researcher More have provided some insight into how it functions, but further work must be done to confirm theories by the research team. Such an understanding could lead to improvements in non-precious-metal catalysts, further increasing their efficiency and lifespan.

Project funding for the Los Alamos research came from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Office as well as from Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Laboratory-Directed Research and Development program. Microscopy research was done at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s SHaRE user facility with support from the DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

WARRENDALE, Pa. — SAE International hosted the first-ever A World In Motion® (AWIM) Fuel Cell Olympics on Thursday, April 14, during the SAE 2011 World Congress in Detroit. The event hosted more than 150 students from southeast Michigan to increase educational access to scientific, real world concepts for K-12 students.

The Fuel Cell Olympics were sponsored by the GM Foundation.

Competitors used distilled water in a reversible Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell to produce hydrogen which is then used by the fuel cell as an energy source to power an electric motor in the car. Like other A World In Motion events, it is focused on explaining scientific concepts to students in a hands-on environment that is easily approachable.

There were four different categories for students to compete in, including an accuracy, distance, weight and time category. The event involved many area elementary and middle schools. Students were assisted by teachers and volunteers.

The grand champion of the 2011 Fuel Cell Olympics was St. Michael the Archangel School (team 42) from Livonia, Mich.

SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International’s core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International’s charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

staxera and Vaillant Group as part of the Callux project

At the Hannover Fair 2011 a prototype of the first wall hanging fuel cell heating unit based on staxera’s SOFC technology was presented by the Vaillant Group. This system for single family houses is part of the Callux field test and provides heat and electricity with natural gas. The state-of-the-art fuel cell technology allows an economic, environmentally friendly use of the resources due to its high efficiency.

Because of its expertise in development and production of SOFC Integrated Stack Modules (ISM) staxera has become a key partner and component supplier for the Vaillant Group.

“We are very happy, to meet the challenges of the market in the Callux field test” Dr. Christian Wunderlich, the CEO of staxera stated. “The collaboration between staxera, the Vaillant Group and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) are an evidence of a good cooperation of Industry and Research Institutes in Germany, which results in convincing products within a short time”