- Email: [email protected]
Air Products hydrogen high-pressure tube trailers for Europe
NEWS levels of energy to meet the changeable demand that occurs in the chlor-alkali industry,’ says Ian Williamson, CEO of AFC Energy. ‘The ability to use such hydrogen ‘buffer’ storage technology is fundamental to all non-baseload renewable generating technologies, so that energy can be made available effectively during periods of shortfall or greatest need.’ AFC Energy, Cranleigh, Surrey, UK. Tel: +44 1483 276726, www.afcenergy.com Allied New Technologies: http://69.89.31.178/~alliedun/affiliate-companies/ allied-new-technologies/ Allied Universal Corporation: www.allieduniversal.com
Ballard has supplied stacks to M-Field over the past 10 years, primarily for smaller-scale power systems. The FCgen-1300 fuel cell stack is a low-cost, liquid-cooled PEM product specifically designed for stationary applications. M-Field has been combining Ballard fuel cell stacks with electrolysers supplied by Italianbased Acta SpA [see the Acta feature in this issue], to produce a fully integrated fuel cell telecom backup power system that is being trialed by Acta’s partner SEFCA in Australia [FCB, November 2012, p7]. Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com M-Field Energy Ltd: www.m-field.com.tw
Ballard sales deal with M-Field in Taiwan for clean baseload power
C
anadian PEM fuel cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of approximately 400 kW worth of its FCgen™-1300 fuel cell stack product to M-Field Energy, a Taiwan-based leader in the development of stationary fuel cell power systems. M-Field plans to integrate the Ballard stacks into multiple 100 kW fuel cell systems designed to provide baseload power as part of a complete hybrid renewable energy solution, in combination with wind turbines or photovoltaic power. These will be deployed throughout Asia in regions where there is demand for zero-emission energy sources as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Highly reliable fuel cell systems are the ideal way to overcome the issue of intermittent power availability often experienced with other renewable energy sources,’ explains Bin Hsu, CEO of M-Field. ‘Hydrogen and fuel cell technology will play an important role in the widespread adoption of alternative power generation.’ Surplus solar or wind energy will be stored in the form of hydrogen, which will subsequently be used to produce power when needed, utilising the fuel cell system. PEM fuel cell systems such as Ballard’s FCgen-1300 are capable of load-following and rapid startup at a low lifecycle cost. ‘This sales agreement is a positive reflection of the growing demand for clean fuel cell power solutions in Asia,’ adds Larry Stapleton, VP of sales at Ballard. ‘We are pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with M-Field as it pursues larger-scale fuel cell opportunities in the region.’
February 2014
FUELING
Air Products hydrogen high-pressure tube trailers for Europe
A
ir Products has taken the next step in hydrogen infrastructure deployment using its SmartFuel® technology, with the launch in the UK of the first of its fleet of European hydrogen high-pressure tube trailers. The SmartFuel trailers are capable of transporting large volumes of hydrogen to Air Products’ growing network of SmartFuel hydrogen fueling stations. This trailer is the first of a fleet of new design, higher-pressure hydrogen tube trailers due to be deployed in the coming months [see the Air Products feature in FCB, February 2013]. The SmartFuel high-pressure tube trailer features specialised composite cylinders for hydrogen storage, that enable cost-effective, centrally produced hydrogen to be delivered directly to fueling stations at a pressure well above 350 bar (5000 psi). This is a significant enhancement on existing 200 bar (2900 psi) industrial hydrogen delivery. The increased pressure removes the need for onsite compression for 350 bar vehicle refueling, and significantly reduces site compression requirements for 700 bar vehicle refueling. Station operators will see this translated into lower capital investment in the station hardware, and markedly reduced operating costs. Minimising the need for compression onsite leads to higher reliability, as Air Products has demonstrated at its bus refueling station in London [FCB, January 2011, p2], where high onstream levels are consistently in line with industry expectations. The SmartFuel high-pressure tube trailer delivery concept also
IN BRIEF US court rejects fuel cell air safety rule The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington has temporarily overturned a federal air safety rule that prohibits aircraft passengers from carrying flammable gas powered fuel cells, which power electronic devices, in checked luggage, according to Reuters. The court says (http://tinyurl.com/dc-lilliputian) that the government should re-evaluate the rule, because it did not explain why fuel cells should be treated differently from other, permitted products containing flammable gas, including toiletry aerosols. The regulation was challenged by Lilliputian Systems (www.nectarpower.com), which makes butane-powered micro solid oxide fuel cells to power portable devices. It launched the Nectar™ Mobile Power System at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas [FCB, February 2013, p8]. Low-cost transport of hydrogen in toluene JX Holdings (www.hd.jx-group.co.jp/english), the largest petroleum wholesaler in Japan, has devised a technology to easily transport and store large volumes of hydrogen safely in liquid form, says the Nikkei Asian Review. The transport and storage of gaseous hydrogen currently requires high-pressure trailers [see page 7]. But hydrogen in liquid form eliminates the need for robust carbon fibre tanks and equipment to prevent explosions. JX says that dissolving hydrogen in toluene, derived from crude oil, allows transport of the liquid mix at ordinary temperatures and pressure. Hydrogen is revaporised at the fueling station using a proprietary catalyst. The firm plans to begin adopting the technology around 2020, as it expands its hydrogen station network. It plans to eventually lower the cost to around ¥60 (US$0.60) per m3, making it as cheap as gasoline. Polar vortex no match for Toyota FCEV Staff at Connecticut-based Proton Onsite (www.protononsite.com) have been driving its fleet of 10 Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell electric vehicles despite the record low temperatures across much of the US [FCB, September 2010, p2]. ‘We had another snow storm Tuesday night, and this morning the temperature was 3°F (–16°C). I went out to my Toyota FCHVadv and brushed off a foot of snow before starting the car right up,’ says Mark Schiller, Proton VP of business development. ‘I continue to get a range of about 300 miles (480 km), despite the cold and blasting the heater.’ Toyota showed its new FCV Concept fuel cell car at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and confirmed that it will launch the car in 2015, initially in California [see page 2].
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS significantly reduces the space needed to deploy hydrogen stations, particularly compared with onsite hydrogen production solutions such as electrolysis. ‘The deployment of this new and innovative Air Products’ technology represents a significant milestone in the journey to establish a longterm, viable hydrogen fueling infrastructure across the UK and Europe,’ says Diana Raine, the company’s European business manager for hydrogen energy systems. ‘It is cost-effective, space-efficient and reliable, and re-enforces our commitment to the creation of a thriving hydrogen transport sector.’ The SmartFuel high-pressure tube trailer put into service is supported by the Clean Hydrogen in European Cities (CHIC) project of the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). It can operate as a mobile fueling station for buses, and support the fuel cell buses programme in London [see the CHIC feature in FCB, November 2010, and the FCH JU feature in FCB, July 2010]. The CHIC project involves integrating 26 hydrogen fuel cell buses in daily public transport operations and bus routes in five European locations – Aargau in Switzerland, Bolzano and Milan in Italy, London in the UK, and Oslo in Norway [FCB, September 2013, p2]. The project has 25 partners across Europe, including industrial partners for vehicle supply and refueling infrastructure. In other news, Air Products has called on Mayor of London Boris Johnson to include hydrogen infrastructure in his vision for zeroemission taxis, which proposes that from 2018 all newly licensed taxis must be able to automatically operate in zero-emission mode in central London. The Mayor and Transport for London are already working with five taxi manufacturers – all of which are focused on battery electric vehicles. ‘[Hydrogen] is not a fuel of the future, it is a fuel for today and, with the right support, it has the potential to de-carbonise the transport sector, with little sacrifice to transport performance, and dramatically reduce air pollution,’ says Diana Raine. ‘The government must commit to further investment – not only for the vehicles themselves, but for the fueling infrastructure that will support their rollout.’ Air Products Europe, Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.co.uk/h2energy Air Products Americas, Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.com/h2energy European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking: www.fch-ju.eu Clean Hydrogen In European Cities project: www.chic-project.eu
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
ITM wins planning OK for Isle of Wight hydrogen fueling sites
I
n the UK, planning permission has been granted in the Isle of Wight for all five hydrogen refueling sites for which planning applications were submitted. Hydrogen energy storage company ITM Power has chosen two of these sites to install hydrogen refuelers, to go into service later this year. ITM Power has been granted planning permission for an 80 kg/day hydrogen refueling station at four locations, and at one for a 15 kg/day marine refueling station [see the ITM Power feature in FCB, January 2012]. ITM will take forward two of these sites for installation of hydrogen refuelers ready for operation in November, as part of the EcoIsland Hydrogen Vehicle Refueller project. The initiative is supported by funding from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board. The approvals process involved several stages, including the identification of candidate sites prior to conducting a detailed survey, preparation of plans together with a Design and Access Planning Statement, and liaison with stakeholders including the Isle of Wight Council and the national Environment Agency. The survey sites are owned by wind turbine manufacturer Vestas (its R&D centre at Stag Lane, and at Monks Brook); one operated by Scotia Gas Networks in East Cowes; and one at the St Cross Business Park in Newport. The marine refueler will be sited at Cheetah Marine’s dock in Ventnor. ITM Power has decided to proceed with the site owned by Scotia Gas Networks, providing an opportunity to further develop commercial links with SGN. ITM Power sits on three Working Groups of ISO Technical Committee 197, which is focused on standardisation of systems and devices for the production, storage, transport, measurement, and use of hydrogen. The company also sits on the British Compressed Gas Association’s Technical Steering Committees with particular emphasis on Code of Practice 41, which addresses ‘The Design, Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Filling Stations Providing Gaseous Fuels.’ ‘The expertise required to achieve planning permission and satisfy compliance bodies is often underestimated,’ comments Dr Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power [and see page 10]. ‘The continued support from the Isle of Wight Council and their determination to become a prime location for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
deployment provides a fantastic backdrop to this exciting project.’ The EcoIsland Partnership Community Interest Company went into liquidation last October, as a fraud investigation was launched into unaccounted funding [FCB, October 2013, p5]. Shortly afterwards its founder and CEO, David Green, was found dead in an apparent suicide. To keep the project going, ITM and the consortium members reallocated the remaining grant funding and activities to design, build, install, and operate two gridconnected hydrogen refueling platforms. These will serve a fleet of hydrogen vehicles, including fuel cell cars from Hyundai and Microcab, hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) Ford Transit vans, and a HICE powered boat [see the EcoIsland feature in FCB, October 2012]. ITM Power, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com Technology Strategy Board: www.innovateuk.org ISO Technical Committee 197, Hydrogen Technologies: http://tinyurl.com/iso-tc197
H2 Logic to supply hydrogen car refueling station for Hamburg
D
enmark-based H2 Logic has won a competitive tender exercise from a major – but currently unnamed – infrastructure provider in Germany, to supply a hydrogen refueling station for Hamburg. The station will be based on the company’s H2Station® CAR100 product, and will include onsite electrolysis production. The customer will use the station to gain experiences on using hydrogen production for balancing and storage of renewable electricity in Germany. The new hydrogen refueling station in Hamburg is supported by the German National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH). It will be owned and operated by a major German infrastructure provider, and will be part of a planned 50-station network in the country by 2015. The network will be a first step in a planned continued rollout of up to 400 stations in Germany by 2023, as part of the previously announced 350 million (US$477 million) German H2 Mobility initiative [FCB, October 2013, p6]. ‘This will be a good opportunity for a continued showcasing of our products in Germany,’ says Jacob Krogsgaard, managing director of H2 Logic. ‘Further it strengthens our
February 2014
Ballard has supplied stacks to M-Field over the past 10 years, primarily for smaller-scale power systems. The FCgen-1300 fuel cell stack is a low-cost, liquid-cooled PEM product specifically designed for stationary applications. M-Field has been combining Ballard fuel cell stacks with electrolysers supplied by Italianbased Acta SpA [see the Acta feature in this issue], to produce a fully integrated fuel cell telecom backup power system that is being trialed by Acta’s partner SEFCA in Australia [FCB, November 2012, p7]. Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com M-Field Energy Ltd: www.m-field.com.tw
Ballard sales deal with M-Field in Taiwan for clean baseload power
C
anadian PEM fuel cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of approximately 400 kW worth of its FCgen™-1300 fuel cell stack product to M-Field Energy, a Taiwan-based leader in the development of stationary fuel cell power systems. M-Field plans to integrate the Ballard stacks into multiple 100 kW fuel cell systems designed to provide baseload power as part of a complete hybrid renewable energy solution, in combination with wind turbines or photovoltaic power. These will be deployed throughout Asia in regions where there is demand for zero-emission energy sources as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Highly reliable fuel cell systems are the ideal way to overcome the issue of intermittent power availability often experienced with other renewable energy sources,’ explains Bin Hsu, CEO of M-Field. ‘Hydrogen and fuel cell technology will play an important role in the widespread adoption of alternative power generation.’ Surplus solar or wind energy will be stored in the form of hydrogen, which will subsequently be used to produce power when needed, utilising the fuel cell system. PEM fuel cell systems such as Ballard’s FCgen-1300 are capable of load-following and rapid startup at a low lifecycle cost. ‘This sales agreement is a positive reflection of the growing demand for clean fuel cell power solutions in Asia,’ adds Larry Stapleton, VP of sales at Ballard. ‘We are pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with M-Field as it pursues larger-scale fuel cell opportunities in the region.’
February 2014
FUELING
Air Products hydrogen high-pressure tube trailers for Europe
A
ir Products has taken the next step in hydrogen infrastructure deployment using its SmartFuel® technology, with the launch in the UK of the first of its fleet of European hydrogen high-pressure tube trailers. The SmartFuel trailers are capable of transporting large volumes of hydrogen to Air Products’ growing network of SmartFuel hydrogen fueling stations. This trailer is the first of a fleet of new design, higher-pressure hydrogen tube trailers due to be deployed in the coming months [see the Air Products feature in FCB, February 2013]. The SmartFuel high-pressure tube trailer features specialised composite cylinders for hydrogen storage, that enable cost-effective, centrally produced hydrogen to be delivered directly to fueling stations at a pressure well above 350 bar (5000 psi). This is a significant enhancement on existing 200 bar (2900 psi) industrial hydrogen delivery. The increased pressure removes the need for onsite compression for 350 bar vehicle refueling, and significantly reduces site compression requirements for 700 bar vehicle refueling. Station operators will see this translated into lower capital investment in the station hardware, and markedly reduced operating costs. Minimising the need for compression onsite leads to higher reliability, as Air Products has demonstrated at its bus refueling station in London [FCB, January 2011, p2], where high onstream levels are consistently in line with industry expectations. The SmartFuel high-pressure tube trailer delivery concept also
IN BRIEF US court rejects fuel cell air safety rule The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington has temporarily overturned a federal air safety rule that prohibits aircraft passengers from carrying flammable gas powered fuel cells, which power electronic devices, in checked luggage, according to Reuters. The court says (http://tinyurl.com/dc-lilliputian) that the government should re-evaluate the rule, because it did not explain why fuel cells should be treated differently from other, permitted products containing flammable gas, including toiletry aerosols. The regulation was challenged by Lilliputian Systems (www.nectarpower.com), which makes butane-powered micro solid oxide fuel cells to power portable devices. It launched the Nectar™ Mobile Power System at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas [FCB, February 2013, p8]. Low-cost transport of hydrogen in toluene JX Holdings (www.hd.jx-group.co.jp/english), the largest petroleum wholesaler in Japan, has devised a technology to easily transport and store large volumes of hydrogen safely in liquid form, says the Nikkei Asian Review. The transport and storage of gaseous hydrogen currently requires high-pressure trailers [see page 7]. But hydrogen in liquid form eliminates the need for robust carbon fibre tanks and equipment to prevent explosions. JX says that dissolving hydrogen in toluene, derived from crude oil, allows transport of the liquid mix at ordinary temperatures and pressure. Hydrogen is revaporised at the fueling station using a proprietary catalyst. The firm plans to begin adopting the technology around 2020, as it expands its hydrogen station network. It plans to eventually lower the cost to around ¥60 (US$0.60) per m3, making it as cheap as gasoline. Polar vortex no match for Toyota FCEV Staff at Connecticut-based Proton Onsite (www.protononsite.com) have been driving its fleet of 10 Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell electric vehicles despite the record low temperatures across much of the US [FCB, September 2010, p2]. ‘We had another snow storm Tuesday night, and this morning the temperature was 3°F (–16°C). I went out to my Toyota FCHVadv and brushed off a foot of snow before starting the car right up,’ says Mark Schiller, Proton VP of business development. ‘I continue to get a range of about 300 miles (480 km), despite the cold and blasting the heater.’ Toyota showed its new FCV Concept fuel cell car at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and confirmed that it will launch the car in 2015, initially in California [see page 2].
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS significantly reduces the space needed to deploy hydrogen stations, particularly compared with onsite hydrogen production solutions such as electrolysis. ‘The deployment of this new and innovative Air Products’ technology represents a significant milestone in the journey to establish a longterm, viable hydrogen fueling infrastructure across the UK and Europe,’ says Diana Raine, the company’s European business manager for hydrogen energy systems. ‘It is cost-effective, space-efficient and reliable, and re-enforces our commitment to the creation of a thriving hydrogen transport sector.’ The SmartFuel high-pressure tube trailer put into service is supported by the Clean Hydrogen in European Cities (CHIC) project of the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). It can operate as a mobile fueling station for buses, and support the fuel cell buses programme in London [see the CHIC feature in FCB, November 2010, and the FCH JU feature in FCB, July 2010]. The CHIC project involves integrating 26 hydrogen fuel cell buses in daily public transport operations and bus routes in five European locations – Aargau in Switzerland, Bolzano and Milan in Italy, London in the UK, and Oslo in Norway [FCB, September 2013, p2]. The project has 25 partners across Europe, including industrial partners for vehicle supply and refueling infrastructure. In other news, Air Products has called on Mayor of London Boris Johnson to include hydrogen infrastructure in his vision for zeroemission taxis, which proposes that from 2018 all newly licensed taxis must be able to automatically operate in zero-emission mode in central London. The Mayor and Transport for London are already working with five taxi manufacturers – all of which are focused on battery electric vehicles. ‘[Hydrogen] is not a fuel of the future, it is a fuel for today and, with the right support, it has the potential to de-carbonise the transport sector, with little sacrifice to transport performance, and dramatically reduce air pollution,’ says Diana Raine. ‘The government must commit to further investment – not only for the vehicles themselves, but for the fueling infrastructure that will support their rollout.’ Air Products Europe, Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.co.uk/h2energy Air Products Americas, Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.com/h2energy European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking: www.fch-ju.eu Clean Hydrogen In European Cities project: www.chic-project.eu
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
ITM wins planning OK for Isle of Wight hydrogen fueling sites
I
n the UK, planning permission has been granted in the Isle of Wight for all five hydrogen refueling sites for which planning applications were submitted. Hydrogen energy storage company ITM Power has chosen two of these sites to install hydrogen refuelers, to go into service later this year. ITM Power has been granted planning permission for an 80 kg/day hydrogen refueling station at four locations, and at one for a 15 kg/day marine refueling station [see the ITM Power feature in FCB, January 2012]. ITM will take forward two of these sites for installation of hydrogen refuelers ready for operation in November, as part of the EcoIsland Hydrogen Vehicle Refueller project. The initiative is supported by funding from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board. The approvals process involved several stages, including the identification of candidate sites prior to conducting a detailed survey, preparation of plans together with a Design and Access Planning Statement, and liaison with stakeholders including the Isle of Wight Council and the national Environment Agency. The survey sites are owned by wind turbine manufacturer Vestas (its R&D centre at Stag Lane, and at Monks Brook); one operated by Scotia Gas Networks in East Cowes; and one at the St Cross Business Park in Newport. The marine refueler will be sited at Cheetah Marine’s dock in Ventnor. ITM Power has decided to proceed with the site owned by Scotia Gas Networks, providing an opportunity to further develop commercial links with SGN. ITM Power sits on three Working Groups of ISO Technical Committee 197, which is focused on standardisation of systems and devices for the production, storage, transport, measurement, and use of hydrogen. The company also sits on the British Compressed Gas Association’s Technical Steering Committees with particular emphasis on Code of Practice 41, which addresses ‘The Design, Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Filling Stations Providing Gaseous Fuels.’ ‘The expertise required to achieve planning permission and satisfy compliance bodies is often underestimated,’ comments Dr Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power [and see page 10]. ‘The continued support from the Isle of Wight Council and their determination to become a prime location for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
deployment provides a fantastic backdrop to this exciting project.’ The EcoIsland Partnership Community Interest Company went into liquidation last October, as a fraud investigation was launched into unaccounted funding [FCB, October 2013, p5]. Shortly afterwards its founder and CEO, David Green, was found dead in an apparent suicide. To keep the project going, ITM and the consortium members reallocated the remaining grant funding and activities to design, build, install, and operate two gridconnected hydrogen refueling platforms. These will serve a fleet of hydrogen vehicles, including fuel cell cars from Hyundai and Microcab, hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) Ford Transit vans, and a HICE powered boat [see the EcoIsland feature in FCB, October 2012]. ITM Power, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com Technology Strategy Board: www.innovateuk.org ISO Technical Committee 197, Hydrogen Technologies: http://tinyurl.com/iso-tc197
H2 Logic to supply hydrogen car refueling station for Hamburg
D
enmark-based H2 Logic has won a competitive tender exercise from a major – but currently unnamed – infrastructure provider in Germany, to supply a hydrogen refueling station for Hamburg. The station will be based on the company’s H2Station® CAR100 product, and will include onsite electrolysis production. The customer will use the station to gain experiences on using hydrogen production for balancing and storage of renewable electricity in Germany. The new hydrogen refueling station in Hamburg is supported by the German National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH). It will be owned and operated by a major German infrastructure provider, and will be part of a planned 50-station network in the country by 2015. The network will be a first step in a planned continued rollout of up to 400 stations in Germany by 2023, as part of the previously announced 350 million (US$477 million) German H2 Mobility initiative [FCB, October 2013, p6]. ‘This will be a good opportunity for a continued showcasing of our products in Germany,’ says Jacob Krogsgaard, managing director of H2 Logic. ‘Further it strengthens our
February 2014