Singapore launches new maritime fuel cell research initiative

Singapore launches new maritime fuel cell research initiative

NEWS tional energy needs. (Neither the supplier for the PEM fuel cell nor for the hydrogen storage has been identified yet.) The 600-passenger New Yor...

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NEWS tional energy needs. (Neither the supplier for the PEM fuel cell nor for the hydrogen storage has been identified yet.) The 600-passenger New York Hornblower Hybrid follows the 2008 launch of the San Francisco Hornblower Hybrid, the first hybrid powered ferry in the US. San Francisco-based Hornblower Cruises & Events has created both vessels and operates Statue Cruises, which runs public services at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island in New York Harbor. ‘Our goal is to reduce emissions to the greatest extent possible, with a goal in the future to eliminate them entirely during a cruising day,’ says Terry MacRae, CEO of Statue Cruises and Hornblower Cruises & Events. ‘The technology on the Hornblower Hybrid is now scalable for other hybrid ferries, hybrid yachts, and even hybrid tugs.’ Hornblower Cruises & Events: www.hornblower.com Statue Cruises: www.statuecruises.com

IHC Merwede, Bredenoord trial fuel cell in dredging

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n the Netherlands, dredging vessel constructor IHC Merwede has run a pilot test in which a hydrogen fuel cell – supplied by Bredenoord – was the sole power source for the electrical equipment onboard a dredger. This is believed to be the first time that alternative fuels have been used in the dredging process. The test took place at the Haringvliet estuary, south of Rotterdam, using one of the latest generation of standard cutter suction dredgers, the IHC Beaver® 40. Electric power was supplied by a Purity PEM fuel cell generator, developed by power supply rental company Bredenoord with the Dutch fuel cell manufacturer Nedstack. Connecting a fuel cell to a dredger had not been tested previously, and it needed to operate under the difficult conditions typical of the dredging process – vibration, dust, water, frost, and wave motion. The fuel cell successfully powered the dredger for approximately 120 hours. ‘It was important to find out how the Purity would perform on a surface that was moving and vibrating,’ explains Paul Schurink, business development manager for Bredenoord. ‘The fact that the fuel cell aggregate [system] held up well under these circumstances means this hydrogen solution is suitable for a broad range of applications. The positive outcome of the test shows that the mobile hydrogen technique developed by Bredenoord can also be used in the offshore sector.’ 6

Fuel Cells Bulletin

Electrical equipment onboard the current line-up of dredging vessels is powered by diesel generators, but the use of hydrogen fuel cells would eliminate emissions. Last summer Bredenoord supplied a Purity hydrogen fuel cell generator for an entire floating stage at a music festival in the Netherlands [FCB, September 2010], as well as one used for part of the energy supply at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK [FCB, August 2010]. Bredenoord, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 55 301 8501, www.bredenoord.com IHC Merwede: www.ihcmerwede.com

applications and solutions in Singapore. The center is seeking partnerships and collaborations with academic, government, and industry partners for the research and development of industrial and commercially viable solutions and technologies. Two research projects have already been identified under the MOU. The first project will testbed fuel cells for auxiliary power in vessels. The second will develop an automated process to supply continuous, clean power to underwater systems and devices, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), submerged acoustic devices, and underwater data logging instruments.

Nedstack fuel cell technology BV: www.nedstack.com

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore: www.mpa.gov.sg

Singapore launches new maritime fuel cell research initiative

Temasek Polytechnic: www.tp.edu.sg

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he Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Temasek Polytechnic have launched a new joint Maritime Fuel Cell Research Initiative, with up to S$6 million (US$4.7 million) in research funding available over the next three years. The main aim of their memorandum of understanding (MOU) is to seed and encourage projects that will yield improvements and breakthroughs in the use of fuel cell and other technologies applicable to maritime industry. The projects will focus on research, development, testbedding, and eventual commercialization of maritime fuel cell applications. The initiative was formalized through the MOU, which was signed by Mr Lam Yi Young, MPA chief executive, and Mr Boo Kheng Hua, principal and CEO of Temasek Polytechnic. Co-funded by MPA’s Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund and Temasek Polytechnic, research grants of up to S$4 million (US$3m) and S$1 million (US$0.8m) will be contributed by MPA and the Polytechnic, respectively, over a three-year period. The partners will also work towards securing industry co-funding of up to S$1 million. The Singapore Fuel Cell Community was established in March 2007 at Temasek Polytechnic to facilitate the adoption, commercialization, and support of fuel cell applications. Two years later the Clean Energy Testbedding Community (CETC) was established at the Polytechnic, to encourage the development and adoption of clean energy technologies and solutions by businesses in the city-state [FCB, March 2009]. The Polytechnic’s Clean Energy Centre has become the focal point for fuel cell technology

Temasek Polytechnic, Clean Energy Centre/Singapore Fuel Cell Community: http://ow.ly/3Fb7h Clean Energy Testbedding Community: http://cetc.sbf.org.sg

SMALL STATIONARY

E.ON UK orders three BlueGen units as CHP development continues Australian-based Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has sold three BlueGen™ solid oxide fuel cell generators to one of the UK’s leading energy companies, E.ON. Ceramic Fuel Cells is also making progress towards having BlueGen certified under the UK’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme, in order to access the government’s feed-in tariff. One BlueGen system will be installed shortly at the E.ON training centre in Tipton, West Midlands where E.ON’s Property Services department trains its staff in the installation and maintenance of gas and electrical appliances. The other two BlueGen units will be installed at demonstration sites. CFCL says that each BlueGen unit can produce three times the electricity needed to power an average UK home. The UK government’s feed-in tariff pays 10 pence for every kWh of electricity generated by small-scale cogeneration products, plus an additional 3 pence for every kWh of electricity sold back to the local power grid. BlueGen also produces enough heat to satisfy the average UK home’s daily needs for hot water. In parallel with installing the BlueGen units, CFCL and E.ON continue to develop fully integrated CHP products for the UK market.

January 2011