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Air Products go-ahead for Tees Valley renewables, hydrogen
NEWS
HyET electrochemical hydrogen compressor reaches 800 bar rating
Air Products go-ahead for Tees Valley renewables, hydrogen
N
etherlands-based HyET Hydrogen Efficiency Technologies has announced that its electrochemical hydrogen compressor has reached a pressure of 800 bar (11 600 psi). The company aims to develop the technology as part of the global push for lower-cost hydrogen fueling stations. The novel electrochemical compressor has two unique features: it contains no moving parts, and is capable of compressing hydrogen from atmospheric pressure to 800 bar in a single stage. These benefits enable lower capital and operational costs compared to existing mechanical hydrogen compression technologies. By lowering the cost and footprint required for hydrogen compression, HyET aims to bring forward the large-scale implementation of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. ‘800 bar single-stage compression was a very important barrier for us,’ explains Sander ten Hoopen, head of system design. ‘First of all, because of the apparent technological challenge, but most importantly because this is above the filling pressure of next-generation fuel cell vehicles. This technological breakthrough enables us to develop highly efficient and robust hydrogen compressors needed in the filling stations for these cars.’ The latest announcement doubles the 400 bar HyET reported earlier this year [FCB, March 2011], and is the result of nearly three years of research and development. ‘We now know for sure that we have suitable materials and design concepts. But we still have to take this technology from the lab to the commercial market,’ says Wiebrand Kout, head of process design. ‘We know that we can’t do this alone, that is why we are cooperating with leading car manufacturers, research institutes, and filling station suppliers. We expect to be able to intensify these cooperations in the near future.’ Earlier this year HyET took over some of the research activities previously conducted within the Hydrogen and Clean Fossil Fuels unit at the ECN Energy research Centre of the Netherlands [FCB, May 2011]. The transfer included patent applications, research equipment, and several ECN hydrogen experts.
I
HyET Hydrogen Efficiency Technologies BV, Arnhem, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 26 3623 944, www.HyET.nl
Waste2Tricity, UK: www.waste2tricity.com
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
n the UK, Air Products has secured planning permission from Stocktonon-Tees Borough Council for the company’s Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility. The facility is the first of a number of energy-from-waste plants that Air Products will be looking to develop in the UK over the next few years. The advanced gasification energy-from-waste (EfW) scheme, located at the New Energy and Technology Business Park, near Billingham, will convert pre-processed household and commercial waste that is currently going to landfill into baseload, renewable power for up to 50 000 homes in the North East. The Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility is Air Products’ first advanced gasification energy scheme to be developed in the UK. Producing 49 MW of electricity from about 300 000 tonnes of waste, the facility is one of the largest advanced gasification projects planned for the UK. The company hopes to build up to five advanced gasification plants in the UK in the coming years, with the potential to generate around 250 MW of electricity. Work on the site could start next year, with commercial operations starting in 2014. ‘Air Products – along with our technology partner, AlterNRG – see Tees Valley as the first of a number of advanced gasification facilities that we wish to develop in the UK,’ says Ian Williamson, European hydrogen and bioenergy director at Air Products. ‘In the longer term, our technology can also produce renewable hydrogen, and is being considered for a demonstration of Waste2Tricity’s fuel cell technology.’ The plant will mostly use non-recyclable waste (i.e. household, commercial, and industrial waste left over after recycling) that is currently going to landfill sites in the Teesside area, for the production of renewable energy in the North East. In the longer term, the plant has the potential to generate a renewable source of hydrogen for commercial use, for example to fuel public transport. The project was announced in July last year, with AFC Energy’s low-cost alkaline fuel cell technology being considered to utilize some of the hydrogen produced [FCB, August 2010]. Air Products, Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility: www.airproducts.co.uk/teesvalley AlterNRG Corporation, Canada: www.alternrg.ca AFC Energy: www.afcenergy.com
COMMERCIALIZATION
New analysis sees promising outlook for fuel cell sector in 2011
F
uel Cell Today launched its 2011 Industry Review at the recent World Hydrogen Technologies Convention in Glasgow, UK. The analysis notes that the outlook for fuel cells has improved in the last few years. Fuel cells are selling without subsidies in many markets, with a total of more than 700 000 fuel cells sold between 2005 and 2011. The Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2011 – free to download – summarizes the state of the industry by application, region, and fuel cell type, and considers the outlook for the portable, stationary, and transport sectors. The analysis reveals it is more informative to view the fuel cell industry as a collection of sectors at different stages of development. Thus, with the increasing diversity of fuel cell applications and the varying speed of adoption, it is more accurate to describe the fuel cell industry as a number of disparate commercial applications sharing the same technology and developing at different rates. Portable, stationary, and transport applications are all exhibiting growth. By 2015, conservative estimates see upwards of 25 000 units sold per annum in both the stationary and transport sectors, with clear potential for significant growth beyond this. The Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2011 forecasts shipments in 2011 surpassing 285 000 units worldwide, growing by 25% compared with 2010. This continuing success follows on from 40% growth between 2009 and 2010. It is no surprise that PEM fuel cells will lead unit shipments in 2011, accounting for over 95% of the total. Regionally, North America dominates with a 50% share of total units.
Fuel Cell Today: www.fuelcelltoday.com Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2011: http://ow.ly/6AGER
SAFCell stack delivery completes diesel fuel cell project with NPS
C
alifornia-based SAFCell Inc has delivered a 1.2 kW solid acid fuel cell (SAFC) stack to Nordic Power Systems in Norway. Delivery of the
September 2011
HyET electrochemical hydrogen compressor reaches 800 bar rating
Air Products go-ahead for Tees Valley renewables, hydrogen
N
etherlands-based HyET Hydrogen Efficiency Technologies has announced that its electrochemical hydrogen compressor has reached a pressure of 800 bar (11 600 psi). The company aims to develop the technology as part of the global push for lower-cost hydrogen fueling stations. The novel electrochemical compressor has two unique features: it contains no moving parts, and is capable of compressing hydrogen from atmospheric pressure to 800 bar in a single stage. These benefits enable lower capital and operational costs compared to existing mechanical hydrogen compression technologies. By lowering the cost and footprint required for hydrogen compression, HyET aims to bring forward the large-scale implementation of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. ‘800 bar single-stage compression was a very important barrier for us,’ explains Sander ten Hoopen, head of system design. ‘First of all, because of the apparent technological challenge, but most importantly because this is above the filling pressure of next-generation fuel cell vehicles. This technological breakthrough enables us to develop highly efficient and robust hydrogen compressors needed in the filling stations for these cars.’ The latest announcement doubles the 400 bar HyET reported earlier this year [FCB, March 2011], and is the result of nearly three years of research and development. ‘We now know for sure that we have suitable materials and design concepts. But we still have to take this technology from the lab to the commercial market,’ says Wiebrand Kout, head of process design. ‘We know that we can’t do this alone, that is why we are cooperating with leading car manufacturers, research institutes, and filling station suppliers. We expect to be able to intensify these cooperations in the near future.’ Earlier this year HyET took over some of the research activities previously conducted within the Hydrogen and Clean Fossil Fuels unit at the ECN Energy research Centre of the Netherlands [FCB, May 2011]. The transfer included patent applications, research equipment, and several ECN hydrogen experts.
I
HyET Hydrogen Efficiency Technologies BV, Arnhem, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 26 3623 944, www.HyET.nl
Waste2Tricity, UK: www.waste2tricity.com
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
n the UK, Air Products has secured planning permission from Stocktonon-Tees Borough Council for the company’s Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility. The facility is the first of a number of energy-from-waste plants that Air Products will be looking to develop in the UK over the next few years. The advanced gasification energy-from-waste (EfW) scheme, located at the New Energy and Technology Business Park, near Billingham, will convert pre-processed household and commercial waste that is currently going to landfill into baseload, renewable power for up to 50 000 homes in the North East. The Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility is Air Products’ first advanced gasification energy scheme to be developed in the UK. Producing 49 MW of electricity from about 300 000 tonnes of waste, the facility is one of the largest advanced gasification projects planned for the UK. The company hopes to build up to five advanced gasification plants in the UK in the coming years, with the potential to generate around 250 MW of electricity. Work on the site could start next year, with commercial operations starting in 2014. ‘Air Products – along with our technology partner, AlterNRG – see Tees Valley as the first of a number of advanced gasification facilities that we wish to develop in the UK,’ says Ian Williamson, European hydrogen and bioenergy director at Air Products. ‘In the longer term, our technology can also produce renewable hydrogen, and is being considered for a demonstration of Waste2Tricity’s fuel cell technology.’ The plant will mostly use non-recyclable waste (i.e. household, commercial, and industrial waste left over after recycling) that is currently going to landfill sites in the Teesside area, for the production of renewable energy in the North East. In the longer term, the plant has the potential to generate a renewable source of hydrogen for commercial use, for example to fuel public transport. The project was announced in July last year, with AFC Energy’s low-cost alkaline fuel cell technology being considered to utilize some of the hydrogen produced [FCB, August 2010]. Air Products, Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility: www.airproducts.co.uk/teesvalley AlterNRG Corporation, Canada: www.alternrg.ca AFC Energy: www.afcenergy.com
COMMERCIALIZATION
New analysis sees promising outlook for fuel cell sector in 2011
F
uel Cell Today launched its 2011 Industry Review at the recent World Hydrogen Technologies Convention in Glasgow, UK. The analysis notes that the outlook for fuel cells has improved in the last few years. Fuel cells are selling without subsidies in many markets, with a total of more than 700 000 fuel cells sold between 2005 and 2011. The Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2011 – free to download – summarizes the state of the industry by application, region, and fuel cell type, and considers the outlook for the portable, stationary, and transport sectors. The analysis reveals it is more informative to view the fuel cell industry as a collection of sectors at different stages of development. Thus, with the increasing diversity of fuel cell applications and the varying speed of adoption, it is more accurate to describe the fuel cell industry as a number of disparate commercial applications sharing the same technology and developing at different rates. Portable, stationary, and transport applications are all exhibiting growth. By 2015, conservative estimates see upwards of 25 000 units sold per annum in both the stationary and transport sectors, with clear potential for significant growth beyond this. The Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2011 forecasts shipments in 2011 surpassing 285 000 units worldwide, growing by 25% compared with 2010. This continuing success follows on from 40% growth between 2009 and 2010. It is no surprise that PEM fuel cells will lead unit shipments in 2011, accounting for over 95% of the total. Regionally, North America dominates with a 50% share of total units.
Fuel Cell Today: www.fuelcelltoday.com Fuel Cell Today Industry Review 2011: http://ow.ly/6AGER
SAFCell stack delivery completes diesel fuel cell project with NPS
C
alifornia-based SAFCell Inc has delivered a 1.2 kW solid acid fuel cell (SAFC) stack to Nordic Power Systems in Norway. Delivery of the
September 2011