Brazil launches first fuel cell bus, with hydrogen station

NEWS ROAD VEHICLES Editorial office: Elsevier Ltd The Boulevard, Langford Lane Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GB United Kingdom Tel:+44 (0)1865 843239 Fax: +44 (0)1865 843971 Website: www.fuelcellsbulletin.com Editor: Steve Barrett E-mail: [email protected] Publisher: Laurence Zipson E-mail: [email protected] Production Support Manager: Lin Lucas E-mail: [email protected] Subscription Information An annual subscription to Fuel Cells Bulletin includes 12 printed issues and online access for up to 5 users. Prices: 1112 for all European countries & Iran US$1247 for all countries except Europe and Japan ¥147 800 for Japan (Prices valid until 31 December 2009) To subscribe send payment to the address above. Tel: +44 (0)1865 843687, Fax: +44 (0)1865 834971 Email: [email protected] or via www.fuelcellsbulletin.com. Subscriptions run for 12 months, from the date payment is received. Periodicals postage is paid at Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. Postmaster send all USA address corrections to: Fuel Cells Bulletin, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001, USA Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier Global Rights Department, PO Box 800, Oxford OX5 1DX, UK; phone: +44 1865 843830, fax: +44 1865 853333, email: [email protected]. You may also contact Global Rights directly through Elsevier’s home page (www.elsevier.com), selecting first ‘Support & contact’, then ‘Copyright & permission’. In the USA, users may clear permissions and make payments through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA; phone: +1 978 750 8400, fax: +1 978 750 4744, and in the UK through the Copyright Licensing Agency Rapid Clearance Service (CLARCS), 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 0LP, UK; phone: +44 (0)20 7631 5555; fax: +44 (0)20 7631 5500. Other countries may have a local reprographic rights agency for payments. Derivative Works Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of the Publisher is required for resale or distribution outside the institution. Permission of the Publisher is required for all other derivative works, including compilations and translations. Electronic Storage or Usage Permission of the Publisher is required to store or use electronically any material contained in this journal, including any article or part of an article. Except as outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher. Address permissions requests to: Elsevier Science Global Rights Department, at the mail, fax and email addresses noted above. Notice No responsibility is assumed by the Publisher for any injury and/ or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. Because of rapid advances in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be made. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical (medical) standards, inclusion in this publication does not constitute a guarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of such product or of the claims made of it by its manufacturer.

02233 Pre-press/Printed by Mayfield Press (Oxford) LImited

2

Fuel Cells Bulletin

Brazil launches first fuel cell bus, with hydrogen station

T

he Brazilian hydrogen-fueled bus project reached a major milestone recently in São Paulo, with the unveiling of the country’s first fuel cell bus, as well as its first service station capable of supplying hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The Brazilian hydrogen bus initiative is being deployed by a consortium formed by Petrobras Distribuidora, AES Eletropaulo, Ballard Power Systems, EPRI International, Hydrogenics, Marcopolo, NuCellSys, and Tuttotrasporti. The project was created in partnership with the Brazilian ministry of mines & energy, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the FINEP investment program of Brazil’s science & technology ministry. The project involves the acquisition, operation and maintenance of up to five fuel cell/ battery hybrid buses; the fueling station, which will produce hydrogen by electrolysis; and the monitoring and performance verification of these vehicles. The first bus has been undergoing preliminary testing since April; it will now be operated on the São Mateus– Jabaquara route, and managed by the São Paulo Municipal Urban Transportation Company (EMTU/SP). The bus uses a hybrid power system that combines hydrogen fuel cells and batteries. This strategy can increase fuel economy, because the batteries are recharged by the fuel cell system while the vehicle is stopped, and through regeneration of braking energy. The power required is obtained by using two fuel cell systems in parallel, each rated at 64 kW, and which significantly reduces the bus production costs. Petrobras Distribuidora – the fuel retail division of the Brazilian energy giant Petrobras – will operate the hydrogen station, based at the EMTU/SP complex in São Bernardo do Campo. It secured project, installation and operating licenses, and will also maintain the hydrogen bus service station. Petrobras’ CENPES research & development center assisted in building up knowledge, in developing the Brazilian specifications for this technology, and in preparing studies related to operating risk and safety analyses. The station can generate up to 120 kg of hydrogen per day at a pressure of 440 bar (6400 psi), enough to supply up to three buses

for a range of 300 km (190 miles). In the first stage, it will store enough hydrogen to fuel one bus, but when more vehicles go into operation, this capacity will be boosted. The Brazilian hydrogen bus project, which was initiated in late 2006 [FCB, January 2007], aims to develop the country’s use of these hydrogen production and vehicular technologies. The project was selected for funding by UNDP/GEF because the country is an emerging economy, in which buses have an important role in urban transport. Furthermore, Brazil has several hydrogen sources, and is a leading renewable energy producer from sources such as ethanol and hydroelectric. Brazil – Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses for Urban Transport (on GEF website): http://gefonline.org/projectDetailsSQL.cfm?projID=6

MOBILE APPLICATIONS

SFC wins Daimler order for fuel cell onboard power in vans

G

erman-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell has secured an order from the Mercedes-Benz Cologne/Leverkusen unit of Daimler AG, to supply more than 130 EFOY Pro direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) systems by the end of the year. Daimler will use the EFOY Pro 1600 systems to provide onboard power in vehicles for professional users. Most of the SFC systems will be retrofitted to existing official Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, with others fitted in new Sprinters. ‘This order confirms SFC’s market-leading position for onboard fuel cell power supply of special-purpose vehicles,’ comments Dr Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC. ‘Especially for professional users, there is great demand for reliable long-term energy supply far from the grid. In this field we see one of the core growth areas for our company.’ These vehicles, fitted with SFC’s fuel cells, are to be used by officials non-stop for eight or more hours as a mobile office. Therefore the vehicles need to support a high level of equipment functionality. Until now, it has been highly problematic to provide a reliable power source for the equipment in such vehicles, with no access to an electric outlet. The vehicles are often far from the grid; the engine cannot be kept running to provide the power, as it is too costly and bad for the environment; and generators are out of the ques-

September 2009