- Email: [email protected]
Ceres secures further BOC contract, works with Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey
NEWS previously unfeasible because of the limitations of current battery technology.’ In other, unrelated news the company reveals that it has appointed Harry Fitzgibbons as a director and chairman of the board, and retired general Charles Holland as a director. Harry Fitzgibbons was a director of Hambros Bank from 1972 to 1983, with responsibility for US corporate finance and for Hambros’s portfolio of international unquoted investments. General Charles Holland retired from the US Air Force in November 2003. In his last assignment, he was the Commander of Headquarters US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), with responsibility for all special operations of the army, navy and air force. Contact: Protonex Technology Corporation, Southborough, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 508 490 9960, www.protonex.com
hydrogen will be captured and used to produce electricity, reducing operating cost while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The system is designed to work 24 hours a day, and was installed without disrupting the operation of the chlorate plant. Similarly, the system can be inspected and repaired without interrupting the chlorate production process. ‘This first installation is proving the industrial validity of fuel cell technology as a key component for the design of eco-friendly power production systems, designed to be installed on new and existing electrochemical plants, and will contribute to a quick commercialization process,’ says Adrian Schervan, MD of Uhdenora. Contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 245 7500, www.nuvera.com Or contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells Europe SrL, Milan, Italy. Tel: +39 02 2129 2316.
Nuvera fuel cell powers Venezuelan telecoms electrochemical industry firm uses Plug Power S/Italian-based Nuvera Fuel Cells fuel cells
U
has announced the installation and start-up of an industrial fuel cell system for producing – and saving – electricity for the electrochemical industry, working in collaboration with Italian companies Uhdenora SpA and Caffaro SrL. The firms report that they have successfully started up Nuvera’s Forza PEM fuel cell power module at an installation designed by Uhdenora. The system, which is fully integrated into Caffaro’s chlorate production plant in Brescia, Italy, is believed to be world’s first commercial, large-scale fuel cell installation in the chlorine and chlorate industry. This industrial installation represents another step in the development and commercialization agreement between Nuvera and Uhdenora [FCB, April 2005]. This phase of the project follows the successful system validation carried out in Nuvera’s industrial laboratory located inside the SIAD technical gas production facility in Osio Sotto, Bergamo, Italy. The system has logged over 100 000 kWh, with 95% availability as part of this testing. The chlorate plant integration is part of an agreement between Nuvera, Uhdenora, and Caffaro to maximize the value of excess hydrogen, produced as a by-product during chlorate manufacturing. The system has a net power of 120 kW and runs solely on the vented hydrogen. The DC power generated by the fuel cell system is fed into the chlorate cells, which allows Caffaro to reduce its net electricity consumption. Thousands of kilograms of hydrogen are vented annually, and with this agreement the 6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
T
elefónica Móviles, one of the largest wireless network providers in Latin America, is deploying GenCore back-up power systems developed by US company Plug Power. The initial deployment includes nine backup fuel cell systems that were purchased through Plug Power’s Venezuelan distributor, Corpo Teletecnical. The systems will be placed at tower locations on the periphery of Venezuela’s capital Caracas, which have critical backup requirements. This deployment follows the completion of a successful eight-month trial at an active Telefónica Móviles wireless location outside the city. According to Plug Power, the GenCore system responded effectively to several grid outages during the trial period, including one that lasted approximately 12 h, providing power and maintaining tower operation when the AC grid failed because of overloading and weather-related factors. Telefónica Móviles has approximately 700 towers in Venezuela and more than 10 000 sites across Central and South America. It says that GenCore could be used at sites where there is insufficient space for additional batteries or a generator, or where generators are prohibited because of pollution issues, or noise or weight restrictions. Additional opportunities are expected to emerge as the company continues to identify sites where the traditional backup infrastructure frequently fails through extreme weather conditions and an unstable electric grid.
Plug Power is also participating in GenCore trials with Telefónica Móviles in other key markets including Mexico, Brazil and Spain. Product trials in Mexico and Brazil are being conducted with Plug Power’s distribution partner Tyco Electronics Power Systems. Telefónica Móviles is the wireless division of Telefónica SA – a major telecoms operator in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world, and the second-largest European operator in terms of stock market capitalization. Contact: Plug Power Inc, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
Ceres secures further BOC contract, works with Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey
U
K-based solid oxide fuel cell developer Ceres Power has secured a third contract with BOC as a continuation of a joint program into the use of fuel cell technology to generate clean, silent, reliable off-grid power from a range of cylinder gases. It has also formed a partnership with leading engineering groups Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey. Ceres’s program with global industrial gases group BOC has already completed two previous phases covering pre-commercial development and testing of fuel cell systems using practical, widely available fuels including LPG and propane. The latest contract marks a transition in the work being conducted, from technical feasibility to the assessment of products relating to specific market sectors and geographies. Ceres says that the ongoing relationship with BOC demonstrates the potential of its technology to deliver significant revenues from major new global product areas in off-grid power generation. In other news, Ceres reports that it is partnering with Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey, as part of a government-backed program to address the UK’s long-term sustainable power needs. The program stems from the current ‘Energy Review’ and will help to identify ways of meeting the needs of industrial and domestic consumers in the UK. The ‘SuperGen’ program, which is sponsored by the UK’s Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), comprises four consortia of research institutions working in tandem with industry to examine wave and tidal power, future network technologies, hydrogen energy and bio-energy.
September 2006
NEWS A particular focus is microgeneration, and Ceres and its partners will help stimulate and manage fuel cell research at leading public laboratories in the UK. Ceres says that it is the only SME that has been invited to participate, and will be positioned in the project alongside top fuel cell companies, not only in the UK, but internationally. Ceres Power recently entered into a £2.7m (US$4.7m) contract with Centrica (trading as British Gas), part-funded by the DTI, to develop combined heat and power (CHP) units for the UK residential market. The program will cover the design, build and evaluation of fuel cell CHP units, delivering electricity, heating and hot water, and substantially reducing both energy bills and CO2 emissions [FCB, May]. Contact: Ceres Power Ltd, Crawley, West Sussex, UK. Tel: +44 1293 400404, www.cerespower.com Or contact: John Carolin, Global Director – Hydrogen Energy, BOC Group, Windlesham, UK. Tel: +44 1276 807380, Email: [email protected], www.boc.com/ markets/hydrogen_energy
DMFCC manufacturing agreement with Japanese firm
C
alifornia-based Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) has signed a cartridge design and certified manufacturing agreement with Seed Corporation, based in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. ‘Seed Corporation has extensive expertise in precision cartridge manufacturing’, says Dr Carl Kukkonen, CEO of DMFCC and also its parent company, Viaspace Inc. ‘It has the engineering expertise to meet the stringent cartridge safety standards, and the modern automated manufacturing facilities needed for volume production. It also has excellent relationships with major Japanese OEMs.’ Toshio Sato, CEO of Seed Corporation, adds: ‘Methanol fuel cartridges are an excellent new business opportunity for our company. Cartridges are our expertise, and we are happy to contribute to the emerging new market for fuel cartridges for portable electronic devices powered by fuel cells.’ DMFCC produces disposable fuel cartridges that will provide the energy source for laptop computers, cell phones and other portable electronic devices powered by DMFCs. Earlier this year the company began cartridge sampling with clients, including SMC Co Ltd in Korea [FCB, March], and also completed a collaborative project with Harvey Mudd College
September 2006
Engineering Clinic in California to develop innovative tamper/child resistance and authentication features for its methanol fuel cartridges [FCB, July]. Contact: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation, Pasadena, California, USA. Tel: +1 626 768 3375, www.dmfcc.com
SatCon wins $1m inverter orders from FCE
M
assachusetts-based SatCon Technology Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of power electronic and control products for the alternative energy market, has recently received purchase orders totaling more than $1 million for its PowerGate™ inverters for use on sub-MW and MW-class fuel cells designed and manufactured by FuelCell Energy. The orders include SatCon’s next-generation PowerGate inverter for FCE’s multi-MW fuel cell power plant, the DFC3000, with a current nominal rating of 2 MW that is typically sufficient to power approximately 1000 homes. Delivery of the PowerGate inverters is scheduled over the next four to eight months. ‘We have provided inverters for FuelCell Energy’s sub-MW and MW fuel cell power plant customer installations since 2003, and this transaction enables us to build on our past successes as they expand their commercialization program to their multi-MW product line,’ says David Eisenhaure, CEO/chairman of SatCon Technology. ‘Our orders for high-power PowerGate inverters for alternative energy applications are strong and growing,’ adds Clemens van Zeyl, president of SatCon Stationary Power Systems. ‘SatCon has sold over 30 MW of high-power inverters for stationary fuel cell and photovoltaic applications since it introduced the PowerGate product line in 2003. It is encouraging to see the markets embrace the higher-capacity systems which are SatCon’s area of specialization.’ PowerGate inverters are designed for use with alternative energy power systems to generate distributed electrical power. Many alternative energy power systems require high-power, highreliability inverters and controls to convert the power generated to usable AC power compatible with the electric grid. Contact: SatCon Technology Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 897 2400, www.satcon.com Or contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com
Jadoo, Millennium jointly develop power system for US military
U
S-based Millennium Cell and Jadoo Power Systems are collaborating on a program funded by the US military’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The program is a follow-on effort to the one involving Jadoo’s IFS24 power system, which was designed to replace legacy battery-based power systems used by soldiers with advanced fuel cell technologies. The two companies entered into a strategic licensing agreement earlier this year [FCB, April], providing a framework for the development of a chemical hydride N-Stor fuel canister for use with Jadoo’s N-Gen and IFS24 products. This is the first military program on which the two companies have chosen to collaborate. Efforts are also under way to develop similar fuel canisters for use in commercial applications. The program focuses on the development of an alternative fuel system based on Millennium Cell’s sodium borohydride technology and Jadoo’s N-Stor intelligent digital fuel interface. Initially, the IFS24 was powered by a metal hydride fuel canister storage technology. The new fuel canister, to be delivered in 2007, will be significantly lighter than the metal hydride system and will feature a disposable cartridge, offering users increased flexibility and convenience at a lower cost, say the companies. Jadoo supplies portable fuel cell power systems to sectors such as law enforcement and first responders, where battery back-up and support are critical. In addition, it is selling its fuel cell products in battery replacement markets such as professional broadcast video and the military. Millennium Cell’s Hydrogen on Demand® technology provides Jadoo with a high energy density, safe and cost-effective fuel system to complement its existing line of fuel cell power units. Jadoo’s approach of using a standard N-Stor interconnect on all of its fuel storage canisters should allow the new cartridges to be compatible with all of its existing fuel cell power products. ‘We are excited about integrating our hydrogen storage technology with the Jadoo Power N-Stor fuel interface,’ says Adam Briggs, president of Millennium Cell. ‘This will provide the military with a longer-lasting, lower-weight power source.’ Larry Bawden, president/CEO of Jadoo Power, adds: ‘Flexibility through standards is what consumers want. By using the N-Stor
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
hydrogen will be captured and used to produce electricity, reducing operating cost while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The system is designed to work 24 hours a day, and was installed without disrupting the operation of the chlorate plant. Similarly, the system can be inspected and repaired without interrupting the chlorate production process. ‘This first installation is proving the industrial validity of fuel cell technology as a key component for the design of eco-friendly power production systems, designed to be installed on new and existing electrochemical plants, and will contribute to a quick commercialization process,’ says Adrian Schervan, MD of Uhdenora. Contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 245 7500, www.nuvera.com Or contact: Nuvera Fuel Cells Europe SrL, Milan, Italy. Tel: +39 02 2129 2316.
Nuvera fuel cell powers Venezuelan telecoms electrochemical industry firm uses Plug Power S/Italian-based Nuvera Fuel Cells fuel cells
U
has announced the installation and start-up of an industrial fuel cell system for producing – and saving – electricity for the electrochemical industry, working in collaboration with Italian companies Uhdenora SpA and Caffaro SrL. The firms report that they have successfully started up Nuvera’s Forza PEM fuel cell power module at an installation designed by Uhdenora. The system, which is fully integrated into Caffaro’s chlorate production plant in Brescia, Italy, is believed to be world’s first commercial, large-scale fuel cell installation in the chlorine and chlorate industry. This industrial installation represents another step in the development and commercialization agreement between Nuvera and Uhdenora [FCB, April 2005]. This phase of the project follows the successful system validation carried out in Nuvera’s industrial laboratory located inside the SIAD technical gas production facility in Osio Sotto, Bergamo, Italy. The system has logged over 100 000 kWh, with 95% availability as part of this testing. The chlorate plant integration is part of an agreement between Nuvera, Uhdenora, and Caffaro to maximize the value of excess hydrogen, produced as a by-product during chlorate manufacturing. The system has a net power of 120 kW and runs solely on the vented hydrogen. The DC power generated by the fuel cell system is fed into the chlorate cells, which allows Caffaro to reduce its net electricity consumption. Thousands of kilograms of hydrogen are vented annually, and with this agreement the 6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
T
elefónica Móviles, one of the largest wireless network providers in Latin America, is deploying GenCore back-up power systems developed by US company Plug Power. The initial deployment includes nine backup fuel cell systems that were purchased through Plug Power’s Venezuelan distributor, Corpo Teletecnical. The systems will be placed at tower locations on the periphery of Venezuela’s capital Caracas, which have critical backup requirements. This deployment follows the completion of a successful eight-month trial at an active Telefónica Móviles wireless location outside the city. According to Plug Power, the GenCore system responded effectively to several grid outages during the trial period, including one that lasted approximately 12 h, providing power and maintaining tower operation when the AC grid failed because of overloading and weather-related factors. Telefónica Móviles has approximately 700 towers in Venezuela and more than 10 000 sites across Central and South America. It says that GenCore could be used at sites where there is insufficient space for additional batteries or a generator, or where generators are prohibited because of pollution issues, or noise or weight restrictions. Additional opportunities are expected to emerge as the company continues to identify sites where the traditional backup infrastructure frequently fails through extreme weather conditions and an unstable electric grid.
Plug Power is also participating in GenCore trials with Telefónica Móviles in other key markets including Mexico, Brazil and Spain. Product trials in Mexico and Brazil are being conducted with Plug Power’s distribution partner Tyco Electronics Power Systems. Telefónica Móviles is the wireless division of Telefónica SA – a major telecoms operator in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world, and the second-largest European operator in terms of stock market capitalization. Contact: Plug Power Inc, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
Ceres secures further BOC contract, works with Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey
U
K-based solid oxide fuel cell developer Ceres Power has secured a third contract with BOC as a continuation of a joint program into the use of fuel cell technology to generate clean, silent, reliable off-grid power from a range of cylinder gases. It has also formed a partnership with leading engineering groups Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey. Ceres’s program with global industrial gases group BOC has already completed two previous phases covering pre-commercial development and testing of fuel cell systems using practical, widely available fuels including LPG and propane. The latest contract marks a transition in the work being conducted, from technical feasibility to the assessment of products relating to specific market sectors and geographies. Ceres says that the ongoing relationship with BOC demonstrates the potential of its technology to deliver significant revenues from major new global product areas in off-grid power generation. In other news, Ceres reports that it is partnering with Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey, as part of a government-backed program to address the UK’s long-term sustainable power needs. The program stems from the current ‘Energy Review’ and will help to identify ways of meeting the needs of industrial and domestic consumers in the UK. The ‘SuperGen’ program, which is sponsored by the UK’s Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), comprises four consortia of research institutions working in tandem with industry to examine wave and tidal power, future network technologies, hydrogen energy and bio-energy.
September 2006
NEWS A particular focus is microgeneration, and Ceres and its partners will help stimulate and manage fuel cell research at leading public laboratories in the UK. Ceres says that it is the only SME that has been invited to participate, and will be positioned in the project alongside top fuel cell companies, not only in the UK, but internationally. Ceres Power recently entered into a £2.7m (US$4.7m) contract with Centrica (trading as British Gas), part-funded by the DTI, to develop combined heat and power (CHP) units for the UK residential market. The program will cover the design, build and evaluation of fuel cell CHP units, delivering electricity, heating and hot water, and substantially reducing both energy bills and CO2 emissions [FCB, May]. Contact: Ceres Power Ltd, Crawley, West Sussex, UK. Tel: +44 1293 400404, www.cerespower.com Or contact: John Carolin, Global Director – Hydrogen Energy, BOC Group, Windlesham, UK. Tel: +44 1276 807380, Email: [email protected], www.boc.com/ markets/hydrogen_energy
DMFCC manufacturing agreement with Japanese firm
C
alifornia-based Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation (DMFCC) has signed a cartridge design and certified manufacturing agreement with Seed Corporation, based in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. ‘Seed Corporation has extensive expertise in precision cartridge manufacturing’, says Dr Carl Kukkonen, CEO of DMFCC and also its parent company, Viaspace Inc. ‘It has the engineering expertise to meet the stringent cartridge safety standards, and the modern automated manufacturing facilities needed for volume production. It also has excellent relationships with major Japanese OEMs.’ Toshio Sato, CEO of Seed Corporation, adds: ‘Methanol fuel cartridges are an excellent new business opportunity for our company. Cartridges are our expertise, and we are happy to contribute to the emerging new market for fuel cartridges for portable electronic devices powered by fuel cells.’ DMFCC produces disposable fuel cartridges that will provide the energy source for laptop computers, cell phones and other portable electronic devices powered by DMFCs. Earlier this year the company began cartridge sampling with clients, including SMC Co Ltd in Korea [FCB, March], and also completed a collaborative project with Harvey Mudd College
September 2006
Engineering Clinic in California to develop innovative tamper/child resistance and authentication features for its methanol fuel cartridges [FCB, July]. Contact: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation, Pasadena, California, USA. Tel: +1 626 768 3375, www.dmfcc.com
SatCon wins $1m inverter orders from FCE
M
assachusetts-based SatCon Technology Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of power electronic and control products for the alternative energy market, has recently received purchase orders totaling more than $1 million for its PowerGate™ inverters for use on sub-MW and MW-class fuel cells designed and manufactured by FuelCell Energy. The orders include SatCon’s next-generation PowerGate inverter for FCE’s multi-MW fuel cell power plant, the DFC3000, with a current nominal rating of 2 MW that is typically sufficient to power approximately 1000 homes. Delivery of the PowerGate inverters is scheduled over the next four to eight months. ‘We have provided inverters for FuelCell Energy’s sub-MW and MW fuel cell power plant customer installations since 2003, and this transaction enables us to build on our past successes as they expand their commercialization program to their multi-MW product line,’ says David Eisenhaure, CEO/chairman of SatCon Technology. ‘Our orders for high-power PowerGate inverters for alternative energy applications are strong and growing,’ adds Clemens van Zeyl, president of SatCon Stationary Power Systems. ‘SatCon has sold over 30 MW of high-power inverters for stationary fuel cell and photovoltaic applications since it introduced the PowerGate product line in 2003. It is encouraging to see the markets embrace the higher-capacity systems which are SatCon’s area of specialization.’ PowerGate inverters are designed for use with alternative energy power systems to generate distributed electrical power. Many alternative energy power systems require high-power, highreliability inverters and controls to convert the power generated to usable AC power compatible with the electric grid. Contact: SatCon Technology Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 617 897 2400, www.satcon.com Or contact: FuelCell Energy Inc, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fce.com
Jadoo, Millennium jointly develop power system for US military
U
S-based Millennium Cell and Jadoo Power Systems are collaborating on a program funded by the US military’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The program is a follow-on effort to the one involving Jadoo’s IFS24 power system, which was designed to replace legacy battery-based power systems used by soldiers with advanced fuel cell technologies. The two companies entered into a strategic licensing agreement earlier this year [FCB, April], providing a framework for the development of a chemical hydride N-Stor fuel canister for use with Jadoo’s N-Gen and IFS24 products. This is the first military program on which the two companies have chosen to collaborate. Efforts are also under way to develop similar fuel canisters for use in commercial applications. The program focuses on the development of an alternative fuel system based on Millennium Cell’s sodium borohydride technology and Jadoo’s N-Stor intelligent digital fuel interface. Initially, the IFS24 was powered by a metal hydride fuel canister storage technology. The new fuel canister, to be delivered in 2007, will be significantly lighter than the metal hydride system and will feature a disposable cartridge, offering users increased flexibility and convenience at a lower cost, say the companies. Jadoo supplies portable fuel cell power systems to sectors such as law enforcement and first responders, where battery back-up and support are critical. In addition, it is selling its fuel cell products in battery replacement markets such as professional broadcast video and the military. Millennium Cell’s Hydrogen on Demand® technology provides Jadoo with a high energy density, safe and cost-effective fuel system to complement its existing line of fuel cell power units. Jadoo’s approach of using a standard N-Stor interconnect on all of its fuel storage canisters should allow the new cartridges to be compatible with all of its existing fuel cell power products. ‘We are excited about integrating our hydrogen storage technology with the Jadoo Power N-Stor fuel interface,’ says Adam Briggs, president of Millennium Cell. ‘This will provide the military with a longer-lasting, lower-weight power source.’ Larry Bawden, president/CEO of Jadoo Power, adds: ‘Flexibility through standards is what consumers want. By using the N-Stor
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7