- Email: [email protected]
Delphi breaks DOE SOFC cost barrier
NEWS zero-emission vehicle, the Honda FCX, for fuel economy and emissions. The EPA’s National Vehicle & Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan is the first federal facility capable of testing and certifying a fuel cell vehicle for emissions and fuel economy. As with any new motor vehicle that will be sold in the US, EPA has responsibility to certify each model as complying with all emission standards. EPA is also working with the Department of Energy, the fuels industry, the automotive industry and state agencies to address the many infrastructure challenges to make hydrogen affordable and easily accessible as fuel cell vehicles of all types begin to be more broadly available. Further study of fuel cell technology will be an important aspect of EPA’s partnership with DOE and its national FreedomCAR program, as well as the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Fuel Cell Committee.
D-80995 München, Germany. Tel: +49 89 1580 2057, Fax: +49 89 1580 3228, www.man-nutzfahrzeuge.de Or contact: Deere & Company, One John Deere Place, Moline, IL 61265-8098, USA. Tel: +1 309 765 8000, www.deere.com
Delphi breaks DOE SOFC cost barrier
Contact: Dynetek Industries Ltd, 4410 – 46th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3N7, Canada. Tel: +1 403 720 0262, Fax: +1 403 720 0263, www.dynetek.com
The US Department of Energy has announced that Delphi Automotive Systems is ahead of schedule on meeting the DOE’s cost and performance criteria for solid oxide fuel cell auxiliary power unit technology. DOE’s Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) and Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) had previously identified Delphi as a leader in this area. In 2001, DOE entered into a 10-year, $138m cost-sharing program with Delphi and its partner Battelle to develop and test an SOFC auxiliary power unit (APU) that can be massproduced at low cost for commercial and military applications. Delphi and the US government are sharing the cost of the program. ‘Delphi has taken the lead in making solid oxide fuel cell technology viable for the commercial market,’ said Dr Gary McVay, deputy associate lab director for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Energy Division. NETL and PNNL are the two DOE labs responsible for technical coordination of SECA. ‘Others have attempted to develop these kind of fuel cells in the past, but none of them have been commercialized because of their high cost. The major advantage of Delphi is that their engineers live and breathe this stuff. They have the ability and the expertise to make low-cost, high-volume products, and that’s precisely what’s needed with alternate energy sources. While OEMs will ultimately offer fuel cell-containing vehicles, auto suppliers are absolutely critical in developing the technology.’ Delphi’s second-generation SOFC auxiliary power unit weighs 70 kg and displaces 44 liters. ‘Our new technology represents a 75% reduction in mass and volume over Delphi’s first-generation unit, which makes commercial applications more economically viable,’ said Rodney O’Neal, president of Delphi Dynamics, Propulsion & Thermal sector. The company’s technology is designed to generate auxiliary electric power for passenger, commercial and military applications, as well as serving as a stationary power unit. The unit is designed to generate 5 kWe, enough to provide baseline power in many applications.
Or contact: MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Engineering Advanced Development, Dachauer Strasse 667,
Contact: Delphi Automotive Systems, 4800 South Saginaw Street, PO Box 1360, Flint, MI 48501-1360,
Contact: Environmental Protection Agency, National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL), 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA. Tel: +1 734 214 4200, www.epa.gov/otaq/01-nvfel.htm Or contact: Honda R&D Americas Inc, 1900 Harpers Way, Torrance, CA 90501-2746, USA. Tel: +1 310 781 5500, www.honda.com
Dynetek hydrogen storage for fuel cell buses, John Deere Calgary-based Dynetek Industries has won two contracts to supply its high-pressure hydrogen storage systems for fuel cell buses in Germany, and for the previously reported [FCB, February 2003] John Deere fuel cell demonstrator utility vehicle. Dynetek’s 100% owned European subsidiary, Dynetek Europe GmbH, will deliver two complete 350 bar (5000 psi) hydrogen storage systems to MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG in the second quarter of this year. MAN is developing new fuel cell buses for the hydrogen project at Munich airport. Dynetek will also supply its 350 bar hydrogen storage system for John Deere’s technology demonstrator fuel cell-powered commercial work vehicle (CWV) – a modified Pro-Gator™ utility vehicle – now under development.
April 2003
In Brief Dana adds Japanese team for FCV R&D US autoparts manufacturer Dana Corporation is to start developing fuel cell vehicle technologies in Japan, according to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The company will set up a special team at its development facility in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture by the end of 2003, to jointly develop automotive components for FCVs with Toyota and Honda. Dana plans to expand its research team from an initial 15 staff for what will be the company’s fourth global development facility for fuel cell technology. Engineers at its three existing Fuel Cell Support Centers in the US, Germany and Canada are working on more than 50 fuel cell projects with residential, commercial and automotive partners. In Tennessee technology is being developed for composite bipolar plates molded to net shape, manifolds and integrated seals. German engineers are developing metal bipolar plates with special coatings, high-temperature flow field channels, high-temperature seals and heat shields. In Ontario engineers are developing thermal management for fuel processors, water condensers, pre-heaters and complete cooling modules with integral fans and motors. The Japanese team will develop parts for stacks or power generation components, hydrogen supply equipment and electric drivetrain components. CaFCP fleet vehicle demo questionnaire The California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento has started to gather information from those interested in helping to test and operate fuel cell electric vehicles and related infrastructure in real-world conditions, via a new web-based questionnaire. Information is sought on fleet use, typical routes, experience, on-site support facilities and funding resources. The questionnaire allows managers of public or private-sector vehicle fleets to submit information and express interest in serving as an FCV fleet demonstration site. CaFCP’s automotive members, which have already begun introducing limited numbers of vehicles into real day-to-day applications, may use the data as a source of potential fleet participants. Automakers will select sites based on specific criteria and expectations, including experience with alternative fuels, community commitment, and willingness to dedicate resources. To access the questionnaire, go to: www.fuelcellpartnership.org (in ‘New Online’ section)
DOE launches revised EERE website The website for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE, formerly EREN), has a new URL: www.eere.energy.gov. The Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program is the first to offer easier navigation and enhanced accessibility.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS USA. Tel: +1 248 813 3792, Fax: +1 248 813 4876, www.delphiauto.com Or contact: Dr Gary McVay, Deputy Associate Lab Director, Energy Division, Battelle – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999/MS K7-20, Richland, WA 99352, USA. Tel: +1 509 375 3762, Email: [email protected], www.seca.doe.gov
FCT signs California contract with AQMD Ottawa-based Fuel Cell Technologies has signed a contract for 10 residential solid oxide fuel cell units for California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). In May 2002 AQMD chose FCT to negotiate a contract to supply 10 fuel cell power systems for the first California clean air demonstration of fuel cells in homes. AQMD and FCT have now signed the contract, with the first deliveries scheduled for later this year. The contract is scheduled to run through 2005, during which time FCT will install, then operate and maintain the residential fuel cells for two years. FCT’s planned range of 1 kWe to 50 kWe SOFC products will provide on-site electricity and heat for homes, small commercial enterprises and remote locations, and can operate on any of several readily available fuels. Contact: Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd, 20 Binnington Court, Kingston, Ontario K7M 8S3, Canada. Tel: +1 613 544 8222, Fax: +1 613 544 5150, www.fct.ca Or contact: South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, USA. Tel: +1 909 396 2000, www.aqmd.gov
UTC Fuel Cells, Nissan to collaborate on PEMFCs Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co and UTC Fuel Cells (UTCFC) in Connecticut have signed an agreement to jointly develop PEM fuel cell technology for automotive applications. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Under the agreement, Nissan will obtain rights to UTCFC’s technology, although UTCFC will continue its separate development efforts with other automakers. UTCFC, part of United Technologies’ UTC Power unit, will also have rights to any intellectual property jointly developed by the two companies for use in nonautomotive applications, including commercial stationary power plants. Nissan is already testing fuel cell vehicles on US roads within the California Fuel Cell 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Partnership, equipped with fuel cell engines made by Ballard Power Systems. But Ballard’s tight control of its intellectual property has meant that Nissan cannot obtain detailed information on the stacks used in the vehicles. The Japanese automaker will first include UTCFC fuel cells in its own vehicles to be released on a limited basis later this year, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun in Tokyo. The companies will also exchange engineers to jointly research high-performance fuel cells. Nissan plans to jointly invest ¥85 billion (US$720m) in R&D with French automaker Renault SA over five years to commercialize fuel cell vehicles. But Nissan aims to develop its own products with technology developed with UTCFC. Contact: UTC Fuel Cells, 195 Governor’s Highway, South Windsor, CT 06074, USA. Tel: +1 860 727 2200, Fax: +1 860 727 2319, www.utcfuelcells.com Or contact: Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Nissan Research Center, 1 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 237-8523, Japan. Tel: +81 468 675331, Fax: +81 468 675332, www.nissan.co.jp
Proton hydrogen generator for German fuel cell bus program Connecticut-based Proton Energy Systems has supplied a Hogen® 380 hydrogen generator for a hydrogen and renewable energy project in Barth, on Germany’s Baltic coast. The system, delivered last November, was commissioned and successfully passed acceptance testing in February. The hydrogen generator will be used to compress and store high-pressure hydrogen – up to 380 standard cubic feet per hour – for a fuel cell-powered bus, which will be operated by local bus company Wolters-Ostseebus GmbH for visitors in a nearby national park. The fuel cell manufacturer was not identified, although a number of fuel cell manufacturers have been providing information to the project, coordinated by Professor Jochen Lehmann at the Fachhochschule Stralsund. The oxygen byproduct from the unit will be used to increase Barth’s wastewater treatment capacity by adding oxygen to its biological wastewater treatment system, as part of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern regional government’s Hydrogen Initiative. The Barth environmental site will also incorporate solar panels for zero-emission electricity generation. Proton’s European distributor, Diamond Lite SA in Switzerland, supplied much of the equipment for the project.
Contact: Proton Energy Systems Inc, 10 Technology Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492, USA. Tel: +1 203 678 2000, Fax: +1 203 949 8016, www.protonenergy.com Or contact: Professor Jochen Lehmann, FB Elektrotechnik und Informatik, Fachhochschule Stralsund, Zur Schwedenschanze 15, D-18435 Stralsund, Germany. Tel: +49 3831 456703, Fax: +49 3831 456687, Email: [email protected]
HotModule enters industrial service at Michelin The first high-temperature MTU ‘HotModule’ fuel cell system for industrial service has begun operation at the Michelin tire works in Karlsruhe, Germany where it will undergo field-testing under everyday operating conditions. The clean electrical and thermal energy the power plant offers is crucial in view of the tire work’s location in the center of Karlsruhe. The startup marks a new stage in the commercialization of the molten carbonate technology, after more than 10 years of development. The power plant, which is being operated on the Michelin site by EnBW Energie BadenWürttemberg, Germany’s third-largest energy company, will supply both electricity and process steam for a number of industrial purposes, such as tire vulcanization. The fuel cells in the power plant were manufactured by US-based FuelCell Energy and shipped to MTU for incorporation into its HotModule power plant. The Michelin location is well suited for longterm fuel cell testing because the tire works operates a three-shift system and continually needs steam. The potential inherent in the simultaneous production of heat and electrical energy (cogeneration) can therefore be used to its best advantage and the fuel cell operated at base load. The HotModule will be operated with natural gas, but it can accept other fuels. The HotModule system has been developed by the New Technology division of MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, a DaimlerChrysler subsidiary specializing in very large diesel engines, and is based on FuelCell Energy’s Direct FuelCell® molten carbonate fuel cells. MTU stresses that the HotModule – which produces some 230 kW net electric power and 180 kW of thermal energy, at a total utilization efficiency of >90% – is already comparatively mature in design and construction and relatively cheap to manufacture. The planned target for series production run-up is 2006. Ten HotModule plants have been installed at field-test locations so far, eight of which are still
April 2003
D-80995 München, Germany. Tel: +49 89 1580 2057, Fax: +49 89 1580 3228, www.man-nutzfahrzeuge.de Or contact: Deere & Company, One John Deere Place, Moline, IL 61265-8098, USA. Tel: +1 309 765 8000, www.deere.com
Delphi breaks DOE SOFC cost barrier
Contact: Dynetek Industries Ltd, 4410 – 46th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3N7, Canada. Tel: +1 403 720 0262, Fax: +1 403 720 0263, www.dynetek.com
The US Department of Energy has announced that Delphi Automotive Systems is ahead of schedule on meeting the DOE’s cost and performance criteria for solid oxide fuel cell auxiliary power unit technology. DOE’s Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) and Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) had previously identified Delphi as a leader in this area. In 2001, DOE entered into a 10-year, $138m cost-sharing program with Delphi and its partner Battelle to develop and test an SOFC auxiliary power unit (APU) that can be massproduced at low cost for commercial and military applications. Delphi and the US government are sharing the cost of the program. ‘Delphi has taken the lead in making solid oxide fuel cell technology viable for the commercial market,’ said Dr Gary McVay, deputy associate lab director for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Energy Division. NETL and PNNL are the two DOE labs responsible for technical coordination of SECA. ‘Others have attempted to develop these kind of fuel cells in the past, but none of them have been commercialized because of their high cost. The major advantage of Delphi is that their engineers live and breathe this stuff. They have the ability and the expertise to make low-cost, high-volume products, and that’s precisely what’s needed with alternate energy sources. While OEMs will ultimately offer fuel cell-containing vehicles, auto suppliers are absolutely critical in developing the technology.’ Delphi’s second-generation SOFC auxiliary power unit weighs 70 kg and displaces 44 liters. ‘Our new technology represents a 75% reduction in mass and volume over Delphi’s first-generation unit, which makes commercial applications more economically viable,’ said Rodney O’Neal, president of Delphi Dynamics, Propulsion & Thermal sector. The company’s technology is designed to generate auxiliary electric power for passenger, commercial and military applications, as well as serving as a stationary power unit. The unit is designed to generate 5 kWe, enough to provide baseline power in many applications.
Or contact: MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Engineering Advanced Development, Dachauer Strasse 667,
Contact: Delphi Automotive Systems, 4800 South Saginaw Street, PO Box 1360, Flint, MI 48501-1360,
Contact: Environmental Protection Agency, National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL), 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA. Tel: +1 734 214 4200, www.epa.gov/otaq/01-nvfel.htm Or contact: Honda R&D Americas Inc, 1900 Harpers Way, Torrance, CA 90501-2746, USA. Tel: +1 310 781 5500, www.honda.com
Dynetek hydrogen storage for fuel cell buses, John Deere Calgary-based Dynetek Industries has won two contracts to supply its high-pressure hydrogen storage systems for fuel cell buses in Germany, and for the previously reported [FCB, February 2003] John Deere fuel cell demonstrator utility vehicle. Dynetek’s 100% owned European subsidiary, Dynetek Europe GmbH, will deliver two complete 350 bar (5000 psi) hydrogen storage systems to MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG in the second quarter of this year. MAN is developing new fuel cell buses for the hydrogen project at Munich airport. Dynetek will also supply its 350 bar hydrogen storage system for John Deere’s technology demonstrator fuel cell-powered commercial work vehicle (CWV) – a modified Pro-Gator™ utility vehicle – now under development.
April 2003
In Brief Dana adds Japanese team for FCV R&D US autoparts manufacturer Dana Corporation is to start developing fuel cell vehicle technologies in Japan, according to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The company will set up a special team at its development facility in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture by the end of 2003, to jointly develop automotive components for FCVs with Toyota and Honda. Dana plans to expand its research team from an initial 15 staff for what will be the company’s fourth global development facility for fuel cell technology. Engineers at its three existing Fuel Cell Support Centers in the US, Germany and Canada are working on more than 50 fuel cell projects with residential, commercial and automotive partners. In Tennessee technology is being developed for composite bipolar plates molded to net shape, manifolds and integrated seals. German engineers are developing metal bipolar plates with special coatings, high-temperature flow field channels, high-temperature seals and heat shields. In Ontario engineers are developing thermal management for fuel processors, water condensers, pre-heaters and complete cooling modules with integral fans and motors. The Japanese team will develop parts for stacks or power generation components, hydrogen supply equipment and electric drivetrain components. CaFCP fleet vehicle demo questionnaire The California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento has started to gather information from those interested in helping to test and operate fuel cell electric vehicles and related infrastructure in real-world conditions, via a new web-based questionnaire. Information is sought on fleet use, typical routes, experience, on-site support facilities and funding resources. The questionnaire allows managers of public or private-sector vehicle fleets to submit information and express interest in serving as an FCV fleet demonstration site. CaFCP’s automotive members, which have already begun introducing limited numbers of vehicles into real day-to-day applications, may use the data as a source of potential fleet participants. Automakers will select sites based on specific criteria and expectations, including experience with alternative fuels, community commitment, and willingness to dedicate resources. To access the questionnaire, go to: www.fuelcellpartnership.org (in ‘New Online’ section)
DOE launches revised EERE website The website for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE, formerly EREN), has a new URL: www.eere.energy.gov. The Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program is the first to offer easier navigation and enhanced accessibility.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS USA. Tel: +1 248 813 3792, Fax: +1 248 813 4876, www.delphiauto.com Or contact: Dr Gary McVay, Deputy Associate Lab Director, Energy Division, Battelle – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999/MS K7-20, Richland, WA 99352, USA. Tel: +1 509 375 3762, Email: [email protected], www.seca.doe.gov
FCT signs California contract with AQMD Ottawa-based Fuel Cell Technologies has signed a contract for 10 residential solid oxide fuel cell units for California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). In May 2002 AQMD chose FCT to negotiate a contract to supply 10 fuel cell power systems for the first California clean air demonstration of fuel cells in homes. AQMD and FCT have now signed the contract, with the first deliveries scheduled for later this year. The contract is scheduled to run through 2005, during which time FCT will install, then operate and maintain the residential fuel cells for two years. FCT’s planned range of 1 kWe to 50 kWe SOFC products will provide on-site electricity and heat for homes, small commercial enterprises and remote locations, and can operate on any of several readily available fuels. Contact: Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd, 20 Binnington Court, Kingston, Ontario K7M 8S3, Canada. Tel: +1 613 544 8222, Fax: +1 613 544 5150, www.fct.ca Or contact: South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, USA. Tel: +1 909 396 2000, www.aqmd.gov
UTC Fuel Cells, Nissan to collaborate on PEMFCs Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co and UTC Fuel Cells (UTCFC) in Connecticut have signed an agreement to jointly develop PEM fuel cell technology for automotive applications. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Under the agreement, Nissan will obtain rights to UTCFC’s technology, although UTCFC will continue its separate development efforts with other automakers. UTCFC, part of United Technologies’ UTC Power unit, will also have rights to any intellectual property jointly developed by the two companies for use in nonautomotive applications, including commercial stationary power plants. Nissan is already testing fuel cell vehicles on US roads within the California Fuel Cell 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
Partnership, equipped with fuel cell engines made by Ballard Power Systems. But Ballard’s tight control of its intellectual property has meant that Nissan cannot obtain detailed information on the stacks used in the vehicles. The Japanese automaker will first include UTCFC fuel cells in its own vehicles to be released on a limited basis later this year, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun in Tokyo. The companies will also exchange engineers to jointly research high-performance fuel cells. Nissan plans to jointly invest ¥85 billion (US$720m) in R&D with French automaker Renault SA over five years to commercialize fuel cell vehicles. But Nissan aims to develop its own products with technology developed with UTCFC. Contact: UTC Fuel Cells, 195 Governor’s Highway, South Windsor, CT 06074, USA. Tel: +1 860 727 2200, Fax: +1 860 727 2319, www.utcfuelcells.com Or contact: Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Nissan Research Center, 1 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 237-8523, Japan. Tel: +81 468 675331, Fax: +81 468 675332, www.nissan.co.jp
Proton hydrogen generator for German fuel cell bus program Connecticut-based Proton Energy Systems has supplied a Hogen® 380 hydrogen generator for a hydrogen and renewable energy project in Barth, on Germany’s Baltic coast. The system, delivered last November, was commissioned and successfully passed acceptance testing in February. The hydrogen generator will be used to compress and store high-pressure hydrogen – up to 380 standard cubic feet per hour – for a fuel cell-powered bus, which will be operated by local bus company Wolters-Ostseebus GmbH for visitors in a nearby national park. The fuel cell manufacturer was not identified, although a number of fuel cell manufacturers have been providing information to the project, coordinated by Professor Jochen Lehmann at the Fachhochschule Stralsund. The oxygen byproduct from the unit will be used to increase Barth’s wastewater treatment capacity by adding oxygen to its biological wastewater treatment system, as part of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern regional government’s Hydrogen Initiative. The Barth environmental site will also incorporate solar panels for zero-emission electricity generation. Proton’s European distributor, Diamond Lite SA in Switzerland, supplied much of the equipment for the project.
Contact: Proton Energy Systems Inc, 10 Technology Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492, USA. Tel: +1 203 678 2000, Fax: +1 203 949 8016, www.protonenergy.com Or contact: Professor Jochen Lehmann, FB Elektrotechnik und Informatik, Fachhochschule Stralsund, Zur Schwedenschanze 15, D-18435 Stralsund, Germany. Tel: +49 3831 456703, Fax: +49 3831 456687, Email: [email protected]
HotModule enters industrial service at Michelin The first high-temperature MTU ‘HotModule’ fuel cell system for industrial service has begun operation at the Michelin tire works in Karlsruhe, Germany where it will undergo field-testing under everyday operating conditions. The clean electrical and thermal energy the power plant offers is crucial in view of the tire work’s location in the center of Karlsruhe. The startup marks a new stage in the commercialization of the molten carbonate technology, after more than 10 years of development. The power plant, which is being operated on the Michelin site by EnBW Energie BadenWürttemberg, Germany’s third-largest energy company, will supply both electricity and process steam for a number of industrial purposes, such as tire vulcanization. The fuel cells in the power plant were manufactured by US-based FuelCell Energy and shipped to MTU for incorporation into its HotModule power plant. The Michelin location is well suited for longterm fuel cell testing because the tire works operates a three-shift system and continually needs steam. The potential inherent in the simultaneous production of heat and electrical energy (cogeneration) can therefore be used to its best advantage and the fuel cell operated at base load. The HotModule will be operated with natural gas, but it can accept other fuels. The HotModule system has been developed by the New Technology division of MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, a DaimlerChrysler subsidiary specializing in very large diesel engines, and is based on FuelCell Energy’s Direct FuelCell® molten carbonate fuel cells. MTU stresses that the HotModule – which produces some 230 kW net electric power and 180 kW of thermal energy, at a total utilization efficiency of >90% – is already comparatively mature in design and construction and relatively cheap to manufacture. The planned target for series production run-up is 2006. Ten HotModule plants have been installed at field-test locations so far, eight of which are still
April 2003