- Email: [email protected]
DOE appoints new members to hydrogen, fuel cell advisory team
NEWS China. Weichai is committing to build and supply at least 2000 PEM fuel cell modules for Chinese commercial vehicles by 2021. In addition, Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co Ltd – a current Ballard strategic investor and Chinese partner [FCB, August 2016, p9] – has agreed to invest a further approximately $20 million, to maintain its 9.9% ownership position in Ballard. The Weichai and BroadOcean equity investments in Ballard will total approximately $183 million. These transactions are expected to close by the end of 2018, subject to completion of definitive agreements, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. Weichai and Ballard will form a joint venture company based in Shandong Province, with Weichai and Ballard initially owning 51% and 49%, respectively. The JV will pay $90 million to Ballard under a technology transfer programme for the exclusive rights to manufacture Ballard’s next-generation LCS fuel cell stack and certain LCS-based modules for the bus, commercial truck, and forklift markets in China. The JV will exclusively purchase membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) from Ballard under a longterm supply agreement. Ballard will also retain an exclusive right to the transferred technologies outside China. Discussions are currently under way on Broad-Ocean acquiring a 10% ownership position in the JV, which would correspondingly reduce Ballard’s stake. Weichai Power is a leading automotive and equipment manufacturer specialising in the production of powertrains, automobiles, intelligent logistics, automotive parts and components. In 2017 the company manufactured more than 617 000 engines, 149 000 heavy-duty trucks, and 200 000 forklifts. It has also recently partnered with UK-based solid oxide fuel cell developer Ceres Power to develop an SOFC range-extender for the Chinese bus market [June 2018, p10], and made a significant equity investment to take a 10% stake in Ceres [July 2018, p11, and see the next item]. Meanwhile, Ballard has separately entered into a definitive agreement to divest certain non-core assets of its Protonex Technology subsidiary, related to the Power Manager business, to Revision Military Ltd, a private US-based company, for up to $16 million in cash. Ballard will retain certain assets related to fuel cell propulsion systems for military and commercial unmanned vehicles. Ballard acquired Massachusetts-based Protonex in 2015 [July 2015, p1], which included the Power Manager business, a Solid Oxide Fuel Cells business which was divested in January 2018 [February 2018, p11], and the unmanned vehicle business.
September 2018
Ballard Power Systems: www.ballard.com Weichai Power: http://en.weichaipower.com Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor: www.broad-ocean.com/en/index.html Revision Military Ltd: www.revisionmilitary.com
Ceres Power, Bosch in strategic collaboration, prepare for production
U
K-based Ceres Power and Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany have signed a strategic collaboration to build on Ceres’ low-cost SteelCell® solid oxide fuel cell technology, and combine their respective expertise in fuel cells, manufacturing, and product development to accelerate Ceres towards commercial production. The collaboration will further develop the technology, establish low-volume production at Bosch, and enable future scale-up and volume manufacturing of the 5 kW SteelCell SOFC stack for use in various applications, including small power sources for use in cities, factories, data centres, and charging points for electric vehicles. In addition, Bosch will make a £9 million (US$11.6 million) strategic equity investment in Ceres Power, equating to 4.4% of the expanded issued share capital. Ceres and Bosch have been working together through a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) first announced in January, although Bosch was not named at that time for confidentiality reasons [FCB, February 2018, p12]. The new Collaboration and Licence Agreement includes JDAs that will provide significant staged revenues to Ceres through technology transfer and licensing and longer-term royalties on 5 kW SteelCell stacks, as well as initial engineering services. The initial value to Ceres will be approximately £20 million ($25.7 million) by 2020, subject to performance criteria. Ceres Power and Bosch will work on making SOFC technology available for various applications, including small power stations for decentralised urban power supplies in cities and industrial areas. These highly flexible, standardised plants will be able to cover peak demand better and faster than conventional plants. The aim is for one SOFC module to generate 10 kW of electrical power, with multiple modules interconnected if higher output is required. The relationship with Bosch represents another key strategic relationship for Ceres Power, which is also working with Weichai
Power [June 2018, p10, and see the item above], Nissan [August 2018, p4], Honda [January 2016, p1], Cummins [April 2014, p10], and an unnamed global OEM [June 2017, p5] to embed the SteelCell stack into power systems for the business, data centre, electric vehicle, and residential markets. ‘The vision for our partnership with Bosch is to set a new industry standard for solid oxide fuel cells, leading to widespread adoption in distributed power supplies,’ says Ceres CEO Phil Caldwell. ‘By combining Ceres’ unique SteelCell technology with Bosch’s engineering, manufacturing and supply chain strength, we will establish a strong partnership that can make our technology even more competitive and prepare it for potential mass production.’ Ceres Power: www.cerespower.com Bosch Group: www.bosch.com
DOE appoints new members to hydrogen, fuel cell advisory team
T
he US Department of Energy recently appointed six new members to its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC), which provides technical and programmatic advice to the Energy Secretary on DOE’s hydrogen research, development, and demonstration efforts. HTAC includes representatives from domestic industry, academia, professional societies, government agencies, financial organisations, and environmental groups [FCB, November 2015, p10 and September 2016, p5]. The new additions bring the committee to 19 members. Their work is guided by a formal charter, which is renewed every two years. The new members are: • Henry Aszklar, Managing Director at Franklin Park Partners (www.frpark.com). • Marie Ffolkes, President of Industrial Gases – Americas at Air Products (www.airproducts. com/Products/Gases.aspx). • Nick Irvin, Director of Research & Development, Advanced Energy Systems, Cross Cutting Technology and Strategy at Southern Company (www.southerncompany.com). • Tony Leo, Vice President of Applications and Advanced Technology Development at FuelCell Energy (www.fuelcellenergy.com). • Andy Marsh, President and CEO at Plug Power (www.plugpower.com). • Dr Paul Rogers, Director of the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC, https://tardec.army.mil).
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
NEWS ‘The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee plays a significant role in contributing to a more efficient and clean energy infrastructure, by working to enable the widespread deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies through research, development, and validation efforts,’ says Chip Bottone, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy [see also page 5]. ‘Tony [Leo] makes an excellent addition to the HTAC with his long-term experience in the fuel cell industry, along with his extensive knowledge on large-scale global operations, energy regulations, clean distributed power generation, and hydrogen and fuel cell deployment.’ Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee: www.hydrogen.energy.gov/advisory_htac.html Biographies of all the HTAC members [PDF]: https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/htac_bios.pdf
Horiba Automotive Test Systems agrees to acquire FuelCon
G
erman fuel cell test station manufacturer FuelCon is being acquired by Horiba Automotive Test Systems, a leading supplier of engine, driveline, brake and emissions test systems. The acquisition will strengthen Horiba’s position as a leading solutions provider in the development of battery and fuel cell systems for electrified vehicles. FuelCon – founded in 2001 and based in Magdeburg-Barleben – is a leading manufacturer and supplier of R&D and endof-line (EOL) test beds and turnkey solutions for the e-mobility sector, with expertise in battery and fuel cell applications. The company is recognised for the design and manufacture of precision high-performance solutions, and is trusted for its deep technical know-how by global OEMs, Tier 1 companies, and international research laboratories. Earlier this year FuelCon delivered four high-performance fuel cell system test stations to an unnamed customer in Germany, for use in the development of automotive drivetrain systems [FCB, February 2018, p12]. And last summer it shipped an Evaluator S5-HT solid oxide fuel cell test station to NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio [August 2017, p10]. Joining the Horiba group of companies will allow FuelCon to respond 12
Fuel Cells Bulletin
to the growing need for development and validation solutions for increasingly complex vehicle test requirements, and to harness Horiba’s extensive international network. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory clearance. The acquisition represents a strategic move from the Horiba group – a Japanese manufacturer of precision instruments for measurement and analysis – to increase its presence in the vehicle electrification market. The purchase will enable Horiba to provide a comprehensive suite of test and development solutions across battery and fuel cell lifecycles. This will increase Horiba’s access to the growing global market requirement for e-mobility solutions, and capitalise on the growing demand for validation technologies. ‘We will now be able to offer an increasingly comprehensive suite of test and validation solutions for a full range of automotive propulsion technologies, moving from combustion engines to electrified powertrains,’ says Robert Plank, Chief Operating Officer of Horiba Europe GmbH. ‘By bringing FuelCon into the Horiba group of companies and developing their Magdeburg facility as our global centre of competence for fuel cell and battery test systems, we take another step in futureproofing our automotive business, and achieving our aim of becoming the number one partner for validating vehicle efficiency and performance.’ FuelCon: www.fuelcon.com/en Horiba Automotive Test Systems: https://tinyurl.com/horiba-auto-test
Nikola raises $100m+ in investment, plans major launch in spring
U
S-based Nikola Motor Company reports that it had raised more than $100 million in new investment by early August, and expected that its $200 million C round of funding would be oversubscribed. The privately owned company has also announced a 2019 event in Phoenix, Arizona, where it will unveil the latest Nikola products to its customers, suppliers, media and industry insiders. Nikola has been busy this year, including relocating from Salt Lake City, Utah to its new 150 000 sq ft (14 000 m2) headquarters in the Phoenix suburb of Buckeye. And it
kicked off plans to build the world’s largest hydrogen network in the US with Nel [FCB, July 2018, p9, and see page 10 in this issue], with more than 700 hydrogen refueling stations across the US and Canada by 2028; the first 14 stations will be in operation by 2021. Each station will be capable of producing up to 8000 kg/day of hydrogen. Nikola has also secured an order commitment from brewing giant Anheuser-Busch for 800 hydrogen-electric semi-trailer (articulated) trucks [May 2018, p4]. In addition, the company has developed what it says is the most energy-dense battery system on the market, with almost 400 Wh/ litre; worked with WABCO on electric vehicle stability controls and electric ABS systems; designed a thermo-management and HVAC (heating, ventilation, airconditioning) system with Mahle; and finalised a state-of-the-art independent suspension system for Class 8 trucks. Nikola unveiled its Nikola One™ semitrailer truck, powered by lithium batteries recharged by a 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell, in late 2016 [January 2017, p13], and has now engineered a 240 kW fuel cell. It is not clear whether this latest progress is with PowerCell Sweden, which was selected last autumn as the primary stack supplier for Nikola’s pre-production test vehicles [December 2017, p9]. In other news, the Nikola World event will take place 16–18 April 2019 in Phoenix [see the Events Calendar on page 20]. On 16 April, Nikola will unveil the Nikola Two™ pre-production hydrogen-electric semi-trailer truck, a 2.3 MW hydrogen station, and the Nikola NZT™ 4×4 vehicle, while the second day will be dedicated to demonstration drives and hydrogen refueling. The first two days of this free event are devoted to invitationonly Nikola reservation holders, suppliers, media and investors, while 18 April is for the public. Registration will open on 3 December. Nikola Motor Company: www.nikolamotor.com
Plug Power expands manufacturing, powers new Walmart fleet
U
S-based Plug Power has opened a new 38 400 sq ft (3600 m2) manufacturing facility at Clifton Park, a few miles from its headquarters in Latham in upstate New York. The company has also supplied GenDrive
September 2018
September 2018
Ballard Power Systems: www.ballard.com Weichai Power: http://en.weichaipower.com Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor: www.broad-ocean.com/en/index.html Revision Military Ltd: www.revisionmilitary.com
Ceres Power, Bosch in strategic collaboration, prepare for production
U
K-based Ceres Power and Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany have signed a strategic collaboration to build on Ceres’ low-cost SteelCell® solid oxide fuel cell technology, and combine their respective expertise in fuel cells, manufacturing, and product development to accelerate Ceres towards commercial production. The collaboration will further develop the technology, establish low-volume production at Bosch, and enable future scale-up and volume manufacturing of the 5 kW SteelCell SOFC stack for use in various applications, including small power sources for use in cities, factories, data centres, and charging points for electric vehicles. In addition, Bosch will make a £9 million (US$11.6 million) strategic equity investment in Ceres Power, equating to 4.4% of the expanded issued share capital. Ceres and Bosch have been working together through a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) first announced in January, although Bosch was not named at that time for confidentiality reasons [FCB, February 2018, p12]. The new Collaboration and Licence Agreement includes JDAs that will provide significant staged revenues to Ceres through technology transfer and licensing and longer-term royalties on 5 kW SteelCell stacks, as well as initial engineering services. The initial value to Ceres will be approximately £20 million ($25.7 million) by 2020, subject to performance criteria. Ceres Power and Bosch will work on making SOFC technology available for various applications, including small power stations for decentralised urban power supplies in cities and industrial areas. These highly flexible, standardised plants will be able to cover peak demand better and faster than conventional plants. The aim is for one SOFC module to generate 10 kW of electrical power, with multiple modules interconnected if higher output is required. The relationship with Bosch represents another key strategic relationship for Ceres Power, which is also working with Weichai
Power [June 2018, p10, and see the item above], Nissan [August 2018, p4], Honda [January 2016, p1], Cummins [April 2014, p10], and an unnamed global OEM [June 2017, p5] to embed the SteelCell stack into power systems for the business, data centre, electric vehicle, and residential markets. ‘The vision for our partnership with Bosch is to set a new industry standard for solid oxide fuel cells, leading to widespread adoption in distributed power supplies,’ says Ceres CEO Phil Caldwell. ‘By combining Ceres’ unique SteelCell technology with Bosch’s engineering, manufacturing and supply chain strength, we will establish a strong partnership that can make our technology even more competitive and prepare it for potential mass production.’ Ceres Power: www.cerespower.com Bosch Group: www.bosch.com
DOE appoints new members to hydrogen, fuel cell advisory team
T
he US Department of Energy recently appointed six new members to its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC), which provides technical and programmatic advice to the Energy Secretary on DOE’s hydrogen research, development, and demonstration efforts. HTAC includes representatives from domestic industry, academia, professional societies, government agencies, financial organisations, and environmental groups [FCB, November 2015, p10 and September 2016, p5]. The new additions bring the committee to 19 members. Their work is guided by a formal charter, which is renewed every two years. The new members are: • Henry Aszklar, Managing Director at Franklin Park Partners (www.frpark.com). • Marie Ffolkes, President of Industrial Gases – Americas at Air Products (www.airproducts. com/Products/Gases.aspx). • Nick Irvin, Director of Research & Development, Advanced Energy Systems, Cross Cutting Technology and Strategy at Southern Company (www.southerncompany.com). • Tony Leo, Vice President of Applications and Advanced Technology Development at FuelCell Energy (www.fuelcellenergy.com). • Andy Marsh, President and CEO at Plug Power (www.plugpower.com). • Dr Paul Rogers, Director of the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC, https://tardec.army.mil).
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
NEWS ‘The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee plays a significant role in contributing to a more efficient and clean energy infrastructure, by working to enable the widespread deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies through research, development, and validation efforts,’ says Chip Bottone, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy [see also page 5]. ‘Tony [Leo] makes an excellent addition to the HTAC with his long-term experience in the fuel cell industry, along with his extensive knowledge on large-scale global operations, energy regulations, clean distributed power generation, and hydrogen and fuel cell deployment.’ Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee: www.hydrogen.energy.gov/advisory_htac.html Biographies of all the HTAC members [PDF]: https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/htac_bios.pdf
Horiba Automotive Test Systems agrees to acquire FuelCon
G
erman fuel cell test station manufacturer FuelCon is being acquired by Horiba Automotive Test Systems, a leading supplier of engine, driveline, brake and emissions test systems. The acquisition will strengthen Horiba’s position as a leading solutions provider in the development of battery and fuel cell systems for electrified vehicles. FuelCon – founded in 2001 and based in Magdeburg-Barleben – is a leading manufacturer and supplier of R&D and endof-line (EOL) test beds and turnkey solutions for the e-mobility sector, with expertise in battery and fuel cell applications. The company is recognised for the design and manufacture of precision high-performance solutions, and is trusted for its deep technical know-how by global OEMs, Tier 1 companies, and international research laboratories. Earlier this year FuelCon delivered four high-performance fuel cell system test stations to an unnamed customer in Germany, for use in the development of automotive drivetrain systems [FCB, February 2018, p12]. And last summer it shipped an Evaluator S5-HT solid oxide fuel cell test station to NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio [August 2017, p10]. Joining the Horiba group of companies will allow FuelCon to respond 12
Fuel Cells Bulletin
to the growing need for development and validation solutions for increasingly complex vehicle test requirements, and to harness Horiba’s extensive international network. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory clearance. The acquisition represents a strategic move from the Horiba group – a Japanese manufacturer of precision instruments for measurement and analysis – to increase its presence in the vehicle electrification market. The purchase will enable Horiba to provide a comprehensive suite of test and development solutions across battery and fuel cell lifecycles. This will increase Horiba’s access to the growing global market requirement for e-mobility solutions, and capitalise on the growing demand for validation technologies. ‘We will now be able to offer an increasingly comprehensive suite of test and validation solutions for a full range of automotive propulsion technologies, moving from combustion engines to electrified powertrains,’ says Robert Plank, Chief Operating Officer of Horiba Europe GmbH. ‘By bringing FuelCon into the Horiba group of companies and developing their Magdeburg facility as our global centre of competence for fuel cell and battery test systems, we take another step in futureproofing our automotive business, and achieving our aim of becoming the number one partner for validating vehicle efficiency and performance.’ FuelCon: www.fuelcon.com/en Horiba Automotive Test Systems: https://tinyurl.com/horiba-auto-test
Nikola raises $100m+ in investment, plans major launch in spring
U
S-based Nikola Motor Company reports that it had raised more than $100 million in new investment by early August, and expected that its $200 million C round of funding would be oversubscribed. The privately owned company has also announced a 2019 event in Phoenix, Arizona, where it will unveil the latest Nikola products to its customers, suppliers, media and industry insiders. Nikola has been busy this year, including relocating from Salt Lake City, Utah to its new 150 000 sq ft (14 000 m2) headquarters in the Phoenix suburb of Buckeye. And it
kicked off plans to build the world’s largest hydrogen network in the US with Nel [FCB, July 2018, p9, and see page 10 in this issue], with more than 700 hydrogen refueling stations across the US and Canada by 2028; the first 14 stations will be in operation by 2021. Each station will be capable of producing up to 8000 kg/day of hydrogen. Nikola has also secured an order commitment from brewing giant Anheuser-Busch for 800 hydrogen-electric semi-trailer (articulated) trucks [May 2018, p4]. In addition, the company has developed what it says is the most energy-dense battery system on the market, with almost 400 Wh/ litre; worked with WABCO on electric vehicle stability controls and electric ABS systems; designed a thermo-management and HVAC (heating, ventilation, airconditioning) system with Mahle; and finalised a state-of-the-art independent suspension system for Class 8 trucks. Nikola unveiled its Nikola One™ semitrailer truck, powered by lithium batteries recharged by a 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell, in late 2016 [January 2017, p13], and has now engineered a 240 kW fuel cell. It is not clear whether this latest progress is with PowerCell Sweden, which was selected last autumn as the primary stack supplier for Nikola’s pre-production test vehicles [December 2017, p9]. In other news, the Nikola World event will take place 16–18 April 2019 in Phoenix [see the Events Calendar on page 20]. On 16 April, Nikola will unveil the Nikola Two™ pre-production hydrogen-electric semi-trailer truck, a 2.3 MW hydrogen station, and the Nikola NZT™ 4×4 vehicle, while the second day will be dedicated to demonstration drives and hydrogen refueling. The first two days of this free event are devoted to invitationonly Nikola reservation holders, suppliers, media and investors, while 18 April is for the public. Registration will open on 3 December. Nikola Motor Company: www.nikolamotor.com
Plug Power expands manufacturing, powers new Walmart fleet
U
S-based Plug Power has opened a new 38 400 sq ft (3600 m2) manufacturing facility at Clifton Park, a few miles from its headquarters in Latham in upstate New York. The company has also supplied GenDrive
September 2018