- Email: [email protected]
FCE boosts sales to Korean partner, nears Asian manufacturing
NEWS fuel system developed by UK-based Cella Energy [FCB, August 2015, p3]. American University of Sharjah, Department of Mechanical Engineering: http://tinyurl.com/aus-mecheng
and public sector customers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York [FCB, August 2015, p1]. Bloom Energy Corporation, Sunnyvale, California, USA. Tel: +1 408 543 1500, www.bloomenergy.com Vapor IO: www.vapor.io
LARGE STATIONARY
Doosan fuel cell helps Vapor IO, Bloom to California college cut offer distributed green water consumption data centres globally
T
exas-based Vapor IO, which provides intelligent, ‘hyper modular data centre’ solutions, has announced a global partnership with Bloom Energy to reduce the cost and increase the efficiencies of distributed ‘green’ data centres. The partnership will couple the clean and modular nature of Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cell technology with Vapor IO’s hypercollapsed, data-defined data centre solutions, to offer industry-leading modular data centres with low emissions. This joint solution will be available in the first quarter of 2016. The partnership will result in a reference architecture utilising the modular and fully featured Vapor Chamber, a hyper collapsed data centre design, and Bloom Energy’s SOFC technology. This agreement also allows Bloom Energy to leverage the Vapor IO CORE application programming interface (API) for increased agility and situational awareness of data centre operating costs. ‘Our goal of partnering with Vapor IO is to better enable companies around the globe to adopt green data centres,’ explains Peter Gross, VP of mission-critical systems at Bloom Energy. ‘We look forward to working with the Vapor IO team to support cutting-edge data centre design that helps organisations meet their sustainability goals, while also achieving the reliability and cost-competitiveness demanded by the industry today.’ Bloom Energy Servers produce more than 150 MW for major companies and organisations in the US and Japan [FCB, April 2015, p7], including a 6 MW deployment at an eBay data centre in Utah [FCB, October 2013, p3], and installations in Japan through its joint venture with SoftBank [FCB, July 2014, p6]. Bloom recently installed a 1 MW power plant in a biogas fuel cell project at Equinix’s SV5 International Business Exchange™ data centre in Silicon Valley, California [FCB, June 2015, p6], and agreed with Constellation to develop 40 MW of SOFC projects for commercial 4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
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onnecticut-based Doosan Fuel Cell has completed the installation of a PureCell® Model 400 power plant at Norco College, part of the Riverside Community College District in southern California. Unlike conventional grid energy that consumes water for cooling, Doosan’s PureCell phosphoric acid fuel cell operates with zero water consumption, reducing the campus’s impact on water usage in the drought-stricken region by 1.4 million gallons per annum. The fuel cell installation comes on the heels of California Governor Jerry Brown mandating a 25% reduction of water usage in the state. ‘Our partnership with Doosan will provide cleaner power, allowing us to take control of our college’s energy portfolio while minimising water consumption on campus,’ says Laurens Thurman, consultant of facilities planning and development for the Riverside Community College District, which oversees three campuses, including Norco College. The Norco College installation, which is expected to provide 60% of the campus’s average daily requirements for electricity, represents the 25th PureCell system in California. In total, Doosan fuel cell systems are supplying more than 10 MW of energy capacity (enough to power more than 7500 average US households) and an estimated annual water saving of 35 million gallons. ‘Fuel cell technology is a burgeoning energy alternative on college campuses across the country, offering clean, predictable onsite power,’ says Kent McCord, director of marketing with Doosan. ‘Our PureCell systems are proven bestof-breed in this segment. They offer reliability, with 98% system uptime across our deployed base – a performance unmatched in the fuel cell industry – and the ability to convert waste heat into chilled water for space cooling.’ Doosan FC came into existence last summer [FCB, August 2014, p1], as a new subsidiary of Korean-based industrial conglomerate Doosan Corporation following its acquisition of ClearEdge Power [FCB, July 2014, p5]. The
company is focusing primarily on the PureCell Model 400 stationary products that ClearEdge Power acquired from UTC Power in early 2013 [FCB, January 2013, p8, and see the PureCell feature in FCB, February 2012]. Doosan was recently selected by Korea South-East Power Co Ltd to provide 13 PureCell Model 400 power plants for the utility’s plant in Bundang, and won a Model 400 order for a Connecticut Transit (CTtransit) facility in Hamden [FCB, July 2015, p7], and for two Model 400 units for Amgraph Packaging in Baltic, Connecticut [FCB, August 2015, p6]. Doosan Fuel Cell America, South Windsor, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 860 727 2200, www.doosanfuelcell.com Norco College: www.norcocollege.edu
FCE boosts sales to Korean partner, nears Asian manufacturing
U
S-based FuelCell Energy has sold 5.6 MW of molten carbonate fuel cell modules to its South Korean partner POSCO Energy, to meet growing Asian market demand. With POSCO Energy’s fuel cell manufacturing facility on schedule to commence commercial production this autumn, Asian manufacturing volume is expected to support additional cost reductions globally. The 5.6 MW sale – which has now been delivered – is in addition to ongoing fuel cell kit sales under the existing multi-year contract [FCB, November 2012, p5], and will help meet growing fuel cell demand in Asia. FuelCell Energy recognised the revenue from this sale in its third fiscal quarter of 2015 (to 31 July). POSCO Energy’s MCFC component manufacturing building in Pohang, South Korea is complete, and is concluding preproduction testing with full production expected to begin shortly. Raw materials have been ordered and delivered from the supply chain shared with FuelCell Energy. FCE’s global integrated supply chain serves the new POSCO Energy manufacturing facility in Korea in addition to the existing North American and European facilities; production in Asia will lead to higher purchasing volumes, resulting in more favourable supplier pricing. ‘This second manufacturing site provides both flexibility of supply as well as redundancy of supply as capacity is added to support growth,’ says Chip Bottone, president and CEO of FuelCell Energy. ‘This manufacturing initiative is
September 2015
NEWS / FUEL CELL SEMINAR a key aspect for supporting global adoption and driving production volume to reduce costs, and our utilisation of one common fuel cell platform worldwide enables these initiatives.’ ‘A key aspect of our continued cost reductions is reducing the per-unit cost of raw materials and componentry, which is coming from higher production volumes,’ adds Tony Rauseo, COO of FuelCell Energy. ‘Our two organisations are closely coordinating purchasing, and FuelCell Energy is placing combined volume purchase orders to ensure tight purchasing integration to drive down costs, and receiving compensation from POSCO Energy for procurement services rendered.’ South Korea is keen on utility-scale fuel cell parks, to benefit from ultraclean distributed generation that enhances electric grid resilience, supports economic development, and highlights progress towards national low-carbon goals [FCB, October 2014, p4]. Eighteen fuel cell parks are operating in 13 cities, generating over 140 MW for the electric grid, including the world’s largest fuel cell park at 59 MW in Hwaseong City, south of Seoul [FCB, March 2014, p6]. This rapidly expanding installed base also provides long-term service opportunities to POSCO Energy and FuelCell Energy. FuelCell Energy, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fuelcellenergy.com POSCO Energy: http://eng.poscoenergy.com
Hydrogenics fuel cell power for Honolulu port in Sandia project
T
he Maritime Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project in Hawaii has kicked off, to test a hydrogen fuel cell powered generator as an alternative to conventional diesel generators [FCB, March 2014, p7]. The project, at the Port of Honolulu facility of Young Brothers Ltd, is led by Sandia National Laboratories. Planning for the pilot project began in late 2012, with a study that determined that hydrogen fuel cells could replace diesel generators in providing auxiliary power onboard and to ships at berth [FCB, May 2013, p11]. An analysis by Sandia and DOE showed that due to fluctuating loads in maritime auxiliary power applications, a hydrogen fuel cell – which only supplies power when it is needed – is more energy-efficient than a diesel engine. Hydrogenics designed and built the prototype hydrogen fuel cell generator, comprising four 30 kW PEM fuel cells, a hydrogen storage system and power-conversion equipment, all packaged in a 20 ft (6 m)
September 2015
shipping container. With 75 kg of onboard hydrogen storage, the generator has enough energy to power 10 refrigerated containers for 20 continuous hours of operation. The unit is already providing power to refrigerated containers onshore. Soon it will begin powering the same refrigerated containers on board Young Brothers’ barges that distribute goods to Hawaii’s other islands. ‘Young Brothers will be testing and demonstrating this technology on our onshore and ocean environments over the next six months,’ says the company’s president, Glenn Hong. Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu is supplying the hydrogen to power the fuel cell. The hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, using electricity supplied by Hickam’s solar-powered electric grid. The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, next door to the city of Honolulu, also operates a containerised 100 kW HyPM-OH outdoor hydrogen PEM fuel cell power system supplied by Hydrogenics [FCB, November 2012, p6]. Following the six-month test of the fuel cell unit, the project team will analyse the project’s successes and challenges, including the operating and cost parameters needed to make a business case at other ports. The deployment is funded by the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office and the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. ‘The long-range goal is to develop a commercial-ready technology that can be widely used at other ports,’ says Sandia’s project lead, Joe Pratt. ‘The project team sees a strong market need and desire for a fuel cell solution, not only at maritime ports but also for users who aren’t connected to a grid. That could extend to developing countries and remote locations worldwide.’ Sandia, Maritime Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project: http://tinyurl.com/sandia-maritime-h2fc Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Young Brothers Ltd: www.htbyb.com US Maritime Administration: www.marad.dot.gov
PORTABLE & MICRO
Military order for SFC, launches EFOY GO! for outdoor activities
G
erman-based SFC Energy has received another order from an international defence force, to deliver Jenny 1200 portable direct methanol fuel cells for use by soldiers in multiday missions. SFC has also begun sales
2015 Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition The 2015 Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition will take place 16–19 November at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California. This year’s event will bring together more than 1000 delegates from around the world representing the entire fuel cell industry supply chain, including stack, component and system manufacturers, hydrogen technology suppliers, fuel producers and distributors, as well as government laboratories, research organisations, and NGOs. Programme now available The programme of sessions is now available, with plenary sessions each morning followed by up to six parallel tracks in the technical sessions: UÊ / iÊ Fuel Cell Applications track includes sessions on SOFC applications, Power generation systems & hybridisation, Fuel cell buses, Cogeneration & polygeneration, Vehicle applications of fuel cells, Fuel cell bus development & applications, and Infrastructure & refueling. UÊ / iÊFuels and Renewable Energy track covers Hydrogen generation, Renewable hydrogen, and Flow battery technology development. UÊ / iÊFuel Cell Industry Status & Analysis track has sessions on Public policy for fuel cell & related technologies, Cost, Reforming, US fuel cell supply chain, Infrastructure & refueling, Market perspectives, and Fuel cell stack technology. UÊ / iÊ Fuel Cell Technology Development track covers PAFC and MCFC systems, Balance of plant, SOFC technology development, Fuel cell electrocatalysts, SOFCs, Alkaline exchange membrane technology development, Fuel cell bipolar plates, Fuel cell modeling and characterisation, Fuel cell APU backup power development, Electrochemical technology R&D, and Fuel cell development from cell components to systems. The Opening Plenary is being given by Jon Slangerup, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, with other plenary speakers to be announced shortly. The meeting opens on Monday with the free short courses on Hydrogen Fueling Best Practices for Fuel Cell Transit Buses (morning) and Fuel Cells 101 (afternoon), and closes on Thursday afternoon with the Southern California Fuel Cell Installation and Hydrogen Station Tour 2015. The Exhibit Hall will again be a focal point of the Fuel Cell Seminar, hosting many of the conference’s main attractions, including the welcome reception, coffee & snack breaks, exhibitor presentations, and product demonstrations. More information: www.fuelcellseminar.com
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5
and public sector customers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York [FCB, August 2015, p1]. Bloom Energy Corporation, Sunnyvale, California, USA. Tel: +1 408 543 1500, www.bloomenergy.com Vapor IO: www.vapor.io
LARGE STATIONARY
Doosan fuel cell helps Vapor IO, Bloom to California college cut offer distributed green water consumption data centres globally
T
exas-based Vapor IO, which provides intelligent, ‘hyper modular data centre’ solutions, has announced a global partnership with Bloom Energy to reduce the cost and increase the efficiencies of distributed ‘green’ data centres. The partnership will couple the clean and modular nature of Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cell technology with Vapor IO’s hypercollapsed, data-defined data centre solutions, to offer industry-leading modular data centres with low emissions. This joint solution will be available in the first quarter of 2016. The partnership will result in a reference architecture utilising the modular and fully featured Vapor Chamber, a hyper collapsed data centre design, and Bloom Energy’s SOFC technology. This agreement also allows Bloom Energy to leverage the Vapor IO CORE application programming interface (API) for increased agility and situational awareness of data centre operating costs. ‘Our goal of partnering with Vapor IO is to better enable companies around the globe to adopt green data centres,’ explains Peter Gross, VP of mission-critical systems at Bloom Energy. ‘We look forward to working with the Vapor IO team to support cutting-edge data centre design that helps organisations meet their sustainability goals, while also achieving the reliability and cost-competitiveness demanded by the industry today.’ Bloom Energy Servers produce more than 150 MW for major companies and organisations in the US and Japan [FCB, April 2015, p7], including a 6 MW deployment at an eBay data centre in Utah [FCB, October 2013, p3], and installations in Japan through its joint venture with SoftBank [FCB, July 2014, p6]. Bloom recently installed a 1 MW power plant in a biogas fuel cell project at Equinix’s SV5 International Business Exchange™ data centre in Silicon Valley, California [FCB, June 2015, p6], and agreed with Constellation to develop 40 MW of SOFC projects for commercial 4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
C
onnecticut-based Doosan Fuel Cell has completed the installation of a PureCell® Model 400 power plant at Norco College, part of the Riverside Community College District in southern California. Unlike conventional grid energy that consumes water for cooling, Doosan’s PureCell phosphoric acid fuel cell operates with zero water consumption, reducing the campus’s impact on water usage in the drought-stricken region by 1.4 million gallons per annum. The fuel cell installation comes on the heels of California Governor Jerry Brown mandating a 25% reduction of water usage in the state. ‘Our partnership with Doosan will provide cleaner power, allowing us to take control of our college’s energy portfolio while minimising water consumption on campus,’ says Laurens Thurman, consultant of facilities planning and development for the Riverside Community College District, which oversees three campuses, including Norco College. The Norco College installation, which is expected to provide 60% of the campus’s average daily requirements for electricity, represents the 25th PureCell system in California. In total, Doosan fuel cell systems are supplying more than 10 MW of energy capacity (enough to power more than 7500 average US households) and an estimated annual water saving of 35 million gallons. ‘Fuel cell technology is a burgeoning energy alternative on college campuses across the country, offering clean, predictable onsite power,’ says Kent McCord, director of marketing with Doosan. ‘Our PureCell systems are proven bestof-breed in this segment. They offer reliability, with 98% system uptime across our deployed base – a performance unmatched in the fuel cell industry – and the ability to convert waste heat into chilled water for space cooling.’ Doosan FC came into existence last summer [FCB, August 2014, p1], as a new subsidiary of Korean-based industrial conglomerate Doosan Corporation following its acquisition of ClearEdge Power [FCB, July 2014, p5]. The
company is focusing primarily on the PureCell Model 400 stationary products that ClearEdge Power acquired from UTC Power in early 2013 [FCB, January 2013, p8, and see the PureCell feature in FCB, February 2012]. Doosan was recently selected by Korea South-East Power Co Ltd to provide 13 PureCell Model 400 power plants for the utility’s plant in Bundang, and won a Model 400 order for a Connecticut Transit (CTtransit) facility in Hamden [FCB, July 2015, p7], and for two Model 400 units for Amgraph Packaging in Baltic, Connecticut [FCB, August 2015, p6]. Doosan Fuel Cell America, South Windsor, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 860 727 2200, www.doosanfuelcell.com Norco College: www.norcocollege.edu
FCE boosts sales to Korean partner, nears Asian manufacturing
U
S-based FuelCell Energy has sold 5.6 MW of molten carbonate fuel cell modules to its South Korean partner POSCO Energy, to meet growing Asian market demand. With POSCO Energy’s fuel cell manufacturing facility on schedule to commence commercial production this autumn, Asian manufacturing volume is expected to support additional cost reductions globally. The 5.6 MW sale – which has now been delivered – is in addition to ongoing fuel cell kit sales under the existing multi-year contract [FCB, November 2012, p5], and will help meet growing fuel cell demand in Asia. FuelCell Energy recognised the revenue from this sale in its third fiscal quarter of 2015 (to 31 July). POSCO Energy’s MCFC component manufacturing building in Pohang, South Korea is complete, and is concluding preproduction testing with full production expected to begin shortly. Raw materials have been ordered and delivered from the supply chain shared with FuelCell Energy. FCE’s global integrated supply chain serves the new POSCO Energy manufacturing facility in Korea in addition to the existing North American and European facilities; production in Asia will lead to higher purchasing volumes, resulting in more favourable supplier pricing. ‘This second manufacturing site provides both flexibility of supply as well as redundancy of supply as capacity is added to support growth,’ says Chip Bottone, president and CEO of FuelCell Energy. ‘This manufacturing initiative is
September 2015
NEWS / FUEL CELL SEMINAR a key aspect for supporting global adoption and driving production volume to reduce costs, and our utilisation of one common fuel cell platform worldwide enables these initiatives.’ ‘A key aspect of our continued cost reductions is reducing the per-unit cost of raw materials and componentry, which is coming from higher production volumes,’ adds Tony Rauseo, COO of FuelCell Energy. ‘Our two organisations are closely coordinating purchasing, and FuelCell Energy is placing combined volume purchase orders to ensure tight purchasing integration to drive down costs, and receiving compensation from POSCO Energy for procurement services rendered.’ South Korea is keen on utility-scale fuel cell parks, to benefit from ultraclean distributed generation that enhances electric grid resilience, supports economic development, and highlights progress towards national low-carbon goals [FCB, October 2014, p4]. Eighteen fuel cell parks are operating in 13 cities, generating over 140 MW for the electric grid, including the world’s largest fuel cell park at 59 MW in Hwaseong City, south of Seoul [FCB, March 2014, p6]. This rapidly expanding installed base also provides long-term service opportunities to POSCO Energy and FuelCell Energy. FuelCell Energy, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fuelcellenergy.com POSCO Energy: http://eng.poscoenergy.com
Hydrogenics fuel cell power for Honolulu port in Sandia project
T
he Maritime Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project in Hawaii has kicked off, to test a hydrogen fuel cell powered generator as an alternative to conventional diesel generators [FCB, March 2014, p7]. The project, at the Port of Honolulu facility of Young Brothers Ltd, is led by Sandia National Laboratories. Planning for the pilot project began in late 2012, with a study that determined that hydrogen fuel cells could replace diesel generators in providing auxiliary power onboard and to ships at berth [FCB, May 2013, p11]. An analysis by Sandia and DOE showed that due to fluctuating loads in maritime auxiliary power applications, a hydrogen fuel cell – which only supplies power when it is needed – is more energy-efficient than a diesel engine. Hydrogenics designed and built the prototype hydrogen fuel cell generator, comprising four 30 kW PEM fuel cells, a hydrogen storage system and power-conversion equipment, all packaged in a 20 ft (6 m)
September 2015
shipping container. With 75 kg of onboard hydrogen storage, the generator has enough energy to power 10 refrigerated containers for 20 continuous hours of operation. The unit is already providing power to refrigerated containers onshore. Soon it will begin powering the same refrigerated containers on board Young Brothers’ barges that distribute goods to Hawaii’s other islands. ‘Young Brothers will be testing and demonstrating this technology on our onshore and ocean environments over the next six months,’ says the company’s president, Glenn Hong. Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu is supplying the hydrogen to power the fuel cell. The hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, using electricity supplied by Hickam’s solar-powered electric grid. The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, next door to the city of Honolulu, also operates a containerised 100 kW HyPM-OH outdoor hydrogen PEM fuel cell power system supplied by Hydrogenics [FCB, November 2012, p6]. Following the six-month test of the fuel cell unit, the project team will analyse the project’s successes and challenges, including the operating and cost parameters needed to make a business case at other ports. The deployment is funded by the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office and the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. ‘The long-range goal is to develop a commercial-ready technology that can be widely used at other ports,’ says Sandia’s project lead, Joe Pratt. ‘The project team sees a strong market need and desire for a fuel cell solution, not only at maritime ports but also for users who aren’t connected to a grid. That could extend to developing countries and remote locations worldwide.’ Sandia, Maritime Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project: http://tinyurl.com/sandia-maritime-h2fc Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Young Brothers Ltd: www.htbyb.com US Maritime Administration: www.marad.dot.gov
PORTABLE & MICRO
Military order for SFC, launches EFOY GO! for outdoor activities
G
erman-based SFC Energy has received another order from an international defence force, to deliver Jenny 1200 portable direct methanol fuel cells for use by soldiers in multiday missions. SFC has also begun sales
2015 Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition The 2015 Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition will take place 16–19 November at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California. This year’s event will bring together more than 1000 delegates from around the world representing the entire fuel cell industry supply chain, including stack, component and system manufacturers, hydrogen technology suppliers, fuel producers and distributors, as well as government laboratories, research organisations, and NGOs. Programme now available The programme of sessions is now available, with plenary sessions each morning followed by up to six parallel tracks in the technical sessions: UÊ / iÊ Fuel Cell Applications track includes sessions on SOFC applications, Power generation systems & hybridisation, Fuel cell buses, Cogeneration & polygeneration, Vehicle applications of fuel cells, Fuel cell bus development & applications, and Infrastructure & refueling. UÊ / iÊFuels and Renewable Energy track covers Hydrogen generation, Renewable hydrogen, and Flow battery technology development. UÊ / iÊFuel Cell Industry Status & Analysis track has sessions on Public policy for fuel cell & related technologies, Cost, Reforming, US fuel cell supply chain, Infrastructure & refueling, Market perspectives, and Fuel cell stack technology. UÊ / iÊ Fuel Cell Technology Development track covers PAFC and MCFC systems, Balance of plant, SOFC technology development, Fuel cell electrocatalysts, SOFCs, Alkaline exchange membrane technology development, Fuel cell bipolar plates, Fuel cell modeling and characterisation, Fuel cell APU backup power development, Electrochemical technology R&D, and Fuel cell development from cell components to systems. The Opening Plenary is being given by Jon Slangerup, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, with other plenary speakers to be announced shortly. The meeting opens on Monday with the free short courses on Hydrogen Fueling Best Practices for Fuel Cell Transit Buses (morning) and Fuel Cells 101 (afternoon), and closes on Thursday afternoon with the Southern California Fuel Cell Installation and Hydrogen Station Tour 2015. The Exhibit Hall will again be a focal point of the Fuel Cell Seminar, hosting many of the conference’s main attractions, including the welcome reception, coffee & snack breaks, exhibitor presentations, and product demonstrations. More information: www.fuelcellseminar.com
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5