- Email: [email protected]
Hydrofueler to connect filling stations to natural gas supply
NEWS Back-up power is a compelling application for Plug’s PEM fuel cell technology. ‘We believe this application will deliver tremendous value to TIC’s customer base because of its expected extended run capability, low cost of ownership, quiet operation and low emissions,’ commented Mark Sperry, Plug’s chief marketing officer. Plug’s fuel cell systems offer an opportunity to build a new product in the premium power market, where TIC already supplies power quality technology to the telecom and IT industries. Contact: Plug Power Inc, 968 Albany-Shaker Road, Latham, NY 12110, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, Fax: +1 518 782 9060, www.plugpower.com Or contact: Toshiba International Corporation, 13131 West Little York Road, Houston, TX 77041, USA, Tel: +1 713 466 0277, Fax: +1 713 466 8773, www.tic.toshiba.com
Hydrofueler to connect filling stations to natural gas supply Researchers at the UK’s Warwick Process Technology Group are leading the international ‘Hydrofueler’ program to develop technology to connect normal vehicle filling stations to the regular natural gas supply, in order to fuel hydrogen-powered vehicles. The EC-funded 2.8m, three-year research program will run until the end of 2005, and has already drawn interest from ExxonMobil and BMW. One of the problems with using hydrogenpowered cars is keeping their fuel cells supplied with a ready source of hydrogen. The University of Warwick researchers believe that much of the necessary infrastructure already exists – the new technology could be fitted to pre-existing filling stations, which will then use it to produce hydrogen from the normal pre-existing natural gas pipeline supply system. However, a number of problems need to be resolved – in particular, how to produce hydrogen from natural gas in a confined space, using a simple, automated, remotely controlled process. Very large-scale industrial processes exist to produce hydrogen from natural gas, but these technologies cannot be scaled down to the compact size required in a filling station, and the costs of using these processes would be prohibitive. The new Warwick research solves these problems by a combination of innovative heatexchange technology, novel ways of managing and using heat and pressure within a reactor, novel compact plate reactor technology, and the use of new coated nanocrystaline catalysts to greatly
April 2003
increase reaction efficiency. These techniques will allow the development of a reactor around the size of three average office desks, which can be used in the confined space available on pre-existing filling station forecourts, and which will produce hydrogen at a cost-effective rate and without any emissions problems. The research will draw on technology developed by the University of Warwick Process Technology Group under its director, Dr Ashok Bhattacharya, and research partners Chart Heat Exchangers Ltd (Wolverhampton, UK), the French Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, the Foundation for Technical and Industrial Research (SINTEF) in Norway, the Italian National Research Council and catalyst specialist Dytech in Sheffield, UK. Another advantage of the technology proposed by the Warwick team is that the process employs a number of stages at which hydrogen reaches different rates of purity, in a single reactor. This is ideal, as different sorts of fuel cell will require different mixes of hydrogen. ‘This project aims to deliver a viable source of hydrogen for petrol stations, but the same techniques could equally provide sustainable solutions for businesses and the home,’ said Bhattacharya, adding that ‘by changing the project parameters, the same technology could be applied to other energy sources such as biofuels.’ Contact: Dr Gordon Smith, Project Director, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Advanced Technology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK. Tel: +44 24 7652 3784, Fax: +44 24 7652 3387, Email: [email protected], www.warwick.ac.uk/atc/materials Or contact: Dr A.K. Bhattacharya, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK. Tel: +44 24 7652 4201, Fax: +44 24 7641 8922, Email: [email protected]
Saibu Gas, Kyushu University form hydrogen fueling R&D partnership In Japan, Kyushu University’s Graduate School of Engineering and Saibu Gas in Fukuoka have established a comprehensive partnership to develop enabling technologies for the use of hydrogen from natural gas in fuel cells, according to a report in the Nikkei Business Daily. Saibu Gas has already developed technology for extracting hydrogen from natural gas. Working with the university, the company will use the technology to develop a practical
In Brief Fuel cell revenues continue to climb Several leading fuel cell companies have recently reported their financial results for the year to December 31, 2002. Plug Power, Hydrogenics and Ballard more than doubled full-year revenues, with mixed progress on net losses as they continue spending hard to develop their technologies and products. Plug Power continued creeping towards long-term viability with a 35% lower net loss in 2002, at US$47.2m compared with its 2001 loss of $73.1m, while revenues more than doubled, from $5.7m in 2001 to $11.8m in 2002. Net cash spending was $37.1m in 2002, including $815 000 related to its planned acquisition of H Power, compared to $55.5m in 2001. The company’s R&D expenditures combined with cost of revenues were $51.6m in 2002, down on the $71.9m it spent in 2001. Plug plans to release its first mass-market product in late 2003 or early 2004: an emergency power unit for telecoms companies and other businesses willing to pay a premium. Toronto-based Hydrogenics more than doubled its revenues in 2002, from US$7.4m in 2001 to $15.8m in 2002. While its net loss for 2002 was $20.6m (compared with a 2001 net loss of $2.8m), this includes $15.2m in non-cash amortization of intangibles; excluding this, the 2002 net loss was $5.4m. Gross profit for 2002 was $5.1m (32% of revenues), compared with $2.5m (33% of revenues) in 2001. Building on approximately $15m of confirmed orders, Hydrogenics – which recently acquired Greenlight – expects 2003 revenues of $30–32m, driven by sales growth in both test and power products. Revenues at Ballard Power Systems were US$90.9m in 2002, beating its expectation of $82m, and more than double its 2001 revenues of $36.2m. Net loss for 2002 was higher at $147.7m compared to a 2001 loss of $96.2m; excluding $27.5m in integration/restructuring costs related to its Xcellsis/Ecostar acquisition, the 2002 loss was $120.2m. The company expects revenues to continue to grow in 2003, to $110–120m. The company does not expect to turn a profit, on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, until late 2007. Free guides to nascent hydrogen fueling infrastructure worldwide Fuel Cell Today’s worldwide hydrogen fueling station report, combined with Fuel Cells 2000’s worldwide hydrogen fueling station reference chart, aim to show how FCVs and a supporting fuel infrastructure are being introduced in combination in California, Europe and Japan. The Fuel Cell Today report is available at: www.fuelcelltoday.com/surveys The Fuel Cells 2000 chart is available at: www.fuelcells.org/charts.htm
Fuel Cells Bulletin
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Hydrofueler to connect filling stations to natural gas supply Researchers at the UK’s Warwick Process Technology Group are leading the international ‘Hydrofueler’ program to develop technology to connect normal vehicle filling stations to the regular natural gas supply, in order to fuel hydrogen-powered vehicles. The EC-funded 2.8m, three-year research program will run until the end of 2005, and has already drawn interest from ExxonMobil and BMW. One of the problems with using hydrogenpowered cars is keeping their fuel cells supplied with a ready source of hydrogen. The University of Warwick researchers believe that much of the necessary infrastructure already exists – the new technology could be fitted to pre-existing filling stations, which will then use it to produce hydrogen from the normal pre-existing natural gas pipeline supply system. However, a number of problems need to be resolved – in particular, how to produce hydrogen from natural gas in a confined space, using a simple, automated, remotely controlled process. Very large-scale industrial processes exist to produce hydrogen from natural gas, but these technologies cannot be scaled down to the compact size required in a filling station, and the costs of using these processes would be prohibitive. The new Warwick research solves these problems by a combination of innovative heatexchange technology, novel ways of managing and using heat and pressure within a reactor, novel compact plate reactor technology, and the use of new coated nanocrystaline catalysts to greatly
April 2003
increase reaction efficiency. These techniques will allow the development of a reactor around the size of three average office desks, which can be used in the confined space available on pre-existing filling station forecourts, and which will produce hydrogen at a cost-effective rate and without any emissions problems. The research will draw on technology developed by the University of Warwick Process Technology Group under its director, Dr Ashok Bhattacharya, and research partners Chart Heat Exchangers Ltd (Wolverhampton, UK), the French Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, the Foundation for Technical and Industrial Research (SINTEF) in Norway, the Italian National Research Council and catalyst specialist Dytech in Sheffield, UK. Another advantage of the technology proposed by the Warwick team is that the process employs a number of stages at which hydrogen reaches different rates of purity, in a single reactor. This is ideal, as different sorts of fuel cell will require different mixes of hydrogen. ‘This project aims to deliver a viable source of hydrogen for petrol stations, but the same techniques could equally provide sustainable solutions for businesses and the home,’ said Bhattacharya, adding that ‘by changing the project parameters, the same technology could be applied to other energy sources such as biofuels.’ Contact: Dr Gordon Smith, Project Director, Warwick Manufacturing Group, Advanced Technology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK. Tel: +44 24 7652 3784, Fax: +44 24 7652 3387, Email: [email protected], www.warwick.ac.uk/atc/materials Or contact: Dr A.K. Bhattacharya, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK. Tel: +44 24 7652 4201, Fax: +44 24 7641 8922, Email: [email protected]
Saibu Gas, Kyushu University form hydrogen fueling R&D partnership In Japan, Kyushu University’s Graduate School of Engineering and Saibu Gas in Fukuoka have established a comprehensive partnership to develop enabling technologies for the use of hydrogen from natural gas in fuel cells, according to a report in the Nikkei Business Daily. Saibu Gas has already developed technology for extracting hydrogen from natural gas. Working with the university, the company will use the technology to develop a practical
In Brief Fuel cell revenues continue to climb Several leading fuel cell companies have recently reported their financial results for the year to December 31, 2002. Plug Power, Hydrogenics and Ballard more than doubled full-year revenues, with mixed progress on net losses as they continue spending hard to develop their technologies and products. Plug Power continued creeping towards long-term viability with a 35% lower net loss in 2002, at US$47.2m compared with its 2001 loss of $73.1m, while revenues more than doubled, from $5.7m in 2001 to $11.8m in 2002. Net cash spending was $37.1m in 2002, including $815 000 related to its planned acquisition of H Power, compared to $55.5m in 2001. The company’s R&D expenditures combined with cost of revenues were $51.6m in 2002, down on the $71.9m it spent in 2001. Plug plans to release its first mass-market product in late 2003 or early 2004: an emergency power unit for telecoms companies and other businesses willing to pay a premium. Toronto-based Hydrogenics more than doubled its revenues in 2002, from US$7.4m in 2001 to $15.8m in 2002. While its net loss for 2002 was $20.6m (compared with a 2001 net loss of $2.8m), this includes $15.2m in non-cash amortization of intangibles; excluding this, the 2002 net loss was $5.4m. Gross profit for 2002 was $5.1m (32% of revenues), compared with $2.5m (33% of revenues) in 2001. Building on approximately $15m of confirmed orders, Hydrogenics – which recently acquired Greenlight – expects 2003 revenues of $30–32m, driven by sales growth in both test and power products. Revenues at Ballard Power Systems were US$90.9m in 2002, beating its expectation of $82m, and more than double its 2001 revenues of $36.2m. Net loss for 2002 was higher at $147.7m compared to a 2001 loss of $96.2m; excluding $27.5m in integration/restructuring costs related to its Xcellsis/Ecostar acquisition, the 2002 loss was $120.2m. The company expects revenues to continue to grow in 2003, to $110–120m. The company does not expect to turn a profit, on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization, until late 2007. Free guides to nascent hydrogen fueling infrastructure worldwide Fuel Cell Today’s worldwide hydrogen fueling station report, combined with Fuel Cells 2000’s worldwide hydrogen fueling station reference chart, aim to show how FCVs and a supporting fuel infrastructure are being introduced in combination in California, Europe and Japan. The Fuel Cell Today report is available at: www.fuelcelltoday.com/surveys The Fuel Cells 2000 chart is available at: www.fuelcells.org/charts.htm
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3