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Hydrogenics for first renewable hydrogen-based energy storage, power plant in SE Asia
NEWS hydrogen vehicle, including validation of the fueling process and fuel quality control at the station. It uses a risk-informed and evidencebased approach to guide its requirements to achieve the same minimum level of safety as conventional fueling stations. ISO/TS 19880-1:2016 supersedes the earlier ISO/TS 20100:2008, and is part of a series of standards covering the critical components necessary for a hydrogen refueling station. The members of ISO/TC 197 – the ISO Technical Committee for Hydrogen Technologies – are already working on the next step, the development of an International Standard, to be published in 2017. This work is led by Working Group (WG24) co-convenors Jesse Schneider (BMW) and Guy Dang-Nhu (Air Liquide), with ITM Power’s Nick Hart as secretary. Another hydrogen station standard in widespread use is SAE J2601, Fueling Protocols for Light Duty Gaseous Hydrogen Surface Vehicles, which serves as the baseline worldwide for hydrogen stations for refueling FCEVs [FCB, August 2014, p7]. ISO/TS 19880-1:2016: www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:ts:19880:-1:ed-1:v1:en ISO/TC 197 Hydrogen Technologies: www.iso.org/iso/iso_technical_ committee?commid=54560 EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cpt/ index_en.htm
DOE funding $14m to advance hydrogen fuel technologies
T
he US Department of Energy has announced up to $14 million in funding to further develop hydrogen fuel technologies, including advanced high-temperature water splitting, advanced compression, and thermal insulation. DOE has also launched the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Nexus, an online tool to promote the industry’s limited supplier base. DOE recognises that for cost-competitive transportation, hydrogen must be comparable to conventional fuels and technologies on a per-mile basis. Its current target is to reduce the cost of producing and delivering hydrogen to less than $4 per gallon of gas equivalent (gge) by 2020, and to $7/gge for early markets. To help achieve these targets, DOE has selected the following High Temperature Water Splitting projects:
August 2016
sä Ceramatec in Salt Lake City, Utah will improve the performance of durable materials for high-temperature water splitting stack technology, by developing a novel cell architecture that introduces macro-features to provide mechanical support for a thin electrolyte, and electrode micro-features to reduce polarisation losses. sä FuelCell Energy in Danbury, Connecticut will demonstrate the potential of solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) systems to produce hydrogen at a cost of $2 per kg. sä Giner in Newton, Massachusetts will develop high-temperature alkaline water electrolysers with improved electrical efficiency at a reduced cost. Advanced Compression projects: sä Giner will also demonstrate a cost-effective method for compressing hydrogen without mechanical compressors, which can have significant reliability issues. sä Greenway Energy LLC in Aiken, South Carolina will work to overcome the reliability issues of mechanical compression and the efficiency challenges of solid-state compression technologies. This project will combine Electrochemical Hydrogen Compression (EHC) and Metal Hydride Compression (MHC) into a new hybrid solid-state hydrogen compressor. sä Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California will investigate and demonstrate a lab-scale, two-stage, metal hydride-based hydrogen gas compressor. Thermal Insulation project: sä Vencore Services and Solutions in Reston, Virginia will apply integrated cryogenic tank approaches and novel technologies developed by NASA’s Cryogenics Test Laboratory, to build an integrated subscale insulation system prototype that demonstrates the heat leak targets applicable to cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks for commercial FCEVs. In addition, to overcome the problem of a limited supplier base, DOE has launched the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Nexus (HFCNexus), an online tool for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, developed through a current DOEfunded project by Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This business-to-business website will connect fuel cell and hydrogen technology developers with potential suppliers, acting as a resource for finding necessary equipment such as hoses, nozzles, and meters. DOE has also announced $13 million for several projects under the Fuel Cell Consortium for Performance and Durability (FC-PAD) and Hydrogen Materials–Advanced Research
Consortium (HyMARC), to accelerate innovation in advanced hydrogen storage and fuel cell performance and durability [see page 10]. DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Office: http://tinyurl.com/doe-fcto Hydrogen Fuel Cell Nexus: www.hfcnexus.com
ENERGY STORAGE
Hydrogenics for first renewable hydrogenbased energy storage, power plant in SE Asia
C
anadian-based Hydrogenics, along with Phraram 2 Civil Engineering Co Ltd (PCE) in Bangkok, has been awarded the Lam Ta Khong Wind Hydrogen Hybrid Project by the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT). This will be the first MW-scale energy storage project in southeast Asia. The facility, located in the substation area of the Lam Ta Khong Wind Turbine Generation Project in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, will consist of Hydrogenics’ ultra-compact 1 MW HyLyzer® PEM electrolyser, hydrogen storage, and a HyPM® fuel cell plant. Hydrogenics’ share of the project is worth approximately E4.3 million (US$4.8 million). PCE will provide the services required to implement the technology supplied by Hydrogenics. The installation will use the HyLyzer to convert excess electricity from wind to hydrogen during off-peak hours, and this hydrogen will then be used by the HyPM fuel cell plant to generate 300 kW of electricity for EGAT’s energy-neutral Learning Center, as needed. ‘There is great untapped potential for wind and solar energy storage worldwide, and Thailand is leading the path towards sustainability in southeast Asia,’ says Daryl Wilson, CEO and president of Hydrogenics. Hydrogenics is a leading developer and provider of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products and services. The company has previously supplied a 1 MW electrolyser Powerto-Gas (P2G) system for RH2-WKA at a 140 MW wind farm at Grapzow in Germany [FCB, October 2013, p8], and a 1.5 MW electrolyser P2G energy storage system for German electric utility E.ON in Hamburg [November 2015, p9]. It will also supply a 1 MW PEM electrolyser for the EU-funded HyBalance project in Denmark, to produce hydrogen from excess wind-generated energy and enable
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS grid balancing services [March 2016, p8]. Last autumn it signed several deals to bring its fuel cell and hydrogen refueling station technology to China, including using its P2G energy storage technology for converting wind energy and other forms of surplus electricity to hydrogen [November 2015, p1]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Phraram 2 Civil Engineering Co Ltd: www.pce.co.th/index.php?lang=en
COMMERCIALISATION
Ballard signs Synergy deals to produce bus stacks, backup power systems in China
C
anadian-based Ballard Power Systems has signed definitive agreements with Guangdong Nation Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co Ltd, to manufacture PEM fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty vehicles as well as hydrogen fuel cell backup power systems in China. The biggest deal, worth a minimum of US$168 million over five years, will establish an FCvelocity®-9SSL fuel cell stack production operation in Yunfu, in Guangdong Province. The stacks will be packaged into locally assembled fuel cell engines and integrated into zero-emission buses and commercial vehicles in China. Synergy and Ballard have signed a strategic collaboration framework agreement with Broad-Ocean for market and product development for hydrogen FCEVs in China, including buses and commercial vehicles [see page 9]. (Ballard has also just signed a follow-on Technology Solutions contract with an unnamed global automotive OEM [see page 2].) Under this transaction Ballard will receive $18.4 million in Technology Solutions revenue for technology transfer services, production equipment specification and procurement services, training and commissioning support in relation to the establishment of a production line in Yunfu for the manufacture and assembly of FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stacks, with most of this revenue expected to be recognised in 2017. On closing of the transaction, expected in late 2016, a joint venture – owned 90% by Synergy and 10% by Ballard – will be created to undertake the stack manufacturing operations. Ballard will be the exclusive
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
supplier of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) for each stack manufactured by the joint venture, with minimum annual MEA volume commitments totaling in excess of $150 million over the initial five-year term from 2017 to 2021. Ballard will maintain all MEA production at its Vancouver facility. The joint venture will have an exclusive right to manufacture and sell FCvelocity-9SSL stacks in China. Exclusivity will be subject to certain joint venture performance criteria. Ballard will have the exclusive right to purchase fuel cell stacks and sub-components from the joint venture for sale outside China. Ballard has also signed a definitive Technology Solutions agreement that will enable Synergy to exclusively manufacture and sell Ballard’s direct hydrogen FCgen®-H2PM fuel cell backup power systems in China. Ballard will license the designs of its 1.7 and 5 kW FCgen-H2PM systems to Synergy for manufacture in Yunfu, and exclusive sales in China. Synergy has paid Ballard an upfront Technology Solutions fee of $2.5 million for the licence and related technology services, and will make additional recurring payments to Ballard for each unit sold, subject to annual minimums. Ballard will also be the exclusive supplier of air-cooled PEM fuel cell stacks to Synergy for use in the FCgen-H2PM systems that it produces and sells. Ballard recently sold its methanol telecom backup power business assets to ChungHsin Electric & Machinery Manufacturing Corporation (CHEM) in Taiwan, while retaining its direct hydrogen fuel cell backup power system assets [FCB, May 2016, p1]. The direct hydrogen fuel cell backup power system has since been rebranded FCgen-H2PM [July 2016, p4]. The CHEM deal includes a stack supply agreement worth at least $2 million. Ballard and Synergy have previously signed a number of important deals, which include licensing and equipment supply agreements for fuel cell power modules, parts kits, and stacks for buses in China. Last autumn they signed the largest fuel cell bus agreement so far, to deploy 300 buses in the cities of Foshan and Yunfu [FCB, October 2015, p2]. Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com
AFC finalises system engineering, HAZOP on 10 kW alkaline unit
U
K-based AFC Energy has completed design and basic
engineering of its new 10 kW alkaline fuel cell system, including accompanying balance-of-plant. This represents Milestone 4 of the company’s 2016 strategic milestones, and is well ahead of the original August schedule [FCB, March 2016, p6]. Completion of AFC’s 10 kW system design and basic engineering includes a thorough examination of all safety aspects and functions of the system, using the Hazard Operability (HAZOP) methodology for process hazard assessment. The HAZOP was conducted at the company’s Dunsfold site in late June, with participants from AFC, German engineering consultancy plantIng GmbH, and independent fuel cell and hydrogen consultancy Efficientics, which chaired the proceedings. Detailed engineering and procurement will now commence, ensuring the system will be deployable in 2016. Project management, process engineering, procurement, design, and construction management are all within the remit of plantIng’s engineering team, closely supported by AFC’s staff in accordance with the two companies’ strategic partnership agreement [FCB, March 2016, p6]. AFC also reports that work relating to Milestone 5, on its larger-scale 1 MW system, is progressing to schedule. The initial conceptual design phase was completed by plantIng at the end of June, and is now under internal review at AFC Energy. The concept engineering phase will help establish the design and operating principles of AFC’s new large-scale system, and is a prerequisite for the system’s basic design and engineering. The product, which could be sized up to 1.2 MW in a containerised and modular system, is designed to be scalable to customer specifications, and is suitable for multi-MW installations. The design of this system builds on the extensive experience accrued by AFC and plantIng during the Power-Up project and AFC Energy’s previous systems earlier this year, as well as from the Beta and KORE modules [FCB, February 2016, p4, and see the AFC Energy feature in December 2015]. ‘We continue to hold discussions with commercial parties interested in the whole range of fuel cell systems currently being developed by AFC Energy, including this 10 kW system,’ says CEO Adam Bond. ‘Delivery of the small-scale system’s basic engineering in such a tight timeframe is further validation of the decision to collaborate with our strategic partner plantIng.’ AFC has also just signed a Joint Development Agreement with Italian company De Nora, to target technological enhancements to AFC’s alkaline fuel cell system [see page 1].
August 2016
DOE funding $14m to advance hydrogen fuel technologies
T
he US Department of Energy has announced up to $14 million in funding to further develop hydrogen fuel technologies, including advanced high-temperature water splitting, advanced compression, and thermal insulation. DOE has also launched the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Nexus, an online tool to promote the industry’s limited supplier base. DOE recognises that for cost-competitive transportation, hydrogen must be comparable to conventional fuels and technologies on a per-mile basis. Its current target is to reduce the cost of producing and delivering hydrogen to less than $4 per gallon of gas equivalent (gge) by 2020, and to $7/gge for early markets. To help achieve these targets, DOE has selected the following High Temperature Water Splitting projects:
August 2016
sä Ceramatec in Salt Lake City, Utah will improve the performance of durable materials for high-temperature water splitting stack technology, by developing a novel cell architecture that introduces macro-features to provide mechanical support for a thin electrolyte, and electrode micro-features to reduce polarisation losses. sä FuelCell Energy in Danbury, Connecticut will demonstrate the potential of solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) systems to produce hydrogen at a cost of $2 per kg. sä Giner in Newton, Massachusetts will develop high-temperature alkaline water electrolysers with improved electrical efficiency at a reduced cost. Advanced Compression projects: sä Giner will also demonstrate a cost-effective method for compressing hydrogen without mechanical compressors, which can have significant reliability issues. sä Greenway Energy LLC in Aiken, South Carolina will work to overcome the reliability issues of mechanical compression and the efficiency challenges of solid-state compression technologies. This project will combine Electrochemical Hydrogen Compression (EHC) and Metal Hydride Compression (MHC) into a new hybrid solid-state hydrogen compressor. sä Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California will investigate and demonstrate a lab-scale, two-stage, metal hydride-based hydrogen gas compressor. Thermal Insulation project: sä Vencore Services and Solutions in Reston, Virginia will apply integrated cryogenic tank approaches and novel technologies developed by NASA’s Cryogenics Test Laboratory, to build an integrated subscale insulation system prototype that demonstrates the heat leak targets applicable to cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks for commercial FCEVs. In addition, to overcome the problem of a limited supplier base, DOE has launched the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Nexus (HFCNexus), an online tool for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, developed through a current DOEfunded project by Virginia Clean Cities at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This business-to-business website will connect fuel cell and hydrogen technology developers with potential suppliers, acting as a resource for finding necessary equipment such as hoses, nozzles, and meters. DOE has also announced $13 million for several projects under the Fuel Cell Consortium for Performance and Durability (FC-PAD) and Hydrogen Materials–Advanced Research
Consortium (HyMARC), to accelerate innovation in advanced hydrogen storage and fuel cell performance and durability [see page 10]. DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Office: http://tinyurl.com/doe-fcto Hydrogen Fuel Cell Nexus: www.hfcnexus.com
ENERGY STORAGE
Hydrogenics for first renewable hydrogenbased energy storage, power plant in SE Asia
C
anadian-based Hydrogenics, along with Phraram 2 Civil Engineering Co Ltd (PCE) in Bangkok, has been awarded the Lam Ta Khong Wind Hydrogen Hybrid Project by the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT). This will be the first MW-scale energy storage project in southeast Asia. The facility, located in the substation area of the Lam Ta Khong Wind Turbine Generation Project in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, will consist of Hydrogenics’ ultra-compact 1 MW HyLyzer® PEM electrolyser, hydrogen storage, and a HyPM® fuel cell plant. Hydrogenics’ share of the project is worth approximately E4.3 million (US$4.8 million). PCE will provide the services required to implement the technology supplied by Hydrogenics. The installation will use the HyLyzer to convert excess electricity from wind to hydrogen during off-peak hours, and this hydrogen will then be used by the HyPM fuel cell plant to generate 300 kW of electricity for EGAT’s energy-neutral Learning Center, as needed. ‘There is great untapped potential for wind and solar energy storage worldwide, and Thailand is leading the path towards sustainability in southeast Asia,’ says Daryl Wilson, CEO and president of Hydrogenics. Hydrogenics is a leading developer and provider of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products and services. The company has previously supplied a 1 MW electrolyser Powerto-Gas (P2G) system for RH2-WKA at a 140 MW wind farm at Grapzow in Germany [FCB, October 2013, p8], and a 1.5 MW electrolyser P2G energy storage system for German electric utility E.ON in Hamburg [November 2015, p9]. It will also supply a 1 MW PEM electrolyser for the EU-funded HyBalance project in Denmark, to produce hydrogen from excess wind-generated energy and enable
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS grid balancing services [March 2016, p8]. Last autumn it signed several deals to bring its fuel cell and hydrogen refueling station technology to China, including using its P2G energy storage technology for converting wind energy and other forms of surplus electricity to hydrogen [November 2015, p1]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Phraram 2 Civil Engineering Co Ltd: www.pce.co.th/index.php?lang=en
COMMERCIALISATION
Ballard signs Synergy deals to produce bus stacks, backup power systems in China
C
anadian-based Ballard Power Systems has signed definitive agreements with Guangdong Nation Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co Ltd, to manufacture PEM fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty vehicles as well as hydrogen fuel cell backup power systems in China. The biggest deal, worth a minimum of US$168 million over five years, will establish an FCvelocity®-9SSL fuel cell stack production operation in Yunfu, in Guangdong Province. The stacks will be packaged into locally assembled fuel cell engines and integrated into zero-emission buses and commercial vehicles in China. Synergy and Ballard have signed a strategic collaboration framework agreement with Broad-Ocean for market and product development for hydrogen FCEVs in China, including buses and commercial vehicles [see page 9]. (Ballard has also just signed a follow-on Technology Solutions contract with an unnamed global automotive OEM [see page 2].) Under this transaction Ballard will receive $18.4 million in Technology Solutions revenue for technology transfer services, production equipment specification and procurement services, training and commissioning support in relation to the establishment of a production line in Yunfu for the manufacture and assembly of FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stacks, with most of this revenue expected to be recognised in 2017. On closing of the transaction, expected in late 2016, a joint venture – owned 90% by Synergy and 10% by Ballard – will be created to undertake the stack manufacturing operations. Ballard will be the exclusive
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
supplier of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) for each stack manufactured by the joint venture, with minimum annual MEA volume commitments totaling in excess of $150 million over the initial five-year term from 2017 to 2021. Ballard will maintain all MEA production at its Vancouver facility. The joint venture will have an exclusive right to manufacture and sell FCvelocity-9SSL stacks in China. Exclusivity will be subject to certain joint venture performance criteria. Ballard will have the exclusive right to purchase fuel cell stacks and sub-components from the joint venture for sale outside China. Ballard has also signed a definitive Technology Solutions agreement that will enable Synergy to exclusively manufacture and sell Ballard’s direct hydrogen FCgen®-H2PM fuel cell backup power systems in China. Ballard will license the designs of its 1.7 and 5 kW FCgen-H2PM systems to Synergy for manufacture in Yunfu, and exclusive sales in China. Synergy has paid Ballard an upfront Technology Solutions fee of $2.5 million for the licence and related technology services, and will make additional recurring payments to Ballard for each unit sold, subject to annual minimums. Ballard will also be the exclusive supplier of air-cooled PEM fuel cell stacks to Synergy for use in the FCgen-H2PM systems that it produces and sells. Ballard recently sold its methanol telecom backup power business assets to ChungHsin Electric & Machinery Manufacturing Corporation (CHEM) in Taiwan, while retaining its direct hydrogen fuel cell backup power system assets [FCB, May 2016, p1]. The direct hydrogen fuel cell backup power system has since been rebranded FCgen-H2PM [July 2016, p4]. The CHEM deal includes a stack supply agreement worth at least $2 million. Ballard and Synergy have previously signed a number of important deals, which include licensing and equipment supply agreements for fuel cell power modules, parts kits, and stacks for buses in China. Last autumn they signed the largest fuel cell bus agreement so far, to deploy 300 buses in the cities of Foshan and Yunfu [FCB, October 2015, p2]. Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com
AFC finalises system engineering, HAZOP on 10 kW alkaline unit
U
K-based AFC Energy has completed design and basic
engineering of its new 10 kW alkaline fuel cell system, including accompanying balance-of-plant. This represents Milestone 4 of the company’s 2016 strategic milestones, and is well ahead of the original August schedule [FCB, March 2016, p6]. Completion of AFC’s 10 kW system design and basic engineering includes a thorough examination of all safety aspects and functions of the system, using the Hazard Operability (HAZOP) methodology for process hazard assessment. The HAZOP was conducted at the company’s Dunsfold site in late June, with participants from AFC, German engineering consultancy plantIng GmbH, and independent fuel cell and hydrogen consultancy Efficientics, which chaired the proceedings. Detailed engineering and procurement will now commence, ensuring the system will be deployable in 2016. Project management, process engineering, procurement, design, and construction management are all within the remit of plantIng’s engineering team, closely supported by AFC’s staff in accordance with the two companies’ strategic partnership agreement [FCB, March 2016, p6]. AFC also reports that work relating to Milestone 5, on its larger-scale 1 MW system, is progressing to schedule. The initial conceptual design phase was completed by plantIng at the end of June, and is now under internal review at AFC Energy. The concept engineering phase will help establish the design and operating principles of AFC’s new large-scale system, and is a prerequisite for the system’s basic design and engineering. The product, which could be sized up to 1.2 MW in a containerised and modular system, is designed to be scalable to customer specifications, and is suitable for multi-MW installations. The design of this system builds on the extensive experience accrued by AFC and plantIng during the Power-Up project and AFC Energy’s previous systems earlier this year, as well as from the Beta and KORE modules [FCB, February 2016, p4, and see the AFC Energy feature in December 2015]. ‘We continue to hold discussions with commercial parties interested in the whole range of fuel cell systems currently being developed by AFC Energy, including this 10 kW system,’ says CEO Adam Bond. ‘Delivery of the small-scale system’s basic engineering in such a tight timeframe is further validation of the decision to collaborate with our strategic partner plantIng.’ AFC has also just signed a Joint Development Agreement with Italian company De Nora, to target technological enhancements to AFC’s alkaline fuel cell system [see page 1].
August 2016