- Email: [email protected]
Hydrogenics wins Chinese order for fuel cells to power buses
NEWS / EDITORIAL Insero. ‘Furthermore, as the technology matures and more modules enter into the market, the technology will become even more competitive in price and weight, which will open up to even more markets in the future.’ In summer 2015 the Green Methanol Infrastructure consortium opened the first methanol refueling station in Europe, in the northern Danish city of Aalborg [FCB, September 2015, p7]. The consortium comprises Danish filling station operator OK, fueling equipment manufacturer Hamag, and SerEnergy. The ‘green’ methanol is supplied by Carbon Recycling International in Iceland, in which Methanex is a key stakeholder. Serenergy A/S, Aalborg, Denmark. Tel: +45 8880 7040, www.serenergy.com Insero, E-mobility: www.insero.com/en/products-services/e-mobility MECc project: www.mecc.dk Methanex Corporation: www.methanex.com Carbon Recycling International: www.carbonrecycling.is
PowerCell in new EU project to develop fuel cell systems for cars
N
ordic fuel cell company PowerCell Sweden is part of a consortium of companies and research institutions from a number of European countries that has been awarded EU funding to develop a PEM fuel cell system based on the PowerCell S3 stack. Fellow Swedish company Volvo Car Group will integrate and test the system in one of its passenger cars. PowerCell has also received an S3 stack order from a major German automotive supplier. The EU-funded project aims to develop advanced components for fuel cell systems for passenger cars, to improve efficiency and reliability as well as reduce costs. The system will be based on the 100 kW PowerCell S3 fuel cell stack, which is designed to meet demanding automotive requirements. Peripheral components will be developed by consortium partners. The three-year INNBALANCE project commenced this month, and has been awarded E5 million (US$5.35 million) through the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2 JU). PowerCell Sweden will receive E1.3 million ($1.4 million) of this EU funding. The project is coordinated by the Fundacion Ayesa research foundation in Spain, and the consortium also includes the DLR German
January 2017
Aerospace Center, automotive component supplier Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH, and the Baden-Württemberg funding facilitator Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum in Germany, the automotive consultancy AVL LIST GmbH in Austria, the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain, and electric drive manufacturer Celeroton AG in Switzerland. In addition, PowerCell has received an order for its S3 fuel cell stack from one of the largest Tier 1 suppliers in the German automotive industry. The S3 stack is very compact, robust, and designed to meet the demanding requirements of automotive applications. It runs on hydrogen, has a high degree of efficiency, and one of the highest power densities. The stack is rated at 100 kW (134 hp), but its scalable design means that higher output powers can be achieved when connected in series. PowerCell recently completed three projects with partners to field-test its PowerPac fuel cell system, for telecom backup power in Sweden and South Africa and for auxiliary power onboard a delivery vehicle in Norway [see page 11]. The company is also working with Finnish cargo handling specialist Kalmar and Swedish steelmaker SSAB to develop a fuel cell-powered medium-range forklift truck [see page 4]. PowerCell Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. Tel: +46 31 720 3620, www.powercell.se Fundacion Ayesa: www.fundacionayesa.org [in Spanish]
Hydrogenics wins Chinese order for fuel cells to power buses
C
anadian-based Hydrogenics has been selected by one of its certified integrator partners in China for a fuel cell order to power buses throughout a number of major metropolitan areas. The initial size of the contract is estimated to be worth US$4 million, with significant followon awards anticipated later this year. This latest award builds on Hydrogenics’ expansion into China, first announced in 2015 [FCB, November 2015, p1], that includes partnering with a number of electric vehicle integrators to bring fuel cell and hydrogen fueling station technology to the country. Last summer it entered into a strategic partnership with vehicle propulsion technology company SinoHytec for the delivery of fuel cells in China, marking a move into volume manufacturing of fuel cell systems for leading vehicle OEMs [July 2016, p3].
EDITORIAL
H
ydrogen can play a key role in the ongoing ‘energy transition’ to sustainable energy, and the formation of the Hydrogen Council aims to raise its profile and position hydrogen among the key solutions worldwide [see page 1]. The Hydrogen Council is the first global initiative of its kind, but it stands on the shoulders of the various international, national and regional programmes around the world that promote hydrogen for clean energy solutions and coordinate R&D and demonstration activities. It was launched at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland by the CEOs of the 13 major energy, transport and industrial companies that comprise its initial membership: Air Liquide, Alstom, Anglo American, BMW, Daimler, Engie, Honda, Hyundai, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Royal Dutch Shell, Linde, Total, and Toyota. The launch was accompanied by the release of a commissioned report, How hydrogen empowers the energy transition (www.hydrogencouncil.com), which gives further details on the solutions that hydrogen is ready to provide. It sets out the vision of the Council and the key actions it considers fundamental for policy makers to implement. The Hydrogen Council recommends the following actions to policy makers:
• Provide long-term and stable policy frameworks to guide the energy transition in all sectors (energy, transport, industry, and residential). • Develop coordination and incentive policies to encourage early deployment of hydrogen solutions and sufficient privatesector investments. • Facilitate harmonisation of industry standards across regions and sectors to enable hydrogen technologies and take advantage of scale effects and decrease costs. • In the transport sector, ensure strong coordination among governments, car manufacturers, infrastructure providers, and consumers. • Ensure the energy market is reformed effectively in terms of feed-in tariffs, curtailment management, seasonal balancing capacity remuneration, and taxation. • Provide financial instruments to leverage private investment. The News Feature this month reports on the Norwegian ‘HYBRIDship’ project, led by shipbuilder Fiskerstrand, which will develop a zero-emission solution where the main propulsion for a new ferry is based on hydrogen fuel cells in a battery hybrid configuration [see pages 14–15]. Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
NEWS ‘One of our certified integrator partners will purchase a large quantity of fuel cell power modules for their end customers, who will use them in buses of various sizes and designs,’ says Daryl Wilson, CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘The country’s leadership continues to see the value of zero-emission vehicles as part of an overall plan to dramatically reduce air pollution nationwide, and fuel cell incentives are being offered at a level equivalent to batteries.’ ‘Hydrogenics remains a compelling choice, given our technology leadership in heavy-duty fuel cells as well as the scope of our applications – which span from energy storage to large-scale hydrogen-based energy production,’ continues Wilson. ‘Our orders in China and expanding presence there lay the foundation for even larger contracts in the quarters to come.’ Hydrogenics is a leading developer and provider of hydrogen generation and PEM fuel cell products and services. It recently entered into a strategic partnership with StratosFuel in California, to build a large hydrogen production facility in Palm Springs to supply vehicle refueling stations [FCB, November 2016, p7], and last summer it won a contract for a MW-scale wind hydrogen hybrid project in Thailand [August 2016, p7]. Hydrogenics is not the only Canadian fuel cell company targeting the fuel cell bus market in China. Ballard Power Systems has a major deal in place to supply fuel cell modules for 300 fuel cell buses in Yunfu and Foshan, Guangdong Province [FCB, October 2015, p2], to be refueled using MW-scale electrolysers from US-based Proton OnSite [see page 8], and its joint venture is building a fuel cell stack production facility in Yunfu [see page 10]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Kalmar, SSAB partner to develop forklift with PowerCell fuel cell
F
innish cargo handling specialist Kalmar, part of the Cargotec group, is collaborating with the Swedish steelmaker SSAB to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered mediumrange forklift truck. PowerCell Sweden has subsequently reached an agreement with Kalmar Cargotec Sweden AB on developing a PEM fuel cell system for Kalmar Cargotec’s future electric forklift trucks.
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
The two-year project covers the development, demonstration and testing of the forklift truck, which will have a lift capacity of 9–18 tonnes. The fuel cell system will be developed during Q2 of 2017, and installed in Q3. Field testing will begin at SSAB in Q1 of 2018. The equipment will be produced by Kalmar to offer a more sustainable solution for the SSAB production facility in Oxelösund, Sweden [see the forklifts feature in FCB, October 2010]. ‘This is a development project that opens doors to an international market with great potential,’ says PowerCell sales manager Andreas Bodén. Kalmar Cargotec is a leading provider of sustainable solutions for lifting equipment to heavy industries, and offers a wide selection of forklift trucks. In 2012, Cargotec USA joined a hydrogen fuel cell-electric hybrid terminal tractor demonstration project with Vision Industries in the twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California [FCB, September 2012, p2], although with the subsequent demise of Vision nothing seems to have come of this [October 2014, p5]. PowerCell – a spin-out from Volvo – has developed a unique design for a light, versatile, and reliable fuel cell power source for automotive, transportation, and stationary applications, and can handle hydrogen reformed from e.g. biogas, natural gas, biodiesel, or standard diesel. The company offers three stack platforms: S1 (1–5 kW), S2 (5–25 kW), and S3 (20–100 kW). One of the latter stacks features in the recently unveiled Swiss fuel cell powered heavy truck and trailer [see the News Feature in FCB, December 2016], and the company has received its first marine order for 30 kW S3 prototype stacks [FCB, December 2016, p4]. PowerCell recently completed three projects with partners to field-test its PowerPac fuel cell system [see page 11], and is part of a European consortium to develop a fuel cell system for a passenger car, based on the S3 stack [see page 3]. PowerCell Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. Tel: +46 31 720 3620, www.powercell.se Kalmar Cargotec Sweden AB: www.kalmarglobal.com Cargotec: www.cargotec.com
EnergyOr fuel cell powered multirotor for French Air Force
C
anadian-based EnergyOr Technologies, a leading developer of lightweight PEM fuel cell systems
for aerospace applications, recently shipped the first H2QUAD 1000 multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the Centre d’Expertise Aérienne Militaire (CEAM) of the French Air Force. This signifies a major turning point for EnergyOr, building on its fuel cell system technology development to expand its capacity to manufacture and deliver advanced, complete fuel cell system products. The delivery marks the second phase of the Joint Development Agreement signed with CEAM last February, to further develop optimised, long-endurance UAVs powered by EnergyOr’s fuel cell system technology [FCB, April 2016, p4]. In early 2015 EnergyOr demonstrated the first flight of a fuel cell powered multirotor vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV [FCB, April 2015, p5], and a year later flew its H2Quad 400 multirotor for more than 2 h while recording 4K video in real-world operating conditions [February 2016, p3]. The H2QUAD 1000 is a fuel cell powered multirotor UAV, supplied as a complete turnkey solution and capable of carrying a 1 kg payload for more than 2 h, which the company says is effectively four times longer than any comparable platform. ‘The H2QUAD 1000 is the most advanced multirotor UAV in the world, and includes support equipment such as our portable hydrogen filling station, various payload options, and an extensive training programme to address all of our customer’s requirements, from A to Z,’ says CEO Michel Bitton. ‘EnergyOr has now developed the capacity to manufacture and deliver highly advanced and complete fuel cell system products. This full package is also available to other qualified end-users.’ Small, electrically powered UAVs are a rapidly growing market, and are especially suited to military applications [see the feature in FCB, December 2007]. However, batterypowered UAVs have very limited flight times, due to the relatively low specific energy (Wh/ kg) of existing rechargeable battery technologies. Thus a number of companies are developing fuel cell power plants for UAVs, including Neah Power [FCB, November 2014, p6] and Protonex [May 2016, p3] in the US, Cella Energy [March 2016, p4] and Intelligent Energy [October 2016, p4] in the UK, Horizon in Singapore [March 2016, p15], Micro Multi Copters Aero Technology Co (MMC) in China [June 2016, p4], and FlyH2 Aerospace in South Africa [November 2015, p5]. EnergyOr Technologies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tel: +1 514 744 6122, www.energyor.com
January 2017
PowerCell in new EU project to develop fuel cell systems for cars
N
ordic fuel cell company PowerCell Sweden is part of a consortium of companies and research institutions from a number of European countries that has been awarded EU funding to develop a PEM fuel cell system based on the PowerCell S3 stack. Fellow Swedish company Volvo Car Group will integrate and test the system in one of its passenger cars. PowerCell has also received an S3 stack order from a major German automotive supplier. The EU-funded project aims to develop advanced components for fuel cell systems for passenger cars, to improve efficiency and reliability as well as reduce costs. The system will be based on the 100 kW PowerCell S3 fuel cell stack, which is designed to meet demanding automotive requirements. Peripheral components will be developed by consortium partners. The three-year INNBALANCE project commenced this month, and has been awarded E5 million (US$5.35 million) through the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2 JU). PowerCell Sweden will receive E1.3 million ($1.4 million) of this EU funding. The project is coordinated by the Fundacion Ayesa research foundation in Spain, and the consortium also includes the DLR German
January 2017
Aerospace Center, automotive component supplier Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH, and the Baden-Württemberg funding facilitator Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum in Germany, the automotive consultancy AVL LIST GmbH in Austria, the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain, and electric drive manufacturer Celeroton AG in Switzerland. In addition, PowerCell has received an order for its S3 fuel cell stack from one of the largest Tier 1 suppliers in the German automotive industry. The S3 stack is very compact, robust, and designed to meet the demanding requirements of automotive applications. It runs on hydrogen, has a high degree of efficiency, and one of the highest power densities. The stack is rated at 100 kW (134 hp), but its scalable design means that higher output powers can be achieved when connected in series. PowerCell recently completed three projects with partners to field-test its PowerPac fuel cell system, for telecom backup power in Sweden and South Africa and for auxiliary power onboard a delivery vehicle in Norway [see page 11]. The company is also working with Finnish cargo handling specialist Kalmar and Swedish steelmaker SSAB to develop a fuel cell-powered medium-range forklift truck [see page 4]. PowerCell Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. Tel: +46 31 720 3620, www.powercell.se Fundacion Ayesa: www.fundacionayesa.org [in Spanish]
Hydrogenics wins Chinese order for fuel cells to power buses
C
anadian-based Hydrogenics has been selected by one of its certified integrator partners in China for a fuel cell order to power buses throughout a number of major metropolitan areas. The initial size of the contract is estimated to be worth US$4 million, with significant followon awards anticipated later this year. This latest award builds on Hydrogenics’ expansion into China, first announced in 2015 [FCB, November 2015, p1], that includes partnering with a number of electric vehicle integrators to bring fuel cell and hydrogen fueling station technology to the country. Last summer it entered into a strategic partnership with vehicle propulsion technology company SinoHytec for the delivery of fuel cells in China, marking a move into volume manufacturing of fuel cell systems for leading vehicle OEMs [July 2016, p3].
EDITORIAL
H
ydrogen can play a key role in the ongoing ‘energy transition’ to sustainable energy, and the formation of the Hydrogen Council aims to raise its profile and position hydrogen among the key solutions worldwide [see page 1]. The Hydrogen Council is the first global initiative of its kind, but it stands on the shoulders of the various international, national and regional programmes around the world that promote hydrogen for clean energy solutions and coordinate R&D and demonstration activities. It was launched at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland by the CEOs of the 13 major energy, transport and industrial companies that comprise its initial membership: Air Liquide, Alstom, Anglo American, BMW, Daimler, Engie, Honda, Hyundai, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Royal Dutch Shell, Linde, Total, and Toyota. The launch was accompanied by the release of a commissioned report, How hydrogen empowers the energy transition (www.hydrogencouncil.com), which gives further details on the solutions that hydrogen is ready to provide. It sets out the vision of the Council and the key actions it considers fundamental for policy makers to implement. The Hydrogen Council recommends the following actions to policy makers:
• Provide long-term and stable policy frameworks to guide the energy transition in all sectors (energy, transport, industry, and residential). • Develop coordination and incentive policies to encourage early deployment of hydrogen solutions and sufficient privatesector investments. • Facilitate harmonisation of industry standards across regions and sectors to enable hydrogen technologies and take advantage of scale effects and decrease costs. • In the transport sector, ensure strong coordination among governments, car manufacturers, infrastructure providers, and consumers. • Ensure the energy market is reformed effectively in terms of feed-in tariffs, curtailment management, seasonal balancing capacity remuneration, and taxation. • Provide financial instruments to leverage private investment. The News Feature this month reports on the Norwegian ‘HYBRIDship’ project, led by shipbuilder Fiskerstrand, which will develop a zero-emission solution where the main propulsion for a new ferry is based on hydrogen fuel cells in a battery hybrid configuration [see pages 14–15]. Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
NEWS ‘One of our certified integrator partners will purchase a large quantity of fuel cell power modules for their end customers, who will use them in buses of various sizes and designs,’ says Daryl Wilson, CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘The country’s leadership continues to see the value of zero-emission vehicles as part of an overall plan to dramatically reduce air pollution nationwide, and fuel cell incentives are being offered at a level equivalent to batteries.’ ‘Hydrogenics remains a compelling choice, given our technology leadership in heavy-duty fuel cells as well as the scope of our applications – which span from energy storage to large-scale hydrogen-based energy production,’ continues Wilson. ‘Our orders in China and expanding presence there lay the foundation for even larger contracts in the quarters to come.’ Hydrogenics is a leading developer and provider of hydrogen generation and PEM fuel cell products and services. It recently entered into a strategic partnership with StratosFuel in California, to build a large hydrogen production facility in Palm Springs to supply vehicle refueling stations [FCB, November 2016, p7], and last summer it won a contract for a MW-scale wind hydrogen hybrid project in Thailand [August 2016, p7]. Hydrogenics is not the only Canadian fuel cell company targeting the fuel cell bus market in China. Ballard Power Systems has a major deal in place to supply fuel cell modules for 300 fuel cell buses in Yunfu and Foshan, Guangdong Province [FCB, October 2015, p2], to be refueled using MW-scale electrolysers from US-based Proton OnSite [see page 8], and its joint venture is building a fuel cell stack production facility in Yunfu [see page 10]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Kalmar, SSAB partner to develop forklift with PowerCell fuel cell
F
innish cargo handling specialist Kalmar, part of the Cargotec group, is collaborating with the Swedish steelmaker SSAB to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered mediumrange forklift truck. PowerCell Sweden has subsequently reached an agreement with Kalmar Cargotec Sweden AB on developing a PEM fuel cell system for Kalmar Cargotec’s future electric forklift trucks.
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
The two-year project covers the development, demonstration and testing of the forklift truck, which will have a lift capacity of 9–18 tonnes. The fuel cell system will be developed during Q2 of 2017, and installed in Q3. Field testing will begin at SSAB in Q1 of 2018. The equipment will be produced by Kalmar to offer a more sustainable solution for the SSAB production facility in Oxelösund, Sweden [see the forklifts feature in FCB, October 2010]. ‘This is a development project that opens doors to an international market with great potential,’ says PowerCell sales manager Andreas Bodén. Kalmar Cargotec is a leading provider of sustainable solutions for lifting equipment to heavy industries, and offers a wide selection of forklift trucks. In 2012, Cargotec USA joined a hydrogen fuel cell-electric hybrid terminal tractor demonstration project with Vision Industries in the twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California [FCB, September 2012, p2], although with the subsequent demise of Vision nothing seems to have come of this [October 2014, p5]. PowerCell – a spin-out from Volvo – has developed a unique design for a light, versatile, and reliable fuel cell power source for automotive, transportation, and stationary applications, and can handle hydrogen reformed from e.g. biogas, natural gas, biodiesel, or standard diesel. The company offers three stack platforms: S1 (1–5 kW), S2 (5–25 kW), and S3 (20–100 kW). One of the latter stacks features in the recently unveiled Swiss fuel cell powered heavy truck and trailer [see the News Feature in FCB, December 2016], and the company has received its first marine order for 30 kW S3 prototype stacks [FCB, December 2016, p4]. PowerCell recently completed three projects with partners to field-test its PowerPac fuel cell system [see page 11], and is part of a European consortium to develop a fuel cell system for a passenger car, based on the S3 stack [see page 3]. PowerCell Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. Tel: +46 31 720 3620, www.powercell.se Kalmar Cargotec Sweden AB: www.kalmarglobal.com Cargotec: www.cargotec.com
EnergyOr fuel cell powered multirotor for French Air Force
C
anadian-based EnergyOr Technologies, a leading developer of lightweight PEM fuel cell systems
for aerospace applications, recently shipped the first H2QUAD 1000 multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the Centre d’Expertise Aérienne Militaire (CEAM) of the French Air Force. This signifies a major turning point for EnergyOr, building on its fuel cell system technology development to expand its capacity to manufacture and deliver advanced, complete fuel cell system products. The delivery marks the second phase of the Joint Development Agreement signed with CEAM last February, to further develop optimised, long-endurance UAVs powered by EnergyOr’s fuel cell system technology [FCB, April 2016, p4]. In early 2015 EnergyOr demonstrated the first flight of a fuel cell powered multirotor vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV [FCB, April 2015, p5], and a year later flew its H2Quad 400 multirotor for more than 2 h while recording 4K video in real-world operating conditions [February 2016, p3]. The H2QUAD 1000 is a fuel cell powered multirotor UAV, supplied as a complete turnkey solution and capable of carrying a 1 kg payload for more than 2 h, which the company says is effectively four times longer than any comparable platform. ‘The H2QUAD 1000 is the most advanced multirotor UAV in the world, and includes support equipment such as our portable hydrogen filling station, various payload options, and an extensive training programme to address all of our customer’s requirements, from A to Z,’ says CEO Michel Bitton. ‘EnergyOr has now developed the capacity to manufacture and deliver highly advanced and complete fuel cell system products. This full package is also available to other qualified end-users.’ Small, electrically powered UAVs are a rapidly growing market, and are especially suited to military applications [see the feature in FCB, December 2007]. However, batterypowered UAVs have very limited flight times, due to the relatively low specific energy (Wh/ kg) of existing rechargeable battery technologies. Thus a number of companies are developing fuel cell power plants for UAVs, including Neah Power [FCB, November 2014, p6] and Protonex [May 2016, p3] in the US, Cella Energy [March 2016, p4] and Intelligent Energy [October 2016, p4] in the UK, Horizon in Singapore [March 2016, p15], Micro Multi Copters Aero Technology Co (MMC) in China [June 2016, p4], and FlyH2 Aerospace in South Africa [November 2015, p5]. EnergyOr Technologies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tel: +1 514 744 6122, www.energyor.com
January 2017