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Investment in spinoff fuel cell company in UK
NEWS by employing electrodes with smaller molecular structures. In addition to higher efficiency, the new system offers an operating temperature of about 800°C rather than the 1000°C or so required by most other SOFC systems. The lower operating temperature makes the system cheaper to build, because widely available materials such as stainless steel can be used. According to a Jiji Press report, the companies demonstrated the new SOFC using natural gas as the fuel, and achieved an electric power output of 1 kW. They now plan to develop a commercial >10 kWe SOFC power generation system by the spring of 2007, targeted at business users such as stores and small factories. Contact: Technology Research Center, Kansai Electric Power Company, Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, Japan. Tel: +81 6 6494 9712, Fax: +81 6 6494 9827, www.kepco.co.jp Or contact: Naka Research Center, Central Research Institute, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Naka-gun, Ibaraki, Japan. Tel: +81 29 295 5802, Fax: +81 29 295 5824, www.mmc.co.jp
Investment in spinoff fuel cell company in UK
C
onduit Ventures, the Europeanbased venture capital company focused on fuel cells and related hydrogen technologies, has led a Series A venture capital investment in CMR Fuel Cells Ltd, a new fuel cell development company based in Cambridge, UK. The co-investor was Carbon Trust Investments Ltd. CMR Fuel Cells is a spin-off from The Generics Group, which remains a significant minority shareholder. CMR Fuel Cells is dedicated to the development of a revolutionary flow-through fuel cell utilizing mixed reactants. The patented Compact Mixed-Reactant (CMR) stack technology, developed at Generics over the past two years, aims to make fuel cells 10 times smaller and more powerful and up to 80% cheaper than competing products, thereby overcoming the key hurdles delaying mass-market global sales. According to the company, CMR offers a radically simplified architecture and a robust porous solid-state stack with dramatically fewer and cheaper components than current fuel cells. CMR is applying its technology first in portable direct methanol fuel cells. The core team at CMR is led by CEO Michael Priestnall, previously head of Fuel Cell Consulting at Generics, and Michael Evans, previously a principal researcher at the University of Cambridge. The team has more 20 years’ experience in the fuel cell industry.
March 2004
Conduit’s principal Daniel Carter says the company was ‘impressed by CMR’s unique technology, team and its development and progress to date. CMR’s stack technology has the potential to achieve superior cost, size and reliability targets, affording the company a position as an enabler in significant segments of the small-scale premium power fuel cell market.’ The investment is the latest for the Conduit Ventures Fund, established in early 2002 and backed by Shell Hydrogen, Mitsubishi Corporation, Johnson Matthey and, most recently, Danfoss A/S [FCB, June 2003]. Previous investments include PEM fuel cell companies Cellex Power Systems in Vancouver and Boston-based Protonex Technology Corporation. Contact: Michael Priestnall, CMR Fuel Cells Ltd, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 875 29, Email: michael. [email protected], www.cmrfuelcells.com Or contact: John Butt, CEO, Conduit Ventures Ltd, London, UK. Tel: +44 20 7242 9595, Email: [email protected]. www.conduit-ventures.com Or contact: The Generics Group, Harston, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 875200, Email: [email protected], www.genericsgroup.com Or contact: The Carbon Trust, London, UK. Tel: +44 20 7170 7000, Email: [email protected], www.thecarbontrust.co.uk
Darpa contract for P&E hydrogen separation membranes
P
ennsylvania’s Power & Energy Inc (P&E) has been selected for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract award by the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The contract is for the development of a novel low-cost membrane for recovery of hydrogen from fuel cell reformate, and is a continuation of a successfully completed Phase I contract funded by the US Army Research Office (ARO). P&E has recently developed new hybrid hydrogen separation technology specifically for fuel cell applications. Under the contract, it will manufacture high-efficiency palladium alloy thin-film membranes using its patent-pending technology. The company believes the new membrane will enable fuel cell users to costeffectively generate high-purity hydrogen ondemand from any reformed fuel source. With its comparatively low cost, compact size and passive operation, P&E’s membrane technology
In Brief CTO quits Ballard Vancouver-based Ballard Power Systems has announced that its chief technology officer, Fred Vasconcelos, is leaving ‘by mutual agreement’ to pursue other professional interests. Prior to joining Ballard in October 2000, Vasconcelos was a vice-president at disk-drive maker, Seagate Technology. An executive search has been initiated for a new CTO, but in the mean time CTO responsibilities will be shared by three members of Ballard’s management team until a successor is named. Dr Charles Stone, who leads Ballard’s R&D activities, will take on added responsibility for technology planning. Dr Fred Flett will continue to be responsible for electric drive and power conversion product development, while Jim Sturek will assume responsibility for all fuel cell product development activities in Vancouver and Nabern, Germany. Each will report directly to president/CEO, Dennis Campbell, who is ‘confident that the experience and capabilities of our interim leadership team will provide a seamless transition.’ Nippon Oil field-testing kerosene-based hydrogen fuel cell Japan’s largest oil refiner, Nippon Oil Corporation, plans to start selling a newly developed kerosene-based hydrogen fuel cell in the retail market in 2006 for ¥2–3m (US$19 000– 28 000), according to a Dow Jones report from Tokyo. The company has apparently already supplied a 10 kWe pilot fuel cell to the New Energy Foundation, which expected to begin test operations during February at a convenience store in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo. Nippon Oil has developed technology to extract sulfur from kerosene and then produce hydrogen from the kerosene. The company jointly built the pilot 10 kWe fuel cell – which generates sufficient electricity to power a typical small or medium-sized commercial facility such as a restaurant or drugstore – with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Early last year Nippon Oil began testing six of its residential PEM fuel cell systems using reformed propane [FCB, March 2003]. The New Energy Foundation is coordinating the development of stationary fuel cell power systems among 11 or so major Japanese companies, including Matsushita Electric Industrial, Sanyo Electric, Toshiba, Ebara and Toyota Motor Corporation. The participants are committed to field testing fuel cells at more than 40 locations across Japan by March 2005. Meanwhile, Japan Energy Corporation – part of Tokyo-based Nippon Mining Holdings – will begin research this fiscal year on a 5 kWe residential fuel cell running on LPG. The company expects to complete the project in fiscal 2005, according to the Nikkei Business Daily.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5
Investment in spinoff fuel cell company in UK
C
onduit Ventures, the Europeanbased venture capital company focused on fuel cells and related hydrogen technologies, has led a Series A venture capital investment in CMR Fuel Cells Ltd, a new fuel cell development company based in Cambridge, UK. The co-investor was Carbon Trust Investments Ltd. CMR Fuel Cells is a spin-off from The Generics Group, which remains a significant minority shareholder. CMR Fuel Cells is dedicated to the development of a revolutionary flow-through fuel cell utilizing mixed reactants. The patented Compact Mixed-Reactant (CMR) stack technology, developed at Generics over the past two years, aims to make fuel cells 10 times smaller and more powerful and up to 80% cheaper than competing products, thereby overcoming the key hurdles delaying mass-market global sales. According to the company, CMR offers a radically simplified architecture and a robust porous solid-state stack with dramatically fewer and cheaper components than current fuel cells. CMR is applying its technology first in portable direct methanol fuel cells. The core team at CMR is led by CEO Michael Priestnall, previously head of Fuel Cell Consulting at Generics, and Michael Evans, previously a principal researcher at the University of Cambridge. The team has more 20 years’ experience in the fuel cell industry.
March 2004
Conduit’s principal Daniel Carter says the company was ‘impressed by CMR’s unique technology, team and its development and progress to date. CMR’s stack technology has the potential to achieve superior cost, size and reliability targets, affording the company a position as an enabler in significant segments of the small-scale premium power fuel cell market.’ The investment is the latest for the Conduit Ventures Fund, established in early 2002 and backed by Shell Hydrogen, Mitsubishi Corporation, Johnson Matthey and, most recently, Danfoss A/S [FCB, June 2003]. Previous investments include PEM fuel cell companies Cellex Power Systems in Vancouver and Boston-based Protonex Technology Corporation. Contact: Michael Priestnall, CMR Fuel Cells Ltd, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 875 29, Email: michael. [email protected], www.cmrfuelcells.com Or contact: John Butt, CEO, Conduit Ventures Ltd, London, UK. Tel: +44 20 7242 9595, Email: [email protected]. www.conduit-ventures.com Or contact: The Generics Group, Harston, Cambridge, UK. Tel: +44 1223 875200, Email: [email protected], www.genericsgroup.com Or contact: The Carbon Trust, London, UK. Tel: +44 20 7170 7000, Email: [email protected], www.thecarbontrust.co.uk
Darpa contract for P&E hydrogen separation membranes
P
ennsylvania’s Power & Energy Inc (P&E) has been selected for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract award by the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The contract is for the development of a novel low-cost membrane for recovery of hydrogen from fuel cell reformate, and is a continuation of a successfully completed Phase I contract funded by the US Army Research Office (ARO). P&E has recently developed new hybrid hydrogen separation technology specifically for fuel cell applications. Under the contract, it will manufacture high-efficiency palladium alloy thin-film membranes using its patent-pending technology. The company believes the new membrane will enable fuel cell users to costeffectively generate high-purity hydrogen ondemand from any reformed fuel source. With its comparatively low cost, compact size and passive operation, P&E’s membrane technology
In Brief CTO quits Ballard Vancouver-based Ballard Power Systems has announced that its chief technology officer, Fred Vasconcelos, is leaving ‘by mutual agreement’ to pursue other professional interests. Prior to joining Ballard in October 2000, Vasconcelos was a vice-president at disk-drive maker, Seagate Technology. An executive search has been initiated for a new CTO, but in the mean time CTO responsibilities will be shared by three members of Ballard’s management team until a successor is named. Dr Charles Stone, who leads Ballard’s R&D activities, will take on added responsibility for technology planning. Dr Fred Flett will continue to be responsible for electric drive and power conversion product development, while Jim Sturek will assume responsibility for all fuel cell product development activities in Vancouver and Nabern, Germany. Each will report directly to president/CEO, Dennis Campbell, who is ‘confident that the experience and capabilities of our interim leadership team will provide a seamless transition.’ Nippon Oil field-testing kerosene-based hydrogen fuel cell Japan’s largest oil refiner, Nippon Oil Corporation, plans to start selling a newly developed kerosene-based hydrogen fuel cell in the retail market in 2006 for ¥2–3m (US$19 000– 28 000), according to a Dow Jones report from Tokyo. The company has apparently already supplied a 10 kWe pilot fuel cell to the New Energy Foundation, which expected to begin test operations during February at a convenience store in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo. Nippon Oil has developed technology to extract sulfur from kerosene and then produce hydrogen from the kerosene. The company jointly built the pilot 10 kWe fuel cell – which generates sufficient electricity to power a typical small or medium-sized commercial facility such as a restaurant or drugstore – with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Early last year Nippon Oil began testing six of its residential PEM fuel cell systems using reformed propane [FCB, March 2003]. The New Energy Foundation is coordinating the development of stationary fuel cell power systems among 11 or so major Japanese companies, including Matsushita Electric Industrial, Sanyo Electric, Toshiba, Ebara and Toyota Motor Corporation. The participants are committed to field testing fuel cells at more than 40 locations across Japan by March 2005. Meanwhile, Japan Energy Corporation – part of Tokyo-based Nippon Mining Holdings – will begin research this fiscal year on a 5 kWe residential fuel cell running on LPG. The company expects to complete the project in fiscal 2005, according to the Nikkei Business Daily.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
5