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ITM to study potential impact of 700 bar small hydrogen fueler
NEWS FutureE Fuel Cell Solutions develops, manufactures, and markets innovative fuel cell systems in the power range from 500 W to 50 kW, utilizing hydrogen PEM fuel cell stacks supplied by Canadian-based Ballard Power Systems. It serves customers with advanced power supply requirements in stationary applications for the telecoms/IT sector, utilities, and industrial applications. FutureE Fuel Cell Solutions GmbH, Nürtingen, Germany. Tel: +49 7022 211536, www.future-e.com T-Venture Holding GmbH: www.t-venture.de
ClearEdge CHP for senior/disabled adult facility, schools in CA
O
regon-based ClearEdge Power is providing its 5 kW ClearEdge5™ fuel cell systems for combined heat and power (CHP) applications in California, at a senior and disabled adult housing facility in San Jose, and for two high schools in Irvine. The Cambrian Center in San Jose, a senior and disabled adult housing facility in the heart of Silicon Valley, has broken ground on a $1.2 million clean energy and building efficiency retrofit engineered by local firm Salas O’Brien Engineers and constructed by SOBe Construction. Funding is being provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA), to improve the energy efficiency of federally funded facilities, help stimulate the economy, and invest in long-term economic growth. The Cambrian Center’s green building retrofit will contain four ClearEdge Power 5 kW high-temperature hybrid PEM fuel cell systems, a re-engineered ‘cool roof ’, energy-efficient windows and sliding glass doors, and energyefficient refrigerators. The ClearEdge Power fuel cells, as part of the total energy efficiency solution, will supply the building with approximately 20% of its total energy needs, and as much as 50% of the domestic hot water needs of the residents. Meanwhile, following a 12-unit deal with the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) in Orange County, Woodbridge and University High Schools in Irvine will be the first high schools in the US to use ClearEdge Power CHP fuel cells. Each school will utilize six 5 kW ClearEdge5 fuel cell units to power and heat its swimming pool, and supplement the school’s standard power needs. These measures to improve energy efficiency and increase sus6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
tainability within the Irvine Unified School District will save each school almost $18 000 per annum in operating expenses, and reduce each school’s CO2 emissions by 37%. ‘We had initially considered a solar thermal solution for both Woodbridge and University High Schools; however, it would have required us to retrofit the roofs at both schools in order to accommodate the solar panels,’ explains Dr Gwen E. Gross, IUSD’s superintendent of schools. ‘ClearEdge Power was able to offer a more cost-effective solution, provide electricity in addition to heat, and still reduce our schools’ carbon footprint.’ Privately held, technology company ClearEdge Power designs, manufactures and markets the 5 kW ClearEdge5 system, a high-temperature hybrid PEM fuel cell integrated with fuel processing technology, which runs on natural gas. ClearEdge Power, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. Tel: 1 877 257 3343 (tollfree in US), www.ClearEdgePower.com Cambrian Center: www.CambrianCenter.org
electrical efficiency means that considerably less ‘waste’ heat is generated than with other cogeneration technologies. This means that the BlueGen system can run throughout the year, including in summer. WINGAS is active in natural gas trading and distribution in Germany, Belgium, France, the UK, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Denmark. The company is a joint venture between BASF subsidiary Wintershall Holding GmbH – Germany’s largest crude oil and natural gas producer – and Gazprom in Russia. Technische Werke Ludwigshafen specializes in traditional energy and utility services, flexible energy procurement and delivery, and energy supply concepts and infrastructure services. WINGAS GmbH: www.wingas.de TWL AG: www.twl.de Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd: www.cfcl.com.au
FUELING
Salas O’Brien Engineers Inc: www.SalasObrien.com
ITM to study potential impact of 700 bar small WINGAS, TWL continue hydrogen fueler cooperation in ITM Power has been awarded a US$30 000 contract UK-based microgen field test Irvine Unified School District: www.iusd.org
T
he German energy companies WINGAS and Technische Werke Ludwigshafen (TWL) have agreed on a further fuel cell microgeneration field test, as they continue to support the research and development of new technologies for distributed natural gas applications. A solid oxide fuel cell system supplied by Ceramic Fuel Cells GmbH – the German manufacturing subsidiary of Australian-based Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd – is set to go into operation this month in a terraced housing area in Ludwigshafen. The field test is scheduled to last about two years in total, and aims to determine whether the technology is ready for the market. ‘The development of environmentally friendly technologies such as this one strengthens the role of natural gas in the energy mix of the future,’ says Dr Ludwig Möhring, managing director for sales at WINGAS. ‘In our view, fuel cell applications represent a particularly attractive option, because they are an extremely efficient form of energy conversion.’ The BlueGen fuel cell from CFCL has an electrical output of about 1.5 kW and a thermal output of approximately 0.7 kW, with an electrical efficiency of up to 60%. Its high
by the NextEnergy Center in Detroit, to complete an economic and market analysis of the potential impact of a 700 bar (10 000 psi) small-scale hydrogen fueling appliance, with particular reference to the European and Asian markets. The contract follows ITM Power’s successful completion of the design phase for a hydrogen home refueling appliance. Last summer NextEnergy contracted ITM Power to undertake a detailed engineering design study for the development of an alpha prototype Small-scale Hydrogen Fueling Appliance (SHFA) for 700 bar home refueling. The aim of the latest work is to assist NextEnergy – a business accelerator for alternative and renewable energy – in its evaluation of the worldwide market, with a special focus on current and projected European, Asian, and Australian markets and submarkets. The study – to be delivered in April – will include an understanding of the interrelationship between the current and projected hydrogen fueling infrastructure, volume sensitivity analysis, target demographics and price points, sociopolitical, regulatory and governmental conditions, carbon fuel cost comparisons, and alternative use analysis.
April 2011
NEWS ‘This contract recognizes that ITM Power is best placed to provide the vital information required by the global automotive OEMs in order for them to plan the development and rollout of hydrogen refueling infrastructure and fuel cell vehicles,’ comments Dr Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power. ‘This study will be used as the basis for moving to the prototype stage of the project, and as the basis of our future funding applications both to the DOE and other funding bodies,’ adds Kelly Jezierski, NextEnergy’s manager of alternative fuel based energy programs. ITM Power Plc, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com NextEnergy Center, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Tel: +1 313 833 0100, www.nextenergy.org
Ballard in Korean demo of hydrogen from waste processing
C
anadian fuel cell company Ballard Power Systems is partnering with GS Platech in South Korea to demonstrate waste-to-energy power generation using fuel cell technology with hydrogen produced from processing of municipal solid waste. The GS Platech pilot plant in Cheongsong is capable of treating five tonnes of organic solid waste per day using plasma gasification technology, producing sufficient high-purity hydrogen to generate 50 kW of clean power. Ballard will supply a PEM fuel cell generator that will be fueled by this hydrogen, based on the Dantherm Power DBX5000 fuel cell product. ‘While conventional waste combustion – such as garbage incineration – can lead to the discharge of carcinogenic pollutants, our technology drastically reduces emissions,’ says Young Suk Kim, vice-president of GS Platech, a subsidiary of GS Caltex, one of South Korea’s largest petroleum refiners. This will be the first demonstration of a waste-to-energy solution that combines these technologies. If the demonstration is successful, GS Platech intends to promote the solution to new customers worldwide. The treatment of municipal solid waste is a growing problem in many nations, including Asia-Pacific countries with particularly high population densities such as China, India, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. This solution can potentially allow municipalities to address two key environmental issues in tandem – environmentally responsible waste treatment and clean power production.
April 2011
‘Plasma gasification plants are another good source of high-quality hydrogen, in addition to hydrogen-producing chemical operations, such as chlor-alkaline plants,’ says Michael Goldstein, chief commercial officer at Ballard. ‘On a larger scale, this solution can produce a significant amount of electricity that could be sold back to the grid.’ The project is receiving financial support from the Canadian government through its Department of the Environment, in the framework of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. This group of public and private sector partners is focused on expanding investment and trade in cleaner energy technologies in key market sectors. Ballard Power Systems Inc, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com GS Platech: http://gsplatech.co.kr/en/ Dantherm Power: www.dantherm-power.com Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate: www.asiapacificpartnership.org
McPhy to supply solid hydrogen storage to Iwatani in Japan
F
rench-based solid hydrogen storage developer McPhy Energy has signed a contract with Iwatani Corporation, a leading hydrogen supplier in Japan, to supply a 4 kg (9 lb) solid hydrogen storage solution. McPhy will install a complete system for industrial hydrogen storage at an Iwatani facility in Japan. The contract was signed a year after the two companies first made contact at the 2010 International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo. Over the past year, Iwatani experts have evaluated the McPhy system, visiting installations at the French national CNRS and CEA research institutions. The hydrogen is stored as a solid in the form of magnesium hydrides, so the McPhy system does not require compression. This results in an innovative solution for safe, reversible hydrogen storage, with excellent energy efficiency. ‘This marks our first foray into the dynamic and all-important Japanese hydrogen market, and a significant milestone in our strategy of working with industrial leaders in the most promising markets,’ says Pascal Mauberger, CEO of McPhy Energy. McPhy Energy is commercializing an innovative solid hydrogen storage technology using magnesium hydrides, for the merchant hydrogen and renewable energy markets. The company
IN BRIEF Daimler, Rolls-Royce in Tognum takeover German industrial giant Daimler and RollsRoyce Group in the UK have made a joint offer to acquire the entire share capital of Tognum AG (www.tognum.com). An alliance with Daimler and Rolls-Royce would strengthen Tognum’s market position, to become the platform for future growth in the markets for propulsion and distributed energy systems. Tognum’s management board has broadly welcomed the approach, but at press time says that the offer price ‘fails to reflect the capital expenditure carried out in recent years, and the growth prospects for the Tognum Group.’ ‘[The acquisition] would put us in an excellent position to play an active role in shaping the further consolidation of the market,’ says Volker Heuer, CEO of Tognum. A partnership would give Tognum additional investment security. Daimler and Rolls-Royce say they will secure Tognum’s technology leadership through expenditure on R&D and other investments. It is also envisaged that Rolls-Royce would take over Tognum’s fuel cell business (MTU Onsite Energy, www.mtu-online.com), which the company had decided to discontinue for commercial reasons [FCB, January 2011]. New Dantherm Power CEO for continuity Jesper Themsen has taken over as CEO of Dantherm Power (www.dantherm-power. com) in Denmark, replacing the departing Per Albaek, who is taking up a board position with Salling Bank. Themsen was previously CTO. Themsen was one of the original founders of the Fuel Cell Systems division at Dantherm Air Handling in 2003, and has been a leading figure at Dantherm Power since it was established in 2007. He has been involved in technology development – leading the launch of the DBX2000 and DBX5000 products, and a number of micro CHP programs – as well as with sales and business development. Dantherm Power is a joint venture between Canadian-based Ballard Power Systems and the Danish companies Danfoss A/S and Dantherm A/S. Dantherm Power utilizes Ballard’s PEM fuel cell technology in backup power systems for telecom suppliers including Motorola and Ericsson. Kontakt-Elektro’s Hungary fuel cell plant The Hungarian electronic equipment manufacturer Kontakt-Elektro (www.kontakt-elektro.hu) has inaugurated a HUF250 million (US$1.3 million) hydrogen fuel cell production plant in Pécs. The facility – the first such in Hungary – is a brownfield investment supported with HUF100 million ($540 000) in EU funding. Managing director Ferenc Hirth says the fuel cells will be used in bicycles, small boats, community vehicles, and robotic hospital equipment, according to MTI Econews.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
ClearEdge CHP for senior/disabled adult facility, schools in CA
O
regon-based ClearEdge Power is providing its 5 kW ClearEdge5™ fuel cell systems for combined heat and power (CHP) applications in California, at a senior and disabled adult housing facility in San Jose, and for two high schools in Irvine. The Cambrian Center in San Jose, a senior and disabled adult housing facility in the heart of Silicon Valley, has broken ground on a $1.2 million clean energy and building efficiency retrofit engineered by local firm Salas O’Brien Engineers and constructed by SOBe Construction. Funding is being provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA), to improve the energy efficiency of federally funded facilities, help stimulate the economy, and invest in long-term economic growth. The Cambrian Center’s green building retrofit will contain four ClearEdge Power 5 kW high-temperature hybrid PEM fuel cell systems, a re-engineered ‘cool roof ’, energy-efficient windows and sliding glass doors, and energyefficient refrigerators. The ClearEdge Power fuel cells, as part of the total energy efficiency solution, will supply the building with approximately 20% of its total energy needs, and as much as 50% of the domestic hot water needs of the residents. Meanwhile, following a 12-unit deal with the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) in Orange County, Woodbridge and University High Schools in Irvine will be the first high schools in the US to use ClearEdge Power CHP fuel cells. Each school will utilize six 5 kW ClearEdge5 fuel cell units to power and heat its swimming pool, and supplement the school’s standard power needs. These measures to improve energy efficiency and increase sus6
Fuel Cells Bulletin
tainability within the Irvine Unified School District will save each school almost $18 000 per annum in operating expenses, and reduce each school’s CO2 emissions by 37%. ‘We had initially considered a solar thermal solution for both Woodbridge and University High Schools; however, it would have required us to retrofit the roofs at both schools in order to accommodate the solar panels,’ explains Dr Gwen E. Gross, IUSD’s superintendent of schools. ‘ClearEdge Power was able to offer a more cost-effective solution, provide electricity in addition to heat, and still reduce our schools’ carbon footprint.’ Privately held, technology company ClearEdge Power designs, manufactures and markets the 5 kW ClearEdge5 system, a high-temperature hybrid PEM fuel cell integrated with fuel processing technology, which runs on natural gas. ClearEdge Power, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. Tel: 1 877 257 3343 (tollfree in US), www.ClearEdgePower.com Cambrian Center: www.CambrianCenter.org
electrical efficiency means that considerably less ‘waste’ heat is generated than with other cogeneration technologies. This means that the BlueGen system can run throughout the year, including in summer. WINGAS is active in natural gas trading and distribution in Germany, Belgium, France, the UK, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Denmark. The company is a joint venture between BASF subsidiary Wintershall Holding GmbH – Germany’s largest crude oil and natural gas producer – and Gazprom in Russia. Technische Werke Ludwigshafen specializes in traditional energy and utility services, flexible energy procurement and delivery, and energy supply concepts and infrastructure services. WINGAS GmbH: www.wingas.de TWL AG: www.twl.de Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd: www.cfcl.com.au
FUELING
Salas O’Brien Engineers Inc: www.SalasObrien.com
ITM to study potential impact of 700 bar small WINGAS, TWL continue hydrogen fueler cooperation in ITM Power has been awarded a US$30 000 contract UK-based microgen field test Irvine Unified School District: www.iusd.org
T
he German energy companies WINGAS and Technische Werke Ludwigshafen (TWL) have agreed on a further fuel cell microgeneration field test, as they continue to support the research and development of new technologies for distributed natural gas applications. A solid oxide fuel cell system supplied by Ceramic Fuel Cells GmbH – the German manufacturing subsidiary of Australian-based Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd – is set to go into operation this month in a terraced housing area in Ludwigshafen. The field test is scheduled to last about two years in total, and aims to determine whether the technology is ready for the market. ‘The development of environmentally friendly technologies such as this one strengthens the role of natural gas in the energy mix of the future,’ says Dr Ludwig Möhring, managing director for sales at WINGAS. ‘In our view, fuel cell applications represent a particularly attractive option, because they are an extremely efficient form of energy conversion.’ The BlueGen fuel cell from CFCL has an electrical output of about 1.5 kW and a thermal output of approximately 0.7 kW, with an electrical efficiency of up to 60%. Its high
by the NextEnergy Center in Detroit, to complete an economic and market analysis of the potential impact of a 700 bar (10 000 psi) small-scale hydrogen fueling appliance, with particular reference to the European and Asian markets. The contract follows ITM Power’s successful completion of the design phase for a hydrogen home refueling appliance. Last summer NextEnergy contracted ITM Power to undertake a detailed engineering design study for the development of an alpha prototype Small-scale Hydrogen Fueling Appliance (SHFA) for 700 bar home refueling. The aim of the latest work is to assist NextEnergy – a business accelerator for alternative and renewable energy – in its evaluation of the worldwide market, with a special focus on current and projected European, Asian, and Australian markets and submarkets. The study – to be delivered in April – will include an understanding of the interrelationship between the current and projected hydrogen fueling infrastructure, volume sensitivity analysis, target demographics and price points, sociopolitical, regulatory and governmental conditions, carbon fuel cost comparisons, and alternative use analysis.
April 2011
NEWS ‘This contract recognizes that ITM Power is best placed to provide the vital information required by the global automotive OEMs in order for them to plan the development and rollout of hydrogen refueling infrastructure and fuel cell vehicles,’ comments Dr Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power. ‘This study will be used as the basis for moving to the prototype stage of the project, and as the basis of our future funding applications both to the DOE and other funding bodies,’ adds Kelly Jezierski, NextEnergy’s manager of alternative fuel based energy programs. ITM Power Plc, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com NextEnergy Center, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Tel: +1 313 833 0100, www.nextenergy.org
Ballard in Korean demo of hydrogen from waste processing
C
anadian fuel cell company Ballard Power Systems is partnering with GS Platech in South Korea to demonstrate waste-to-energy power generation using fuel cell technology with hydrogen produced from processing of municipal solid waste. The GS Platech pilot plant in Cheongsong is capable of treating five tonnes of organic solid waste per day using plasma gasification technology, producing sufficient high-purity hydrogen to generate 50 kW of clean power. Ballard will supply a PEM fuel cell generator that will be fueled by this hydrogen, based on the Dantherm Power DBX5000 fuel cell product. ‘While conventional waste combustion – such as garbage incineration – can lead to the discharge of carcinogenic pollutants, our technology drastically reduces emissions,’ says Young Suk Kim, vice-president of GS Platech, a subsidiary of GS Caltex, one of South Korea’s largest petroleum refiners. This will be the first demonstration of a waste-to-energy solution that combines these technologies. If the demonstration is successful, GS Platech intends to promote the solution to new customers worldwide. The treatment of municipal solid waste is a growing problem in many nations, including Asia-Pacific countries with particularly high population densities such as China, India, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. This solution can potentially allow municipalities to address two key environmental issues in tandem – environmentally responsible waste treatment and clean power production.
April 2011
‘Plasma gasification plants are another good source of high-quality hydrogen, in addition to hydrogen-producing chemical operations, such as chlor-alkaline plants,’ says Michael Goldstein, chief commercial officer at Ballard. ‘On a larger scale, this solution can produce a significant amount of electricity that could be sold back to the grid.’ The project is receiving financial support from the Canadian government through its Department of the Environment, in the framework of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. This group of public and private sector partners is focused on expanding investment and trade in cleaner energy technologies in key market sectors. Ballard Power Systems Inc, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com GS Platech: http://gsplatech.co.kr/en/ Dantherm Power: www.dantherm-power.com Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate: www.asiapacificpartnership.org
McPhy to supply solid hydrogen storage to Iwatani in Japan
F
rench-based solid hydrogen storage developer McPhy Energy has signed a contract with Iwatani Corporation, a leading hydrogen supplier in Japan, to supply a 4 kg (9 lb) solid hydrogen storage solution. McPhy will install a complete system for industrial hydrogen storage at an Iwatani facility in Japan. The contract was signed a year after the two companies first made contact at the 2010 International Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo. Over the past year, Iwatani experts have evaluated the McPhy system, visiting installations at the French national CNRS and CEA research institutions. The hydrogen is stored as a solid in the form of magnesium hydrides, so the McPhy system does not require compression. This results in an innovative solution for safe, reversible hydrogen storage, with excellent energy efficiency. ‘This marks our first foray into the dynamic and all-important Japanese hydrogen market, and a significant milestone in our strategy of working with industrial leaders in the most promising markets,’ says Pascal Mauberger, CEO of McPhy Energy. McPhy Energy is commercializing an innovative solid hydrogen storage technology using magnesium hydrides, for the merchant hydrogen and renewable energy markets. The company
IN BRIEF Daimler, Rolls-Royce in Tognum takeover German industrial giant Daimler and RollsRoyce Group in the UK have made a joint offer to acquire the entire share capital of Tognum AG (www.tognum.com). An alliance with Daimler and Rolls-Royce would strengthen Tognum’s market position, to become the platform for future growth in the markets for propulsion and distributed energy systems. Tognum’s management board has broadly welcomed the approach, but at press time says that the offer price ‘fails to reflect the capital expenditure carried out in recent years, and the growth prospects for the Tognum Group.’ ‘[The acquisition] would put us in an excellent position to play an active role in shaping the further consolidation of the market,’ says Volker Heuer, CEO of Tognum. A partnership would give Tognum additional investment security. Daimler and Rolls-Royce say they will secure Tognum’s technology leadership through expenditure on R&D and other investments. It is also envisaged that Rolls-Royce would take over Tognum’s fuel cell business (MTU Onsite Energy, www.mtu-online.com), which the company had decided to discontinue for commercial reasons [FCB, January 2011]. New Dantherm Power CEO for continuity Jesper Themsen has taken over as CEO of Dantherm Power (www.dantherm-power. com) in Denmark, replacing the departing Per Albaek, who is taking up a board position with Salling Bank. Themsen was previously CTO. Themsen was one of the original founders of the Fuel Cell Systems division at Dantherm Air Handling in 2003, and has been a leading figure at Dantherm Power since it was established in 2007. He has been involved in technology development – leading the launch of the DBX2000 and DBX5000 products, and a number of micro CHP programs – as well as with sales and business development. Dantherm Power is a joint venture between Canadian-based Ballard Power Systems and the Danish companies Danfoss A/S and Dantherm A/S. Dantherm Power utilizes Ballard’s PEM fuel cell technology in backup power systems for telecom suppliers including Motorola and Ericsson. Kontakt-Elektro’s Hungary fuel cell plant The Hungarian electronic equipment manufacturer Kontakt-Elektro (www.kontakt-elektro.hu) has inaugurated a HUF250 million (US$1.3 million) hydrogen fuel cell production plant in Pécs. The facility – the first such in Hungary – is a brownfield investment supported with HUF100 million ($540 000) in EU funding. Managing director Ferenc Hirth says the fuel cells will be used in bicycles, small boats, community vehicles, and robotic hospital equipment, according to MTI Econews.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7