- Email: [email protected]
MARANDA project to develop fuel cell system for Arctic ship
NEWS / EDITORIAL deliveries last year include Carrefour [FCB, July 2016, p1], Walmart, BMW, and Home Depot [October 2015, p3]. Plug Power, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com Young’s Market Company: www.youngsmarket.com
Toyota now using fuel cell powered forklifts at Motomachi Plant
I
n Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation has started using two fuel cell powered forklifts, manufactured by Toyota Industries Corporation, at its Motomachi Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Toyota intends to replace existing conventional forklifts with fuel cell powered forklifts at its production plants. This initiative kicks off at the Motomachi Plant, with two units deployed in 2017, then about 20 more units in 2018, and eventually reaching 170–180 units around 2020. Toyota is introducing these fuel cell forklifts as part of a joint initiative by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in an effort to promote the use of fuel cells in industrial vehicles for realising a hydrogenbased society [see also page 10]. Since the announcement of its Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in 2015 [FCB, November 2015, p2], Toyota has been developing and implementing technologies that harness hydrogen energy, which is aimed at utilising hydrogen in its plants to realise its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge. Toyota is steadily working on such initiatives to reach this goal, including plans to accelerate the adoption and utilisation of fuel cell powered forklifts in other production plants. Toyota is also part of a Japanese partnership to implement and evaluate an end-toend, low-carbon hydrogen supply chain in Yokohama and Kawasaki, in the Tokyo Bay region, including the use of renewably produced hydrogen to power forklifts [see the News Feature in FCB, April 2016]. And Toyota subsidiary Toyota Motor Kyushu is participating in a project to produce and utilise hydrogen using solar electricity at the Miyata Plant in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, for use in forklifts and a fuel cell stationary power system [FCB, August 2016, p5]. Four years ago Toyota Industries Corporation began a demonstration of its fuel cell powered forklift in a project in
February 2017
Kitakyushu in southern Japan [FCB, March 2013, p3]. Fuel cell powered forklifts have excellent environmental performance, and can be refueled in just three minutes [see the features in FCB, September and October 2010]. Furthermore, with their ability to supply electricity, these materials handling vehicles can also serve as a source of power supply during emergencies – a national policy priority in earthquake-prone Japan. Toyota, Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/toyota-fcevs Toyota Industries Corporation: www.toyota-industries.com Toyota Industrial Equipment: www.global-toyotaforklifts.com
MARANDA project to develop fuel cell system for Arctic ship
T
he MARANDA project has been granted EU funding to develop a marine fuel cell system based on the PowerCell S3 hydrogen PEM fuel cell stack, for integration and testing onboard an Arctic research ship. The MARANDA consortium has been awarded E2.9 million (US$3.1 million) of the total E3.7 million ($3.9 million) project cost by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2 JU), to develop a fuel cell system for marine environments [see page 10]. The four-year project, coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, commences on 1 March. The consortium also includes the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and ABB in Finland, Italian valves manufacturer OMB Saleri SpA, PERSEE (Centre for Processes, Renewable Energies and Energy Systems) at MINES ParisTech in France, and Swiss Hydrogen SA in Switzerland. The PowerCell S3 is a scalable prototype in the 20–100 kW range that operates on pure hydrogen [FCB, February 2016, p10, and see page 9]. The S3 stack platform complements the company’s S1 (1–5 kW) and S2 (6–25 kW) stack platforms. The consortium will develop a complete and competitive fuel cell system with two PowerCell S3 stacks, which will provide power to the ship’s electrical equipment as well as for dynamic positioning during measurements. The system will be installed onboard the Arctic research vessel Aranda, operated by the Finnish Environment Institute’s Marine
EDITORIAL
F
uel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) funding is crucial to a wide variety of projects in Europe, and the start of this year has seen a broad range of new projects kicking off. For starters, Hydrogen Mobility Europe has deployed its first 100 FCEVs [page 1]. H2ME will perform large-scale market tests of hydrogen refueling infrastructure by deploying more than 1400 FCEVs operated by real-world customers, served by 29 additional hydrogen stations. The FCH JU has also announced a plethora of new projects now getting under way, covering transportation, stationary power, and renewably produced hydrogen [page 10]. The five transport projects include three on PEM fuel cell stacks and system manufacturing, one to develop a low-noise system for hydrogen compression in refueling stations, and another that will develop a hybrid powertrain for marine applications [see also page 3]. In addition, three newly launched stationary fuel cell projects include the use of monitoring and diagnosis systems to improve SOFC CHP performance, ways to automate SOFC stack manufacture, and SOFCs for cogeneration of electricity and hydrogen from natural gas or biomethane. The FCH JU is also funding six projects to boost pathways to hydrogen from renewable sources. Two will demonstrate MW-scale industrial PEM and alkaline electrolysers for hydrogen production and energy storage in grid balancing services, and another will develop standardised test protocols for electrolysers used to perform electricity grid services. Two others will target improved water-splitting photo-electrochemical devices and biogas reforming technology, and the other will use membrane systems to purify reformate streams. The first News Feature reports on the launch of an initiative to deploy 144 hydrogen fuel cell buses (in the JIVE project) and seven large-scale hydrogen refueling stations (the MEHRLIN project) across Germany, the UK, Italy, Latvia and Denmark [pages 12–13]. This will more than double the number of fuel cell buses operating in Europe. There are two other News Features in this issue. A Chinese–US collaboration has developed fuel cell catalysts comprising biaxially strained PtPb core/Pt shell ‘nanoplates’ that offer enhanced oxygen reduction with minimal decay in catalytic activity [page 14]. And in the other, Australian and Chinese researchers have collaborated to investigate a new perovskite cathode material for a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) operating below 500°C [page 15]. Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
NEWS Research Centre, and will be validated in this demanding marine application during an 18-month period. The project will focus in particular on air filtration and the development of hydrogen ejector solutions, for enhanced efficiency and durability, and full-scale freeze-start testing of the system will be conducted. The 165 kW (2 × 82.5 kW) fuel cell powertrain (hybridised with a battery) will provide power to the vessel’s electrical equipment as well as the dynamic positioning system during measurements, free from vibration, noise and air pollution. To alleviate the problem of minimal hydrogen infrastructure in the marine sector, the project will develop a mobile hydrogen storage container, refillable in any 350 bar hydrogen refueling station. The fuel cell system will be tested in conditions similar to Arctic marine conditions before implementation onboard the Aranda. Long-term durability testing (six months, 4380 operating hours) of the system will be conducted at an industrial site. Contact: Dr Jari Ihonen, Principal Scientist, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Tel: +358 50 346 0970, Email: [email protected], Web: http://tinyurl.com/vtt-fuelcells-h2 MARANDA project: http://tinyurl.com/fchju-maranda PowerCell Sweden: www.powercell.se
SMALL STATIONARY
GenCell fuel cell tech for backup capability at San Diego G&E
T
he Israeli alkaline fuel cell developer and manufacturer GenCell has announced a strategic partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric in the US. The California-based energy company has been working alongside GenCell over the last year to test this fuel cell technology. The partnership between GenCell and SDG&E is now entering a new stage, as the energy company begins the installation of 30 GenCell G5rx fuel cell backup power systems at its substations. If the grid goes down, the fuel cell enables SDG&E substations to keep breakers and controls in an operational mode. The GenCell G5rx will automatically charge utility backup batteries and keep them at full power for up to 10 times longer than normal battery rooms, allowing SDG&E to quickly restore power to its customers.
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
‘We have seen many large and high-profile businesses adopt our technology over the last few years, but we are particularly proud to welcome SDG&E,’ says Gil Shavit, chairman of GenCell. ‘With significant interest across the world, it’s clear that fuel cell technology will be commonplace among all world leading energy businesses in the future.’ GenCell recently reported several successful deployments of its innovative 5 kW GenCell G5 alkaline fuel cell backup power solution, with installations in Israel and in the Latin American telecom sector [FCB, December 2016, p5]. The GenCell G5rx version produces 5 kW of steady power, and can be used to keep utility batteries charged for 40 h or more, maintaining them at full charge even after the system is back online. Using an innovative proprietary Network Operations Center system (NOC), all necessary performance monitoring, analysis and maintenance can be done remotely, making the GenCell G5rx backup solution an ideal replacement for highmaintenance diesel generators. The GenCell G5rx also supports ‘black start’ operations, a restoration process that eliminates the need for standby diesel generators. Using GenCell’s energy management software, a utility company can combine multiple GenCell G5rx units, generating an integrated frequency to support a ‘black start’ corridor process. GenCell Ltd, Petah Tikva, Israel. Tel: +972 3 726 1616, www.gencellenergy.com San Diego Gas & Electric: www.sdge.com
SFC delivers next-gen fuel cell systems to international military
G
erman hybrid power solutions company SFC Energy has delivered an order for its direct methanol NextGeneration Fuel Cell (NGFC) systems to an international defence force. The NGFC system has been designed and developed under a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the unnamed international defence force, as a fully integrated power source for underground off-grid defence applications [FCB, August 2015, p6 and October 2016, p5]. The recent delivery has a value of E600 000 (US$630 000). It will power stationary off-grid applications automatically for five years with minimum user intervention. In this application the fuel cells are installed underground together with up to 200 litres of methanol fuel. If necessary,
refueling is done from above ground in just a few minutes. The underground fuel cell is valuable in covert applications, as solar modules cannot be used there because of their high visibility and the need for regular cleaning from dust. ‘Especially in underground applications, our fuel cell technology offers many decisive advantages over conventional power supplies,’ says Dr Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy [see the SFC feature in FCB, January 2013]. ‘The fuel cells will operate the electrical systems for years without requiring service or maintenance. The system is completely invisible, and will operate 24/7 in any season and weather. These are the reasons why we are selling more and more of our fuel cells, not only in defence and border protection scenarios, but also in many security and civilian covert and underground applications.’ Numerous international NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) defence organisations are using SFC Energy’s DMFC products. The company has been working closely with the German Bundeswehr, US Army, and other defence organisations for more than 10 years, with SFC products carrying NATO stock numbers [FCB, April 2012, p6]. All SFC fuel cells and fuel cartridges are approved for air transport according to UN 3473. SFC Energy recently received a major order from FC TecNrgy on behalf of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, and one for its flagship EFOY Pro DMFCs from Oneberry Technologies in Singapore [see page 9]. SFC Energy, Brunnthal/Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com, www.sfc-defense.com or www.efoy-pro.com
LARGE STATIONARY
IKEA plugs in Bloom Energy SOFC system for San Diego store
H
ome furnishings retailer IKEA has completed installation of its fourth biogas-powered fuel cell system, a 200 kW solid oxide power plant supplied by Bloom Energy, at its store in San Diego, California. IKEA already owns three SOFC systems at stores in California, with one more planned, for Palo Alto [FCB, August 2016, p4]. Two years ago IKEA installed its first Bloom SOFC system – rated at 300 kW – at IKEA Emeryville, one of its two San Francisco-area stores [April 2015,
February 2017
Toyota now using fuel cell powered forklifts at Motomachi Plant
I
n Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation has started using two fuel cell powered forklifts, manufactured by Toyota Industries Corporation, at its Motomachi Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Toyota intends to replace existing conventional forklifts with fuel cell powered forklifts at its production plants. This initiative kicks off at the Motomachi Plant, with two units deployed in 2017, then about 20 more units in 2018, and eventually reaching 170–180 units around 2020. Toyota is introducing these fuel cell forklifts as part of a joint initiative by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in an effort to promote the use of fuel cells in industrial vehicles for realising a hydrogenbased society [see also page 10]. Since the announcement of its Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in 2015 [FCB, November 2015, p2], Toyota has been developing and implementing technologies that harness hydrogen energy, which is aimed at utilising hydrogen in its plants to realise its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge. Toyota is steadily working on such initiatives to reach this goal, including plans to accelerate the adoption and utilisation of fuel cell powered forklifts in other production plants. Toyota is also part of a Japanese partnership to implement and evaluate an end-toend, low-carbon hydrogen supply chain in Yokohama and Kawasaki, in the Tokyo Bay region, including the use of renewably produced hydrogen to power forklifts [see the News Feature in FCB, April 2016]. And Toyota subsidiary Toyota Motor Kyushu is participating in a project to produce and utilise hydrogen using solar electricity at the Miyata Plant in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, for use in forklifts and a fuel cell stationary power system [FCB, August 2016, p5]. Four years ago Toyota Industries Corporation began a demonstration of its fuel cell powered forklift in a project in
February 2017
Kitakyushu in southern Japan [FCB, March 2013, p3]. Fuel cell powered forklifts have excellent environmental performance, and can be refueled in just three minutes [see the features in FCB, September and October 2010]. Furthermore, with their ability to supply electricity, these materials handling vehicles can also serve as a source of power supply during emergencies – a national policy priority in earthquake-prone Japan. Toyota, Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/toyota-fcevs Toyota Industries Corporation: www.toyota-industries.com Toyota Industrial Equipment: www.global-toyotaforklifts.com
MARANDA project to develop fuel cell system for Arctic ship
T
he MARANDA project has been granted EU funding to develop a marine fuel cell system based on the PowerCell S3 hydrogen PEM fuel cell stack, for integration and testing onboard an Arctic research ship. The MARANDA consortium has been awarded E2.9 million (US$3.1 million) of the total E3.7 million ($3.9 million) project cost by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2 JU), to develop a fuel cell system for marine environments [see page 10]. The four-year project, coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, commences on 1 March. The consortium also includes the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and ABB in Finland, Italian valves manufacturer OMB Saleri SpA, PERSEE (Centre for Processes, Renewable Energies and Energy Systems) at MINES ParisTech in France, and Swiss Hydrogen SA in Switzerland. The PowerCell S3 is a scalable prototype in the 20–100 kW range that operates on pure hydrogen [FCB, February 2016, p10, and see page 9]. The S3 stack platform complements the company’s S1 (1–5 kW) and S2 (6–25 kW) stack platforms. The consortium will develop a complete and competitive fuel cell system with two PowerCell S3 stacks, which will provide power to the ship’s electrical equipment as well as for dynamic positioning during measurements. The system will be installed onboard the Arctic research vessel Aranda, operated by the Finnish Environment Institute’s Marine
EDITORIAL
F
uel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) funding is crucial to a wide variety of projects in Europe, and the start of this year has seen a broad range of new projects kicking off. For starters, Hydrogen Mobility Europe has deployed its first 100 FCEVs [page 1]. H2ME will perform large-scale market tests of hydrogen refueling infrastructure by deploying more than 1400 FCEVs operated by real-world customers, served by 29 additional hydrogen stations. The FCH JU has also announced a plethora of new projects now getting under way, covering transportation, stationary power, and renewably produced hydrogen [page 10]. The five transport projects include three on PEM fuel cell stacks and system manufacturing, one to develop a low-noise system for hydrogen compression in refueling stations, and another that will develop a hybrid powertrain for marine applications [see also page 3]. In addition, three newly launched stationary fuel cell projects include the use of monitoring and diagnosis systems to improve SOFC CHP performance, ways to automate SOFC stack manufacture, and SOFCs for cogeneration of electricity and hydrogen from natural gas or biomethane. The FCH JU is also funding six projects to boost pathways to hydrogen from renewable sources. Two will demonstrate MW-scale industrial PEM and alkaline electrolysers for hydrogen production and energy storage in grid balancing services, and another will develop standardised test protocols for electrolysers used to perform electricity grid services. Two others will target improved water-splitting photo-electrochemical devices and biogas reforming technology, and the other will use membrane systems to purify reformate streams. The first News Feature reports on the launch of an initiative to deploy 144 hydrogen fuel cell buses (in the JIVE project) and seven large-scale hydrogen refueling stations (the MEHRLIN project) across Germany, the UK, Italy, Latvia and Denmark [pages 12–13]. This will more than double the number of fuel cell buses operating in Europe. There are two other News Features in this issue. A Chinese–US collaboration has developed fuel cell catalysts comprising biaxially strained PtPb core/Pt shell ‘nanoplates’ that offer enhanced oxygen reduction with minimal decay in catalytic activity [page 14]. And in the other, Australian and Chinese researchers have collaborated to investigate a new perovskite cathode material for a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) operating below 500°C [page 15]. Steve Barrett
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
NEWS Research Centre, and will be validated in this demanding marine application during an 18-month period. The project will focus in particular on air filtration and the development of hydrogen ejector solutions, for enhanced efficiency and durability, and full-scale freeze-start testing of the system will be conducted. The 165 kW (2 × 82.5 kW) fuel cell powertrain (hybridised with a battery) will provide power to the vessel’s electrical equipment as well as the dynamic positioning system during measurements, free from vibration, noise and air pollution. To alleviate the problem of minimal hydrogen infrastructure in the marine sector, the project will develop a mobile hydrogen storage container, refillable in any 350 bar hydrogen refueling station. The fuel cell system will be tested in conditions similar to Arctic marine conditions before implementation onboard the Aranda. Long-term durability testing (six months, 4380 operating hours) of the system will be conducted at an industrial site. Contact: Dr Jari Ihonen, Principal Scientist, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Tel: +358 50 346 0970, Email: [email protected], Web: http://tinyurl.com/vtt-fuelcells-h2 MARANDA project: http://tinyurl.com/fchju-maranda PowerCell Sweden: www.powercell.se
SMALL STATIONARY
GenCell fuel cell tech for backup capability at San Diego G&E
T
he Israeli alkaline fuel cell developer and manufacturer GenCell has announced a strategic partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric in the US. The California-based energy company has been working alongside GenCell over the last year to test this fuel cell technology. The partnership between GenCell and SDG&E is now entering a new stage, as the energy company begins the installation of 30 GenCell G5rx fuel cell backup power systems at its substations. If the grid goes down, the fuel cell enables SDG&E substations to keep breakers and controls in an operational mode. The GenCell G5rx will automatically charge utility backup batteries and keep them at full power for up to 10 times longer than normal battery rooms, allowing SDG&E to quickly restore power to its customers.
4
Fuel Cells Bulletin
‘We have seen many large and high-profile businesses adopt our technology over the last few years, but we are particularly proud to welcome SDG&E,’ says Gil Shavit, chairman of GenCell. ‘With significant interest across the world, it’s clear that fuel cell technology will be commonplace among all world leading energy businesses in the future.’ GenCell recently reported several successful deployments of its innovative 5 kW GenCell G5 alkaline fuel cell backup power solution, with installations in Israel and in the Latin American telecom sector [FCB, December 2016, p5]. The GenCell G5rx version produces 5 kW of steady power, and can be used to keep utility batteries charged for 40 h or more, maintaining them at full charge even after the system is back online. Using an innovative proprietary Network Operations Center system (NOC), all necessary performance monitoring, analysis and maintenance can be done remotely, making the GenCell G5rx backup solution an ideal replacement for highmaintenance diesel generators. The GenCell G5rx also supports ‘black start’ operations, a restoration process that eliminates the need for standby diesel generators. Using GenCell’s energy management software, a utility company can combine multiple GenCell G5rx units, generating an integrated frequency to support a ‘black start’ corridor process. GenCell Ltd, Petah Tikva, Israel. Tel: +972 3 726 1616, www.gencellenergy.com San Diego Gas & Electric: www.sdge.com
SFC delivers next-gen fuel cell systems to international military
G
erman hybrid power solutions company SFC Energy has delivered an order for its direct methanol NextGeneration Fuel Cell (NGFC) systems to an international defence force. The NGFC system has been designed and developed under a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the unnamed international defence force, as a fully integrated power source for underground off-grid defence applications [FCB, August 2015, p6 and October 2016, p5]. The recent delivery has a value of E600 000 (US$630 000). It will power stationary off-grid applications automatically for five years with minimum user intervention. In this application the fuel cells are installed underground together with up to 200 litres of methanol fuel. If necessary,
refueling is done from above ground in just a few minutes. The underground fuel cell is valuable in covert applications, as solar modules cannot be used there because of their high visibility and the need for regular cleaning from dust. ‘Especially in underground applications, our fuel cell technology offers many decisive advantages over conventional power supplies,’ says Dr Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy [see the SFC feature in FCB, January 2013]. ‘The fuel cells will operate the electrical systems for years without requiring service or maintenance. The system is completely invisible, and will operate 24/7 in any season and weather. These are the reasons why we are selling more and more of our fuel cells, not only in defence and border protection scenarios, but also in many security and civilian covert and underground applications.’ Numerous international NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) defence organisations are using SFC Energy’s DMFC products. The company has been working closely with the German Bundeswehr, US Army, and other defence organisations for more than 10 years, with SFC products carrying NATO stock numbers [FCB, April 2012, p6]. All SFC fuel cells and fuel cartridges are approved for air transport according to UN 3473. SFC Energy recently received a major order from FC TecNrgy on behalf of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, and one for its flagship EFOY Pro DMFCs from Oneberry Technologies in Singapore [see page 9]. SFC Energy, Brunnthal/Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com, www.sfc-defense.com or www.efoy-pro.com
LARGE STATIONARY
IKEA plugs in Bloom Energy SOFC system for San Diego store
H
ome furnishings retailer IKEA has completed installation of its fourth biogas-powered fuel cell system, a 200 kW solid oxide power plant supplied by Bloom Energy, at its store in San Diego, California. IKEA already owns three SOFC systems at stores in California, with one more planned, for Palo Alto [FCB, August 2016, p4]. Two years ago IKEA installed its first Bloom SOFC system – rated at 300 kW – at IKEA Emeryville, one of its two San Francisco-area stores [April 2015,
February 2017