- Email: [email protected]
Norway opens new hydrogen station at Oslo Airport
NEWS Stockholm region, will serve the growing number of fuel cell electric vehicles on Scandinavian roads. The new hydrogen station near Stockholm’s international airport has a capacity of 180 fillings per day at a pressure of 700 bar. It takes only three minutes to refill a car, giving a range of approximately 500 km (310 miles). The ‘green’ hydrogen will be produced by electrolysers running on renewable electricity from hydroelectric power at AGA’s new production plant in Sandviken, some 180 km (110 miles) north of Stockholm [FCB, February 2015, p7]. AGA is the Swedish subsidiary of The Linde Group. The station’s core components, based on Linde’s proprietary ionic compressor technology, are designed and assembled in Linde’s small-series manufacturing facility in Vienna, Austria [FCB, July 2014, p1, and see the Linde feature in FCB, September 2014]. ‘It is gratifying that we now have a centrally located hydrogen fueling station to kick-start the market, even in Stockholm,’ says Christian Norberg, acting managing director of Hyundai Bilar AB, the Korean automaker’s Swedish operation. ‘But as is the case with all new technologies, the assistance of government agencies is important in the initial stages, so that the technology is able to penetrate the market.’ The hydrogen fueling station is supported by the European Union via the HIT-2Corridors project (Hydrogen Infrastructure for Transport). This project was initiated and is being coordinated by engineering and environmental technology consultancy Sweco, with partners in Finland, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium [FCB, January 2015, p7 and p11]. Linde is also participating in the newly launched Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy a total of 325 fuel cell electric vehicles and 29 new hydrogen refueling stations across Europe [see the News Feature on pages 14–15]. The Linde Group, Hydrogen Energy: http://tinyurl.com/linde-hydrogen-energy AGA Gas AB, Lidingö, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 706 9500, www.aga.com HIT-2-Corridors project: www.hit-2-corridors.eu
McPhy to install its first hydrogen fueling station in France
F
rench-based McPhy Energy has been awarded its first project in France to equip a hydrogen fueling station, to be built in Lyon. The
October 2015
company recently expanded its product range by integrating hydrogen refueling station pump technology. The station will be delivered at the end of this year to GNVert, the sustainable mobility subsidiary of Engie Group, as part of the first phase of the French HyWay programme. This initiative is coordinating the deployment of utility vehicles based around several hydrogen refueling stations in the Rhône-Alpes region, including the one to be built in Lyon. Symbio FCell has supplied 5 kW PEM fuel cell range-extender systems installed in the Kangoo ZE-H2 hybrid utility vehicles (also known as the HyKangoo) for the Rhône-Alpes region, located in Lyon [FCB, April 2015, p2] and Grenoble [FCB, June 2015, p8]. The company aims to roll out 200 Kangoo ZE-H2 vans in 2015, and expects more than 1000 deliveries in 2016 [FCB, July 2015, p2, and see page 3]. Symbio FCell and McPhy are participating in the new Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy a total of 325 fuel cell electric vehicles and 29 new hydrogen stations across Europe [see the News Feature on pages 14–15]. In addition to hydrogen production by water electrolysis and intermediate storage, the McPhy Energy hydrogen station solution now integrates vehicle refueling pumps, through an exclusive technology and commercial agreement signed in April with AJC. Created by JeanMichel Joly, AJC has expertise in high-pressure gas grids, in particular pumps supplying natural gas that have been adapted for hydrogen refueling. McPhy says that this unique solution offers numerous commercial opportunities in France and international markets, and has set up a team specifically devoted to this rapidly developing market. ‘After commissioning the Berlin-Schoenefeld refueling station [FCB, May 2014, p1] and the next delivery for a refueling station in Woodside, California [FCB, June 2014, p7], this latest order confirms the added value of our product offering for the very promising hydrogen mobility market,’ says Adamo Screnci, deputy CEO of McPhy Energy. McPhy Energy has developed a metal hydridebased technique for storing hydrogen in solid form [FCB, August 2014, p8], and also now has a range of electrolyser products for the energy and mobility markets [FCB, March 2015, p9, and see the News Feature in FCB, June 2015]. The company has production sites in France, Germany and Italy, and an R&D lab in France. McPhy Energy, La Motte-Fanjas, France. Tel: +33 4 7571 1505, www.mcphy.com Symbio FCell, Grenoble, France. Tel: +33 1 5679 1506, www.symbiofcell.com
GNVert: www.gnvert-gdfsuez.com (in French) Tenerrdis energy cluster, HyWay project: www.tenerrdis.fr/en/News/hyway-project.html
Norway opens new hydrogen station at Oslo Airport
T
he first piece of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure in eastern Norway is now in place, with the opening of a new hydrogen refueling station at Oslo Airport. The station is a collaboration between hydrogen infrastructure company HYOP, Akershus County Council, airports operator Avinor, and the Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise. HYOP is establishing a robust hydrogen infrastructure to facilitate the introduction of hydrogen cars in eastern Norway. It operates four hydrogen stations: in the Oslo suburbs of Økern and Gaustad, 150 km to the south at Herøya in Porsgrunn, and 50 km to the north at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen. During 2015 HYOP will relocate some of its stations, to allow site expansion and be able to serve a larger fleet of hydrogen cars. A preliminary study has considered further possibilities for the use of hydrogen as a fuel at the airport. The first modular station at Oslo Airport will later be expanded to serve the expected increase in traffic. Non-EU Norway is also participating in the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking-funded HyTEC consortium, joining London and Copenhagen [FCB, February 2015, p2]. ‘The opening of the hydrogen station at Oslo Airport is the first piece of the infrastructure that will make it possible to launch the introduction of hydrogen cars in Norway,’ says Ulf Hafseld, general manager of HYOP. ‘We are now working under a schedule which calls for four robust stations to open in the greater Oslo region over the next two to three years. Together with the station we have in Porsgrunn, this infrastructure will accommodate the first 2000–3000 hydrogen cars.’ Akershus County Council provided financial support for the airport project, and is active in efforts to establish an early network of hydrogen stations. The Council recently entered into a public-private partnership agreement with NEL Hydrogen, and will fund a hydrogen station in Akershus, northeast of Oslo [FCB, August 2015, p8]. In other news, the Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise has been granted a major three-year
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9
NEWS hydrogen transport project as part of the EU’s cross-border Interreg programme. Project Blue Move is a cross-border, public-private investment in the Øresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak region, to promote increased use of renewable energy using hydrogen as a replacement for fossil fuels. The NOK22.5 million (US$2.7 million) project is led by the Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise and Vätgas Sweden, working with HYOP, NEL Hydrogen, the City of Oslo, Skedsmo Municipality, HYSTORSYS, and ZERO (Zero Emissions Resource Organisation), with co-financing from Akershus County Council. HYOP is also participating in the newly launched Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy a total of 325 fuel cell electric vehicles and 29 new hydrogen refueling stations across Europe [see the News Feature on pages 14–15]. HYOP AS, Kjeller, Norway. Email: [email protected], Web: www.hyop.no/english Norwegian Hydrogen Forum: www.hydrogen.no Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise: www.kunnskapsbyen.no/engelsk HYSTORSYS: www.hystorsys.no ZERO: www.zero.no/en/about-zero
Japanese plan to test renewable CO2-free hydrogen supply chain
A
new Japanese initiative aims to trial a fully fledged, carbonneutral hydrogen supply chain powered by renewable wind energy. The trials, involving major corporate and public sector partners from power generation to vehicle fueling, will take place near the cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki in the Keihin coastal region. Under this project, electricity generated by the Yokohama City Wind Power Plant will be used to produce hydrogen using electrolysis, which will then be stored before being loaded onto a mobile fueling station and transported to the Keihin region. There, the hydrogen will be used in fuel cell powered forklift trucks, which will be used at warehouses and fresh produce markets in the region to study the viability of fuel cell technology in this supply chain. Grid power will only be used for backup when absolutely necessary, and excess renewable energy produced may even be sold to utility companies. 10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
As plans currently stand, the project will involve a system to produce hydrogen by electrolysing water using wind power; a system to optimise storage and transportation of the hydrogen produced; the use of fuel cell powered forklifts; and a hydrogen supply chain feasibility study, looking at hydrogen price, CO2 reduction etc. On the public sector side, the project is being implemented by the Kanagawa Prefectural Government, Yokohama City, and Kawasaki City. The industrial participants are Iwatani Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Toyota Turbine and Systems Inc. The project will also be supported by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. The initiative is expected to run for four years, with implementation set to begin in April 2016; the project partners are currently discussing the specific details. A steering committee has been set up, with Professor Kenichiro Ota (Yokohama National University) and Professor Yoji Uchiyama (University of Tsukuba) participating as academic experts. The committee will consider the direction of the project, establish a project-wide communications framework, and determine issues that require further research after the trial has finished. Earlier this year Toyota, Nissan, and Honda announced a collaboration to help accelerate the development of hydrogen station infrastructure for fuel cell electric vehicles [FCB, February 2015, p1], and Iwatani recently completed the first commercial hydrogen refueling station in the Chugoku region, the first outside the four main metropolitan areas in Japan [FCB, September 2015, p7]. Two years ago Toyota Industries Corporation began a demonstration of its fuel cell powered forklift in a project in the city of Kitakyushu in southern Japan [FCB, March 2013, p3]. Iwatani Corporation: www.iwatani.co.jp/eng Toshiba, Hydrogen Economy: www.toshiba.co.jp/newenergy/en/index.htm Toyota, Hydrogen Society and Energy Sources: http://tinyurl.com/toyota-fcevs
COMMERCIALISATION
Symbio FCell selects Ceramic MaxPhase for new automotive stack
F
rench company Symbio FCell, which manufactures PEM fuel cell
powertrains and range-extenders for cars and commercial vehicles, has chosen the Ceramic MaxPhase™ coating from Swedish-based Impact Coatings for its new fuel cell stack. The new fuel cell is expected to be launched in December. Impact Coatings is commercialising PVD (physical vapour deposition) surface treatment technology to vacuum-coat thin films of metals or ceramics. The Ceramic MaxPhase PVD coating will enhance the performance and lifetime of metal bipolar plates in both PEM and direct methanol fuel cells. The coating offers a combination of low contact resistance, high corrosion resistance, and low cost, and exceeds the US Department of Energy’s performance and cost reduction targets. Symbio FCell products are used both as range-extenders in battery electric vehicles, and as the main source of power for fuel cell electric vehicles. Typical users are commercial fleets working around a central location, where a hydrogen refueling station can be installed [see page 9]. The French postal service La Poste is an early user of Symbio FCell technology [FCB, December 2013, p1]. Impact Coatings is supporting Symbio FCell in the development of fuel cell technology for its 5 kW range-extender and Full Power FC range, which includes fuel cells rated at 80–300 kW for trucks and heavy-duty vehicles. Initially Impact Coatings will supply Ceramic MaxPhase as a coating service to Symbio FCell. The companies are partners in the COBRA (COatings for BipolaR plAtes) project, funded by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). This project also involves Belgian sheet metal specialist Borit NV, the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), the Spanish Centre for Electrochemical Technologies (CIDETEC-IK4), and the INSA Lyon engineering university in France. Symbio FCell has supplied 5 kW PEM fuel cell range-extender systems installed in Kangoo ZE-H2 utility vehicles for the French HyWay project [FCB, April 2015, p2 and June 2015, p8]. The company is also participating in the Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy 125 Symbio FCell/ Renault fuel cell range-extended electric vans [see the News Feature on pages 14–15], and is supplying 10 of these vans to the Levenmouth Community Energy Project in Scotland [see page 3]. Symbio FCell, Grenoble, France. Tel: +33 1 5679 1506, www.symbiofcell.com
October 2015
McPhy to install its first hydrogen fueling station in France
F
rench-based McPhy Energy has been awarded its first project in France to equip a hydrogen fueling station, to be built in Lyon. The
October 2015
company recently expanded its product range by integrating hydrogen refueling station pump technology. The station will be delivered at the end of this year to GNVert, the sustainable mobility subsidiary of Engie Group, as part of the first phase of the French HyWay programme. This initiative is coordinating the deployment of utility vehicles based around several hydrogen refueling stations in the Rhône-Alpes region, including the one to be built in Lyon. Symbio FCell has supplied 5 kW PEM fuel cell range-extender systems installed in the Kangoo ZE-H2 hybrid utility vehicles (also known as the HyKangoo) for the Rhône-Alpes region, located in Lyon [FCB, April 2015, p2] and Grenoble [FCB, June 2015, p8]. The company aims to roll out 200 Kangoo ZE-H2 vans in 2015, and expects more than 1000 deliveries in 2016 [FCB, July 2015, p2, and see page 3]. Symbio FCell and McPhy are participating in the new Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy a total of 325 fuel cell electric vehicles and 29 new hydrogen stations across Europe [see the News Feature on pages 14–15]. In addition to hydrogen production by water electrolysis and intermediate storage, the McPhy Energy hydrogen station solution now integrates vehicle refueling pumps, through an exclusive technology and commercial agreement signed in April with AJC. Created by JeanMichel Joly, AJC has expertise in high-pressure gas grids, in particular pumps supplying natural gas that have been adapted for hydrogen refueling. McPhy says that this unique solution offers numerous commercial opportunities in France and international markets, and has set up a team specifically devoted to this rapidly developing market. ‘After commissioning the Berlin-Schoenefeld refueling station [FCB, May 2014, p1] and the next delivery for a refueling station in Woodside, California [FCB, June 2014, p7], this latest order confirms the added value of our product offering for the very promising hydrogen mobility market,’ says Adamo Screnci, deputy CEO of McPhy Energy. McPhy Energy has developed a metal hydridebased technique for storing hydrogen in solid form [FCB, August 2014, p8], and also now has a range of electrolyser products for the energy and mobility markets [FCB, March 2015, p9, and see the News Feature in FCB, June 2015]. The company has production sites in France, Germany and Italy, and an R&D lab in France. McPhy Energy, La Motte-Fanjas, France. Tel: +33 4 7571 1505, www.mcphy.com Symbio FCell, Grenoble, France. Tel: +33 1 5679 1506, www.symbiofcell.com
GNVert: www.gnvert-gdfsuez.com (in French) Tenerrdis energy cluster, HyWay project: www.tenerrdis.fr/en/News/hyway-project.html
Norway opens new hydrogen station at Oslo Airport
T
he first piece of the hydrogen fueling infrastructure in eastern Norway is now in place, with the opening of a new hydrogen refueling station at Oslo Airport. The station is a collaboration between hydrogen infrastructure company HYOP, Akershus County Council, airports operator Avinor, and the Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise. HYOP is establishing a robust hydrogen infrastructure to facilitate the introduction of hydrogen cars in eastern Norway. It operates four hydrogen stations: in the Oslo suburbs of Økern and Gaustad, 150 km to the south at Herøya in Porsgrunn, and 50 km to the north at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen. During 2015 HYOP will relocate some of its stations, to allow site expansion and be able to serve a larger fleet of hydrogen cars. A preliminary study has considered further possibilities for the use of hydrogen as a fuel at the airport. The first modular station at Oslo Airport will later be expanded to serve the expected increase in traffic. Non-EU Norway is also participating in the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking-funded HyTEC consortium, joining London and Copenhagen [FCB, February 2015, p2]. ‘The opening of the hydrogen station at Oslo Airport is the first piece of the infrastructure that will make it possible to launch the introduction of hydrogen cars in Norway,’ says Ulf Hafseld, general manager of HYOP. ‘We are now working under a schedule which calls for four robust stations to open in the greater Oslo region over the next two to three years. Together with the station we have in Porsgrunn, this infrastructure will accommodate the first 2000–3000 hydrogen cars.’ Akershus County Council provided financial support for the airport project, and is active in efforts to establish an early network of hydrogen stations. The Council recently entered into a public-private partnership agreement with NEL Hydrogen, and will fund a hydrogen station in Akershus, northeast of Oslo [FCB, August 2015, p8]. In other news, the Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise has been granted a major three-year
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9
NEWS hydrogen transport project as part of the EU’s cross-border Interreg programme. Project Blue Move is a cross-border, public-private investment in the Øresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak region, to promote increased use of renewable energy using hydrogen as a replacement for fossil fuels. The NOK22.5 million (US$2.7 million) project is led by the Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise and Vätgas Sweden, working with HYOP, NEL Hydrogen, the City of Oslo, Skedsmo Municipality, HYSTORSYS, and ZERO (Zero Emissions Resource Organisation), with co-financing from Akershus County Council. HYOP is also participating in the newly launched Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy a total of 325 fuel cell electric vehicles and 29 new hydrogen refueling stations across Europe [see the News Feature on pages 14–15]. HYOP AS, Kjeller, Norway. Email: [email protected], Web: www.hyop.no/english Norwegian Hydrogen Forum: www.hydrogen.no Lillestrøm Centre of Expertise: www.kunnskapsbyen.no/engelsk HYSTORSYS: www.hystorsys.no ZERO: www.zero.no/en/about-zero
Japanese plan to test renewable CO2-free hydrogen supply chain
A
new Japanese initiative aims to trial a fully fledged, carbonneutral hydrogen supply chain powered by renewable wind energy. The trials, involving major corporate and public sector partners from power generation to vehicle fueling, will take place near the cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki in the Keihin coastal region. Under this project, electricity generated by the Yokohama City Wind Power Plant will be used to produce hydrogen using electrolysis, which will then be stored before being loaded onto a mobile fueling station and transported to the Keihin region. There, the hydrogen will be used in fuel cell powered forklift trucks, which will be used at warehouses and fresh produce markets in the region to study the viability of fuel cell technology in this supply chain. Grid power will only be used for backup when absolutely necessary, and excess renewable energy produced may even be sold to utility companies. 10
Fuel Cells Bulletin
As plans currently stand, the project will involve a system to produce hydrogen by electrolysing water using wind power; a system to optimise storage and transportation of the hydrogen produced; the use of fuel cell powered forklifts; and a hydrogen supply chain feasibility study, looking at hydrogen price, CO2 reduction etc. On the public sector side, the project is being implemented by the Kanagawa Prefectural Government, Yokohama City, and Kawasaki City. The industrial participants are Iwatani Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Toyota Turbine and Systems Inc. The project will also be supported by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. The initiative is expected to run for four years, with implementation set to begin in April 2016; the project partners are currently discussing the specific details. A steering committee has been set up, with Professor Kenichiro Ota (Yokohama National University) and Professor Yoji Uchiyama (University of Tsukuba) participating as academic experts. The committee will consider the direction of the project, establish a project-wide communications framework, and determine issues that require further research after the trial has finished. Earlier this year Toyota, Nissan, and Honda announced a collaboration to help accelerate the development of hydrogen station infrastructure for fuel cell electric vehicles [FCB, February 2015, p1], and Iwatani recently completed the first commercial hydrogen refueling station in the Chugoku region, the first outside the four main metropolitan areas in Japan [FCB, September 2015, p7]. Two years ago Toyota Industries Corporation began a demonstration of its fuel cell powered forklift in a project in the city of Kitakyushu in southern Japan [FCB, March 2013, p3]. Iwatani Corporation: www.iwatani.co.jp/eng Toshiba, Hydrogen Economy: www.toshiba.co.jp/newenergy/en/index.htm Toyota, Hydrogen Society and Energy Sources: http://tinyurl.com/toyota-fcevs
COMMERCIALISATION
Symbio FCell selects Ceramic MaxPhase for new automotive stack
F
rench company Symbio FCell, which manufactures PEM fuel cell
powertrains and range-extenders for cars and commercial vehicles, has chosen the Ceramic MaxPhase™ coating from Swedish-based Impact Coatings for its new fuel cell stack. The new fuel cell is expected to be launched in December. Impact Coatings is commercialising PVD (physical vapour deposition) surface treatment technology to vacuum-coat thin films of metals or ceramics. The Ceramic MaxPhase PVD coating will enhance the performance and lifetime of metal bipolar plates in both PEM and direct methanol fuel cells. The coating offers a combination of low contact resistance, high corrosion resistance, and low cost, and exceeds the US Department of Energy’s performance and cost reduction targets. Symbio FCell products are used both as range-extenders in battery electric vehicles, and as the main source of power for fuel cell electric vehicles. Typical users are commercial fleets working around a central location, where a hydrogen refueling station can be installed [see page 9]. The French postal service La Poste is an early user of Symbio FCell technology [FCB, December 2013, p1]. Impact Coatings is supporting Symbio FCell in the development of fuel cell technology for its 5 kW range-extender and Full Power FC range, which includes fuel cells rated at 80–300 kW for trucks and heavy-duty vehicles. Initially Impact Coatings will supply Ceramic MaxPhase as a coating service to Symbio FCell. The companies are partners in the COBRA (COatings for BipolaR plAtes) project, funded by the European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). This project also involves Belgian sheet metal specialist Borit NV, the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), the Spanish Centre for Electrochemical Technologies (CIDETEC-IK4), and the INSA Lyon engineering university in France. Symbio FCell has supplied 5 kW PEM fuel cell range-extender systems installed in Kangoo ZE-H2 utility vehicles for the French HyWay project [FCB, April 2015, p2 and June 2015, p8]. The company is also participating in the Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) flagship project, which will deploy 125 Symbio FCell/ Renault fuel cell range-extended electric vans [see the News Feature on pages 14–15], and is supplying 10 of these vans to the Levenmouth Community Energy Project in Scotland [see page 3]. Symbio FCell, Grenoble, France. Tel: +33 1 5679 1506, www.symbiofcell.com
October 2015