- Email: [email protected]
Plug Power rolls out ProGen for third-party mobile, stationary use
NEWS to a state-of-the-art, 200 kg/day retail station. This facility is being redesigned by Equilon Enterprises, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Products US, to serve retail customers and increase its vehicle fueling capacity. The project requires the installation of new hydrogen compression, purification, cooling and dispenser technology. The upgrade will convert the station from nonretail to retail status, and help improve vehicle filling performance and consumer interaction. The newly designed dispensers will deliver hydrogen with sufficient accuracy to meet compliance with the latest California Division of Measurement and Standards requirements, which will allow retail fuelings and for consumers to pay for the hydrogen at the station. The station will also be upgraded to provide 350 and 700 bar vehicle fuelings, allow two cars to be fueled simultaneously, and enable three back-to-back vehicle fills per dispenser. The fueling station is supplied from Air Products’ hydrogen pipeline, located less than 50 ft (15 m) from the station and connected to the company’s hydrogen production facilities in California. Shell’s hydrogen fueling station in Torrance, which first opened in May 2011, was the world’s first pipeline-supplied hydrogen station [FCB, June 2011, p7]. The station is located adjacent to the sales and marketing headquarters campus of Toyota Motor Sales USA, although it was established to supply hydrogen for several automobile manufacturers’ FCEVs in the region. ‘The Torrance pipeline station has been the backbone of hydrogen refueling in southern California for a long time, so it is encouraging to see the station upgraded,’ says Oliver Bishop, general manager for hydrogen at Shell. Air Products has been involved in more than 200 hydrogen fueling projects in the US and 20 countries worldwide, serving cars, trucks, vans, buses, scooters, forklifts, locomotives, planes, cell phone towers, materials handling equipment, and even submarines [see the Air Products Europe feature in FCB, February 2013]. It recently installed a new fueling station and liquid hydrogen supply for the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority in Ohio [October 2016, p9], and is looking to collaborate with the National Institute of Clean-andLow-Carbon Energy (NICE) in Beijing on hydrogen fueling projects in China [November 2016, p7]. Air Products, SmartFuel® Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.com/h2energy
December 2016
ENERGY STORAGE
ITM electrolyser for UK National Grid P2G HyDeploy consortium
electrolyser technology is also utilised in hydrogen refueling stations, such as the ones being deployed in several UK locations [see page 9]. ITM Power, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com
COMMERCIALISATION
I
n the UK, ITM Power is supplying a 0.5 MW electrolyser to the HyDeploy consortium, as part of a programme to demonstrate the use of blended hydrogen in the natural gas grid. The £6.8 million (US$8.6 million) project, funded by Ofgem and led by National Grid, will establish a framework for hydrogen gasto-grid injection in the UK through trials using the independent gas network at Keele University in Staffordshire. This key enabling project aims to open up a new Power-to-Gas (P2G) market in the UK. The three-year pilot project will begin in 2017, and the results will be used to inform a further public trial of the use of hydrogenblended natural gas in the UK grid, with the intention of then rolling out the use of hydrogen blends nationwide. This would enable hydrogen to be blended with natural gas in gas networks across the country to a maximum of 20% of the total volume of gas in the network. Gas users would not notice any difference – no changes would be required to gas appliances, and it would be just as safe as using natural gas. The Ofgem funding, together with £760 000 ($960 000) contributed by National Grid and Northern Gas Networks, will be used to provide hydrogen production and injection facilities at Keele University, and to run a rigorous experimental testing and safety programme. The HyDeploy consortium includes National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, Keele University, the Health and Safety Laboratory, ITM Power, and Progressive Energy. It is supported by gas experts KIWA Gastec and engineering company Otto Simon. ITM Power already has several electrolysers deployed in German P2G installations. In 2013, Thüga’s P2G plant in Frankfurt am Main was the first in Germany to use electrolysis to convert electricity into hydrogen, and feed this into the gas distribution network [FCB, January 2014, p8]. In early 2015, ITM delivered a secondgeneration P2G PEM electrolyser system to RWE Deutschland [March 2015, p9], and earlier this year it sold a 1 MW electrolyser system to ZEAG Energie in BadenWürttemberg [April 2016, p7]. ITM’s PEM
Plug Power rolls out ProGen for third-party mobile, stationary use
U
S-based Plug Power is making its successful modular ProGen PEM fuel cell engine technology, previously only available in its own products, available to global customers for use in mobility and stationary power systems. The modular ProGen line will allow Plug Power to continue growing as a third-party engine supplier, providing mobility and stationary customers with industry-leading performance, reliability, and reduced timeto-market. The continuing movement to electric drivetrain solutions means that Plug Power sees growth opportunities in leveraging ProGen into new mobility markets such as logistics vehicles, delivery vans, ground support equipment, range-extenders, and electric passenger vehicles. ‘We are now offering ProGen fuel cell system components to independent companies as the flexible power building blocks for their motive and stationary products under development,’ says CEO Andy Marsh. ‘ProGen is a key part of our future growth, due to its robust and cost-effective simplicity, as well as the positive impact it makes to our company’s profitability’ [see the Plug Power feature in FCB, December 2011]. Plug Power initially began shipping ProGenpowered products a year ago, and the technology is being incorporated into a rapidly growing proportion of its GenDrive and GenSure products. The company says that it will have deployed 2500 ProGen engines in GenDrive fuel cells by the end of 2016, and is anticipating 50% growth in ProGen shipments in 2017. ProGen engines are manufactured at factories in Latham, New York and Spokane, Washington. Plug Power recently signed a deal with Chinese partners to develop new fuel cell applications and fueling solutions for the large industrial electric vehicle market in China, including two industrial delivery truck prototypes using ProGen fuel cell engines [FCB, November 2016, p1].
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
NEWS Plug Power, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
DOE reports highlight fuel cell bus economy, hydrogen fuel quality
T
he Fuel Cell Technologies Office of the US Department of Energy has recently released two reports relating to the use of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. Its analysis of fuel cell buses in US transit fleets found that the fuel economy of fuel cell buses is 1.4 times higher than diesel buses, while the other report highlights DOE efforts to support the development of hydrogen fuel quality specifications. The first report, Fuel Cell Buses in US Transit Fleets: Current Status 2016 from DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, summarises US progress in fuel cell electric buses, and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The 2016 report focuses on the August 2015–July 2016 time period for three demonstrations in California: the Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group, the American Fuel Cell Bus Project at SunLine Transit Agency, and the American Fuel Cell Bus Project at the University of California, Irvine. The results for these buses account for more than 550 000 miles (885 000 km) travelled and 59 500 h of fuel cell system operation. The report shows that the average fuel economy of fuel cell buses from the three fleets is ~6 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE), which is 1.4 times higher than conventional diesel buses (~4.2 miles per DGE) from one fleet, and up to 1.9 times higher than compressed natural gas buses (~3.3 miles per DGE) in another fleet. These results demonstrate significant progress towards the DOE and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) fuel economy target of 8 miles per DGE. Fuel cell bus durability has reached 23 000 h, surpassing FCTO’s 2016 target of 18 000 h, and the range has reached up to 340 miles (547 km), more than 13% above the 2016 target of 300 miles (483 km). The second FCTO report, Hydrogen Fuel Quality Specifications for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells in Road Vehicles, highlights progress in developing a domestic and international consensus on hydrogen fuel quality specifications under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and in parallel with SAE International. The report also discusses the planning and development
12
Fuel Cells Bulletin
of a collaborative R&D programme between the US, Japan, and the European Commission to establish these specifications grounded on sound technical data, modelling, and analysis. Fuel Cell Buses in US Transit Fleets (1.7MB PDF): http://tinyurl.com/doe-fc-buses-2016 Hydrogen Fuel Quality Specifications (5MB PDF): http://tinyurl.com/doe-h2-fuel-quality
myFC signs major Chinese deal for its JAQ fuel cell charger
S
wedish micro fuel cell developer myFC has signed a two-year sales and distribution agreement for its JAQ fuel cell charger with the leading Chinese cell phone distributor, China Telling Communications. The planned delivery, which runs from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2018, has a contract value of about SEK430 million (US$47 million). Telling works closely with China Mobile and China Unicom, two of the world’s largest mobile operators. The sales and distribution arrangement between myFC and Nanjing Tianningjun Communication Technology Co Ltd, a Telling subsidiary, includes three phases during the contract period. The first phase includes an initial order of 1000 JAQ chargers and their PowerCard charging cards for prompt delivery, to launch the JAQ in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Phase two is a sales volume minimum commitment by Telling of 400 000 JAQ units, with a value of about SEK150 million ($17 million), to complement and penetrate ‘Tier II’ cities in China. The third phase of the agreement is to enable a further penetration of the JAQ within Telling’s nationwide distribution system, with a planned volume of an additional 900 000 units to be rolled out in 2018. The agreement comes out of myFC establishing a joint venture in China earlier this year with investment company Novel Unicorn in Hong Kong, setting up myFC Asia and then myFC China [FCB, May 2016, p6]. myFC believes that this new contract will allow it to further expand its operational base and infrastructure in China. myFC has successfully integrated its PEM fuel cell into several leading smartphones, power banks, and a cell phone case, including an iPhone 7 and a Samsung Galaxy S7 [see page 8]. myFC AB, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 5000 0200, www.myfcpower.com
E4tech 2016 review highlights China boost to growth in fuel cells
T
he international sustainable energy consultancy E4tech has released its Fuel Cell Industry Review 2016, which highlights the increasing influence of China on the fuel cell sector’s growth. The stable Chinese government leadership is giving the still-fragile sector – so far led by Japan, North America, and Europe – a lift in the wake of the COP21 Paris Agreement a year ago. The latest free report sees a shift in focus from the historically diffident Chinese government towards supporting the sector, in keeping with its Paris commitments, air quality concerns, and economic opportunities. China has continued its fuel cell subsidies under a major government support scheme for ‘new energy’ vehicles (while cutting those for battery electric cars), and will bring at least 300 fuel cell buses into service in 2017 [FCB, October 2015, p2]. This development underpins continued growth in the sector worldwide, with the total number of shipments up by two-thirds on 2015. The transport sector is leading the way, with the number of car-related fuel cell shipments doubling to 280 MW in the past year, while stationary fuel cell shipments saw a 10% rise to 200 MW. ‘This year’s report demonstrates the importance of a long-term outlook for governments that seek to support a growing industry,’ says E4tech director Dr David Hart, a long-time fuel cell and hydrogen expert. ‘The sector remains fragile. But by supporting fuel cell-powered vehicles in tandem with funding for hydrogen infrastructure and projects developing roadmaps, monitoring and supply-chain capabilities, the Chinese government is providing a real sense of direction for private sector firms to follow.’ ‘The sector is yet to fully mature, and new players are entering the market all the time,’ he continues. ‘This increased competition could lead to dramatic improvements in the energy solutions available. Savvy businesses should monitor the situation to make the most of breakthroughs as soon as they arrive.’ The Fuel Cell Industry Review 2016 features a comprehensive analysis of ongoing and emerging trends in the fuel cell sector. It shows extensive shipment data broken down according to region, application and technology to help readers from the worlds of business, finance and government to navigate this increasingly complex space. This is the third
December 2016
December 2016
ENERGY STORAGE
ITM electrolyser for UK National Grid P2G HyDeploy consortium
electrolyser technology is also utilised in hydrogen refueling stations, such as the ones being deployed in several UK locations [see page 9]. ITM Power, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com
COMMERCIALISATION
I
n the UK, ITM Power is supplying a 0.5 MW electrolyser to the HyDeploy consortium, as part of a programme to demonstrate the use of blended hydrogen in the natural gas grid. The £6.8 million (US$8.6 million) project, funded by Ofgem and led by National Grid, will establish a framework for hydrogen gasto-grid injection in the UK through trials using the independent gas network at Keele University in Staffordshire. This key enabling project aims to open up a new Power-to-Gas (P2G) market in the UK. The three-year pilot project will begin in 2017, and the results will be used to inform a further public trial of the use of hydrogenblended natural gas in the UK grid, with the intention of then rolling out the use of hydrogen blends nationwide. This would enable hydrogen to be blended with natural gas in gas networks across the country to a maximum of 20% of the total volume of gas in the network. Gas users would not notice any difference – no changes would be required to gas appliances, and it would be just as safe as using natural gas. The Ofgem funding, together with £760 000 ($960 000) contributed by National Grid and Northern Gas Networks, will be used to provide hydrogen production and injection facilities at Keele University, and to run a rigorous experimental testing and safety programme. The HyDeploy consortium includes National Grid, Northern Gas Networks, Keele University, the Health and Safety Laboratory, ITM Power, and Progressive Energy. It is supported by gas experts KIWA Gastec and engineering company Otto Simon. ITM Power already has several electrolysers deployed in German P2G installations. In 2013, Thüga’s P2G plant in Frankfurt am Main was the first in Germany to use electrolysis to convert electricity into hydrogen, and feed this into the gas distribution network [FCB, January 2014, p8]. In early 2015, ITM delivered a secondgeneration P2G PEM electrolyser system to RWE Deutschland [March 2015, p9], and earlier this year it sold a 1 MW electrolyser system to ZEAG Energie in BadenWürttemberg [April 2016, p7]. ITM’s PEM
Plug Power rolls out ProGen for third-party mobile, stationary use
U
S-based Plug Power is making its successful modular ProGen PEM fuel cell engine technology, previously only available in its own products, available to global customers for use in mobility and stationary power systems. The modular ProGen line will allow Plug Power to continue growing as a third-party engine supplier, providing mobility and stationary customers with industry-leading performance, reliability, and reduced timeto-market. The continuing movement to electric drivetrain solutions means that Plug Power sees growth opportunities in leveraging ProGen into new mobility markets such as logistics vehicles, delivery vans, ground support equipment, range-extenders, and electric passenger vehicles. ‘We are now offering ProGen fuel cell system components to independent companies as the flexible power building blocks for their motive and stationary products under development,’ says CEO Andy Marsh. ‘ProGen is a key part of our future growth, due to its robust and cost-effective simplicity, as well as the positive impact it makes to our company’s profitability’ [see the Plug Power feature in FCB, December 2011]. Plug Power initially began shipping ProGenpowered products a year ago, and the technology is being incorporated into a rapidly growing proportion of its GenDrive and GenSure products. The company says that it will have deployed 2500 ProGen engines in GenDrive fuel cells by the end of 2016, and is anticipating 50% growth in ProGen shipments in 2017. ProGen engines are manufactured at factories in Latham, New York and Spokane, Washington. Plug Power recently signed a deal with Chinese partners to develop new fuel cell applications and fueling solutions for the large industrial electric vehicle market in China, including two industrial delivery truck prototypes using ProGen fuel cell engines [FCB, November 2016, p1].
Fuel Cells Bulletin
11
NEWS Plug Power, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
DOE reports highlight fuel cell bus economy, hydrogen fuel quality
T
he Fuel Cell Technologies Office of the US Department of Energy has recently released two reports relating to the use of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. Its analysis of fuel cell buses in US transit fleets found that the fuel economy of fuel cell buses is 1.4 times higher than diesel buses, while the other report highlights DOE efforts to support the development of hydrogen fuel quality specifications. The first report, Fuel Cell Buses in US Transit Fleets: Current Status 2016 from DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, summarises US progress in fuel cell electric buses, and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The 2016 report focuses on the August 2015–July 2016 time period for three demonstrations in California: the Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group, the American Fuel Cell Bus Project at SunLine Transit Agency, and the American Fuel Cell Bus Project at the University of California, Irvine. The results for these buses account for more than 550 000 miles (885 000 km) travelled and 59 500 h of fuel cell system operation. The report shows that the average fuel economy of fuel cell buses from the three fleets is ~6 miles per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE), which is 1.4 times higher than conventional diesel buses (~4.2 miles per DGE) from one fleet, and up to 1.9 times higher than compressed natural gas buses (~3.3 miles per DGE) in another fleet. These results demonstrate significant progress towards the DOE and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) fuel economy target of 8 miles per DGE. Fuel cell bus durability has reached 23 000 h, surpassing FCTO’s 2016 target of 18 000 h, and the range has reached up to 340 miles (547 km), more than 13% above the 2016 target of 300 miles (483 km). The second FCTO report, Hydrogen Fuel Quality Specifications for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells in Road Vehicles, highlights progress in developing a domestic and international consensus on hydrogen fuel quality specifications under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and in parallel with SAE International. The report also discusses the planning and development
12
Fuel Cells Bulletin
of a collaborative R&D programme between the US, Japan, and the European Commission to establish these specifications grounded on sound technical data, modelling, and analysis. Fuel Cell Buses in US Transit Fleets (1.7MB PDF): http://tinyurl.com/doe-fc-buses-2016 Hydrogen Fuel Quality Specifications (5MB PDF): http://tinyurl.com/doe-h2-fuel-quality
myFC signs major Chinese deal for its JAQ fuel cell charger
S
wedish micro fuel cell developer myFC has signed a two-year sales and distribution agreement for its JAQ fuel cell charger with the leading Chinese cell phone distributor, China Telling Communications. The planned delivery, which runs from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2018, has a contract value of about SEK430 million (US$47 million). Telling works closely with China Mobile and China Unicom, two of the world’s largest mobile operators. The sales and distribution arrangement between myFC and Nanjing Tianningjun Communication Technology Co Ltd, a Telling subsidiary, includes three phases during the contract period. The first phase includes an initial order of 1000 JAQ chargers and their PowerCard charging cards for prompt delivery, to launch the JAQ in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Phase two is a sales volume minimum commitment by Telling of 400 000 JAQ units, with a value of about SEK150 million ($17 million), to complement and penetrate ‘Tier II’ cities in China. The third phase of the agreement is to enable a further penetration of the JAQ within Telling’s nationwide distribution system, with a planned volume of an additional 900 000 units to be rolled out in 2018. The agreement comes out of myFC establishing a joint venture in China earlier this year with investment company Novel Unicorn in Hong Kong, setting up myFC Asia and then myFC China [FCB, May 2016, p6]. myFC believes that this new contract will allow it to further expand its operational base and infrastructure in China. myFC has successfully integrated its PEM fuel cell into several leading smartphones, power banks, and a cell phone case, including an iPhone 7 and a Samsung Galaxy S7 [see page 8]. myFC AB, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 5000 0200, www.myfcpower.com
E4tech 2016 review highlights China boost to growth in fuel cells
T
he international sustainable energy consultancy E4tech has released its Fuel Cell Industry Review 2016, which highlights the increasing influence of China on the fuel cell sector’s growth. The stable Chinese government leadership is giving the still-fragile sector – so far led by Japan, North America, and Europe – a lift in the wake of the COP21 Paris Agreement a year ago. The latest free report sees a shift in focus from the historically diffident Chinese government towards supporting the sector, in keeping with its Paris commitments, air quality concerns, and economic opportunities. China has continued its fuel cell subsidies under a major government support scheme for ‘new energy’ vehicles (while cutting those for battery electric cars), and will bring at least 300 fuel cell buses into service in 2017 [FCB, October 2015, p2]. This development underpins continued growth in the sector worldwide, with the total number of shipments up by two-thirds on 2015. The transport sector is leading the way, with the number of car-related fuel cell shipments doubling to 280 MW in the past year, while stationary fuel cell shipments saw a 10% rise to 200 MW. ‘This year’s report demonstrates the importance of a long-term outlook for governments that seek to support a growing industry,’ says E4tech director Dr David Hart, a long-time fuel cell and hydrogen expert. ‘The sector remains fragile. But by supporting fuel cell-powered vehicles in tandem with funding for hydrogen infrastructure and projects developing roadmaps, monitoring and supply-chain capabilities, the Chinese government is providing a real sense of direction for private sector firms to follow.’ ‘The sector is yet to fully mature, and new players are entering the market all the time,’ he continues. ‘This increased competition could lead to dramatic improvements in the energy solutions available. Savvy businesses should monitor the situation to make the most of breakthroughs as soon as they arrive.’ The Fuel Cell Industry Review 2016 features a comprehensive analysis of ongoing and emerging trends in the fuel cell sector. It shows extensive shipment data broken down according to region, application and technology to help readers from the worlds of business, finance and government to navigate this increasingly complex space. This is the third
December 2016