- Email: [email protected]
Shell opens its fourth demo hydrogen station in California
NEWS
Retailers begin sales of Horizon’s portable micro fuel cell devices
the company is collaborating with several multinationals seeking to launch custom-made Horizon fuel cell powered products. It also started a crowd-sourced product development initiative centred on the Hydrostik metal hydride cartridge, together with the global MIT Fab Lab network in the US [FCB, June 2012, p12] and Arcola Energy in the UK [FCB, March 2102, p9]. Horizon also offers the Hydrofill personal hydrogen station (now priced at $249), which automatically refills Hydrostik cartridges, rather than disposable single-use cartridges. This micro-electrolyser format is scalable to larger formats over time, thus dismantling the infrastructure barrier for many fuel cell applications. Hydrofill can already produce on-demand renewable hydrogen, using standard solar panels or wind turbines. Over the coming years, Horizon is aiming for a cordless solution for low-cost, on-demand hydrogen using a variety of inputs, including methanol, propane, natural gas, and potentially household waste.
S
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Singapore. Tel: +65 6872 9588, www.horizonfuelcell.com
On the other hand, fellow Connecticut company FuelCell Energy (www.fce.com) is very busy in Korea, in partnership with POSCO Energy. FCE is participating in developing a 60 MW fuel cell park, the largest fuel cell installation in the world so far [FCB, June 2012, p7]. The company also recently completed a 120 MW order commitment and technology transfer agreement with POSCO Energy [FCB, May 2012, p8]. UTC Power, South Windsor, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 860 727 2200, www.utcpower.com SK E&S: www.skens.com
PORTABLE & MICRO
ingapore-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies has announced the retail availability of its groundbreaking micro fuel cell products. Unveiled two years ago at the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, Horizon’s products have since undergone design improvements, significant cost reductions, and CE certification to allow sales and marketing in Europe. Major retailers now selling Horizon’s portable micro PEM fuel cell products include REI, the largest retail chain for recreational outdoor gear in North America. Many other sales outlets are currently gearing up to supply Horizon’s products across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. At a retail price of US$99, Horizon says that the MiniPak is the world’s lowest-cost fuel cell power product, and the only one to use a refillable metal hydride fuel cartridge. It uses no toxic fuels or materials, and is IATA-approved for use in aircraft cabins. The system offers practical portable energy for professionals on the go, longer-lasting connectivity during offgrid activities such as trekking or camping, or when travelling through remote environments. Horizon’s metal hydride approach contrasts with that of Swedish-based myFC, which launched its PowerTrekk fuel cell portable charger at this year’s CES show, ahead of going on retail sale in the spring [FCB, February 2012, p7]. The PowerTrekk uses hydrogen cartridges containing sodium silicide (NaSi), which produces hydrogen on-demand from its reaction with water. MiniPak’s reusable Hydrostik cartridges are becoming a standard for micro fuel cells, according to Horizon. Beyond its own designs,
August 2012
FUELLING
London’s Olympic challenge on fuel cell taxis, buses, hydrogen
T
here were mixed fortunes for London’s fleets of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles during the recent London 2012 Summer Olympic Games – which were otherwise a huge success for the host nation. Five fuel cell electric hybrid London taxis were operated as part of the HyTEC (Hydrogen Transport for European Cities) programme, transporting visiting dignitaries and the VIP guests of the Greater London Authority during the Olympics (and the forthcoming Paralympic Games). Each taxi has 350 bar (5000 psi) hydrogen storage with a storage cylinder capacity of 3.7 kg, to provide a typical operating range of 250 miles (400 km) in a mixed duty cycle. Initially the taxis had to be transported 80 miles (130 km) to Swindon, where they were refuelled at the UK’s only public-access hydrogen refuelling station. The station is owned and operated by BOC, and can dispense hydrogen at both 350 and 700 bar (10 000 psi), the two international hydrogen storage specifications for vehicles [see page 8]. A few days after the Olympics had begun, a new hydrogen station was opened at Heathrow
Airport, on the western edge of London and a much more convenient location for refuelling the taxis. This HyTEC station is owned and operated by Air Products, and with the original hydrogen station in East London, adds to the regional hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. However, security restrictions in place at the existing FirstBus hydrogen fuelling station at Lea Interchange, Stratford – close to the Olympic Park – meant that the best-placed hydrogen station was out of commission. This came about because, as part of the planning permission for this station, it was stipulated that there would be no hydrogen deliveries during the period of the Olympic Games. This hydrogen station – owned and operated by Air Products – also serves to refuel London’s fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell hybrid buses, which have been taken out of service for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The buses are expected to re-enter service in September, with an additional three buses going into service mainly on the RV1 route from Aldwych to Tower Gateway. Ironically, the temporary shutdown of the bus fleet came soon after it celebrated passing 1000 bus refuelling operations at this hydrogen station. The HyTEC project is a partnership between two cities – London and Copenhagen – that are collaborating in a pan-European partnership for the early adoption of hydrogen technology [FCB, November 2011, p7]. This industryled European project will utilise the hydrogen transport experience and knowledge of 16 companies – in five European countries – at the forefront of development of hydrogen technology and infrastructure. HyTEC project: www.hy-tec.eu Air Products, Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.co.uk/h2energy BOC, Hydrogen Refuelling: http://tinyurl.com/8z5cxdh
Shell opens its fourth demo hydrogen station in California
I
n the US, Shell has opened a new demonstration hydrogen station in Newport Beach, California. The new station is the fourth that Shell has developed in the Los Angeles region, which is a hot spot for fuel cell electric vehicles with long-term support through the California Fuel Cell Partnership. ‘Demonstration hydrogen filling stations allow us to evaluate a range of different technologies and learn valuable lessons about
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS costs, consumer behaviour, and how to dispense it efficiently to different vehicles,’ says Matias Sanchez Cane, North America commercial manager for Shell Alternative Energies. ‘To reduce costs and achieve its commercial potential, hydrogen requires considerable cooperation between fuel providers, car makers, equipment suppliers, and governments.’ The Shell-branded station in Newport Beach offers both Shell nitrogen-enriched gasolines and hydrogen, and will be open 24 hours a day. Local FCEV drivers will be trained to use the dispensers using personal access codes. Initially, Shell expects 10–12 drivers to fill their tanks each day at the site’s two pumps. This is the fourth demonstration station that Shell has developed in the Los Angeles area. The energy giant opened the first integrated gasoline/ hydrogen station in California in 2008, in West Los Angeles [FCB, August 2008, p7], and a smaller sister station in Culver City in 2009. In May 2011 the company opened a third station, in Torrance, the first in the US to have hydrogen delivered directly from an existing underground pipeline [FCB, June 2011, p7]. Shell USA: www.shell.us California Fuel Cell Partnership: www.cafcp.org
ITM Power updates on hydrogen cost structure for HFuel
U
K-based ITM Power has released an update on the cost structure of hydrogen generated by its HFuel electrolyser platform. The company has also announced the sale of a hydrogen generation system to the CEA in France. Last November ITM announced the cost of hydrogen (in £/kg) derived from electrolysis based on the capital cost and operating efficiency measured during its completed Hydrogen On-Site Trial (HOST) demonstrations [FCB, December 2011, p7]. The latest update represents a revised cost structure based on the company’s larger 25 kg/ day stack platform, which was launched at the Hannover Messe in April for larger-scale refuelling and gas grid injection applications. A hydrogen generation module comprising four 25 kg/day electrolyser stacks and associated balance-of-plant has been used in the new analysis. In addition to capital cost and electricity consumption, the analysis includes an indicative annual maintenance cost together with utilisation factor. The hydrogen cost is projected at £6.23/kg (US$4.42/lb) within a 10-year capital amortisation period, and £3.49/
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
kg ($2.48/lb) after capital amortisation. This represents a significant reduction in the cost of hydrogen production. Utilisation of the larger-capacity stack platform enables HFuel to carry forward the flexible modular design philosophy, consisting of up to 16 electrolyser stacks per 1 MW element (in a 20 ft/6 m standard ISO container), for up to 24 MWh of storage per unit per day. In response to varying load requirements each stack can be switched on/off in 1 s, and may be turned up and down dynamically, either independently or coordinated with the others in the system. This provides great flexibility for system operation and maintenance. Integration with an overarching energy management system enables real-time decisions to be made on optimal operational mode and overall efficiency. Each stack has a conversion efficiency >75% at full load, and higher at part load. The 80 bar (1160 psi) maximum operating pressure of the stacks obviates the need for a compressor when used for gas grid injection. This eliminates the energy consumption associated with an external compressor, and reduces system maintenance. Coupled with balance-of-plant design, this achieves a system efficiency of <60 kWh/kg. In other news, ITM Power has sold a hydrogen generation system to the French atomic and alternative energy agency CEA in Grenoble. The unit will be built in the UK and housed within a containerised platform that will be shipped to France as a fully CE marked plug-and-play unit. CEA will use the 5 Nm3/h unit in a project on the storage of renewable energy. The electrolyser will be fed by a power simulator designed to mimic various forms of renewable energy. The hydrogen will be produced onsite and stored in a metal hydride system, before being used in a fuel cell to generate renewable power on-demand and to supply ‘green’ hydrogen. ITM Power Plc, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com
The car, a Hyundai ix35 FCEV, was refuelled in compliance with the industry’s international operating standard, the SAE J2601 Protocol, at the UK’s only public-access hydrogen refuelling station, in Swindon. On separate occasions over a two-day period, 5 kg of high-purity hydrogen was dispensed at a pressure of 700 bar in less than 3 minutes, the gas having been precooled to –40°C. The station is the result of a partnership between BOC – a member of The Linde Group – together with car maker Honda and Swindon’s economic development company Forward Swindon. ‘The capability of the BOC station to refuel cars at both 350 and 700 bar pressures demonstrates that the UK is rapidly increasing its credibility as a location for the rollout of hydrogen-powered passenger cars,’ comments Hyundai senior research engineer Soongil Kweon, who oversaw the refuelling on behalf of the Korean automaker. The ix35 FCEV is Hyundai’s third-generation fuel cell electric vehicle, and is equipped with a 100 kW (136 hp) PEM fuel cell stack and two hydrogen storage tanks with a total capacity of 5.64 kg, enabling the vehicle to travel a total of 525 km (325 miles) on a full tank. Its maximum speed is 160 km/h (100 mph), and it can reliably start in temperatures as low as –25°C. Many major vehicle manufacturers have publicly announced that they will begin commercialising hydrogen vehicles in 2015. The standard pressure for refuelling systems in these new models will be 700 bar, so the Swindon station will be able to service these vehicles as soon as they appear on Britain’s roads. The UKH2Mobility project was launched in January to ensure that the UK is well placed to handle the commercial rollout of hydrogen FCEVs in the next three years [FCB, January 2012, p1]. The initiative brings together government departments and industrial partners from the utility, gas, infrastructure, and global car manufacturing sectors.
UK GridGas project: www.gridgas.co.uk
BOC, Hydrogen Refuelling: http://tinyurl.com/8z5cxdh
CEA: www.cea.fr/english_portal
Hyundai Motor Company: http://worldwide.hyundai.com
BOC, Hyundai carry out UK’s first 700 bar hydrogen refuelling
DOE projects to boost performance, cut cost of hydrogen fuelling
T
T
he UK’s hydrogen-based transport sector has taken another step forward, with industrial gases and engineering company BOC undertaking the UK’s first refuelling of a 700 bar (10 000 psi) hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle.
he US Department of Energy has announced a $2.4 million investment to collect and analyse performance data for hydrogen fuelling stations and advanced refuelling components. The five projects – located in California, Illinois, and Connecticut – will track the
August 2012
Retailers begin sales of Horizon’s portable micro fuel cell devices
the company is collaborating with several multinationals seeking to launch custom-made Horizon fuel cell powered products. It also started a crowd-sourced product development initiative centred on the Hydrostik metal hydride cartridge, together with the global MIT Fab Lab network in the US [FCB, June 2012, p12] and Arcola Energy in the UK [FCB, March 2102, p9]. Horizon also offers the Hydrofill personal hydrogen station (now priced at $249), which automatically refills Hydrostik cartridges, rather than disposable single-use cartridges. This micro-electrolyser format is scalable to larger formats over time, thus dismantling the infrastructure barrier for many fuel cell applications. Hydrofill can already produce on-demand renewable hydrogen, using standard solar panels or wind turbines. Over the coming years, Horizon is aiming for a cordless solution for low-cost, on-demand hydrogen using a variety of inputs, including methanol, propane, natural gas, and potentially household waste.
S
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Singapore. Tel: +65 6872 9588, www.horizonfuelcell.com
On the other hand, fellow Connecticut company FuelCell Energy (www.fce.com) is very busy in Korea, in partnership with POSCO Energy. FCE is participating in developing a 60 MW fuel cell park, the largest fuel cell installation in the world so far [FCB, June 2012, p7]. The company also recently completed a 120 MW order commitment and technology transfer agreement with POSCO Energy [FCB, May 2012, p8]. UTC Power, South Windsor, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 860 727 2200, www.utcpower.com SK E&S: www.skens.com
PORTABLE & MICRO
ingapore-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies has announced the retail availability of its groundbreaking micro fuel cell products. Unveiled two years ago at the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, Horizon’s products have since undergone design improvements, significant cost reductions, and CE certification to allow sales and marketing in Europe. Major retailers now selling Horizon’s portable micro PEM fuel cell products include REI, the largest retail chain for recreational outdoor gear in North America. Many other sales outlets are currently gearing up to supply Horizon’s products across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. At a retail price of US$99, Horizon says that the MiniPak is the world’s lowest-cost fuel cell power product, and the only one to use a refillable metal hydride fuel cartridge. It uses no toxic fuels or materials, and is IATA-approved for use in aircraft cabins. The system offers practical portable energy for professionals on the go, longer-lasting connectivity during offgrid activities such as trekking or camping, or when travelling through remote environments. Horizon’s metal hydride approach contrasts with that of Swedish-based myFC, which launched its PowerTrekk fuel cell portable charger at this year’s CES show, ahead of going on retail sale in the spring [FCB, February 2012, p7]. The PowerTrekk uses hydrogen cartridges containing sodium silicide (NaSi), which produces hydrogen on-demand from its reaction with water. MiniPak’s reusable Hydrostik cartridges are becoming a standard for micro fuel cells, according to Horizon. Beyond its own designs,
August 2012
FUELLING
London’s Olympic challenge on fuel cell taxis, buses, hydrogen
T
here were mixed fortunes for London’s fleets of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles during the recent London 2012 Summer Olympic Games – which were otherwise a huge success for the host nation. Five fuel cell electric hybrid London taxis were operated as part of the HyTEC (Hydrogen Transport for European Cities) programme, transporting visiting dignitaries and the VIP guests of the Greater London Authority during the Olympics (and the forthcoming Paralympic Games). Each taxi has 350 bar (5000 psi) hydrogen storage with a storage cylinder capacity of 3.7 kg, to provide a typical operating range of 250 miles (400 km) in a mixed duty cycle. Initially the taxis had to be transported 80 miles (130 km) to Swindon, where they were refuelled at the UK’s only public-access hydrogen refuelling station. The station is owned and operated by BOC, and can dispense hydrogen at both 350 and 700 bar (10 000 psi), the two international hydrogen storage specifications for vehicles [see page 8]. A few days after the Olympics had begun, a new hydrogen station was opened at Heathrow
Airport, on the western edge of London and a much more convenient location for refuelling the taxis. This HyTEC station is owned and operated by Air Products, and with the original hydrogen station in East London, adds to the regional hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. However, security restrictions in place at the existing FirstBus hydrogen fuelling station at Lea Interchange, Stratford – close to the Olympic Park – meant that the best-placed hydrogen station was out of commission. This came about because, as part of the planning permission for this station, it was stipulated that there would be no hydrogen deliveries during the period of the Olympic Games. This hydrogen station – owned and operated by Air Products – also serves to refuel London’s fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell hybrid buses, which have been taken out of service for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The buses are expected to re-enter service in September, with an additional three buses going into service mainly on the RV1 route from Aldwych to Tower Gateway. Ironically, the temporary shutdown of the bus fleet came soon after it celebrated passing 1000 bus refuelling operations at this hydrogen station. The HyTEC project is a partnership between two cities – London and Copenhagen – that are collaborating in a pan-European partnership for the early adoption of hydrogen technology [FCB, November 2011, p7]. This industryled European project will utilise the hydrogen transport experience and knowledge of 16 companies – in five European countries – at the forefront of development of hydrogen technology and infrastructure. HyTEC project: www.hy-tec.eu Air Products, Hydrogen Energy: www.airproducts.co.uk/h2energy BOC, Hydrogen Refuelling: http://tinyurl.com/8z5cxdh
Shell opens its fourth demo hydrogen station in California
I
n the US, Shell has opened a new demonstration hydrogen station in Newport Beach, California. The new station is the fourth that Shell has developed in the Los Angeles region, which is a hot spot for fuel cell electric vehicles with long-term support through the California Fuel Cell Partnership. ‘Demonstration hydrogen filling stations allow us to evaluate a range of different technologies and learn valuable lessons about
Fuel Cells Bulletin
7
NEWS costs, consumer behaviour, and how to dispense it efficiently to different vehicles,’ says Matias Sanchez Cane, North America commercial manager for Shell Alternative Energies. ‘To reduce costs and achieve its commercial potential, hydrogen requires considerable cooperation between fuel providers, car makers, equipment suppliers, and governments.’ The Shell-branded station in Newport Beach offers both Shell nitrogen-enriched gasolines and hydrogen, and will be open 24 hours a day. Local FCEV drivers will be trained to use the dispensers using personal access codes. Initially, Shell expects 10–12 drivers to fill their tanks each day at the site’s two pumps. This is the fourth demonstration station that Shell has developed in the Los Angeles area. The energy giant opened the first integrated gasoline/ hydrogen station in California in 2008, in West Los Angeles [FCB, August 2008, p7], and a smaller sister station in Culver City in 2009. In May 2011 the company opened a third station, in Torrance, the first in the US to have hydrogen delivered directly from an existing underground pipeline [FCB, June 2011, p7]. Shell USA: www.shell.us California Fuel Cell Partnership: www.cafcp.org
ITM Power updates on hydrogen cost structure for HFuel
U
K-based ITM Power has released an update on the cost structure of hydrogen generated by its HFuel electrolyser platform. The company has also announced the sale of a hydrogen generation system to the CEA in France. Last November ITM announced the cost of hydrogen (in £/kg) derived from electrolysis based on the capital cost and operating efficiency measured during its completed Hydrogen On-Site Trial (HOST) demonstrations [FCB, December 2011, p7]. The latest update represents a revised cost structure based on the company’s larger 25 kg/ day stack platform, which was launched at the Hannover Messe in April for larger-scale refuelling and gas grid injection applications. A hydrogen generation module comprising four 25 kg/day electrolyser stacks and associated balance-of-plant has been used in the new analysis. In addition to capital cost and electricity consumption, the analysis includes an indicative annual maintenance cost together with utilisation factor. The hydrogen cost is projected at £6.23/kg (US$4.42/lb) within a 10-year capital amortisation period, and £3.49/
8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
kg ($2.48/lb) after capital amortisation. This represents a significant reduction in the cost of hydrogen production. Utilisation of the larger-capacity stack platform enables HFuel to carry forward the flexible modular design philosophy, consisting of up to 16 electrolyser stacks per 1 MW element (in a 20 ft/6 m standard ISO container), for up to 24 MWh of storage per unit per day. In response to varying load requirements each stack can be switched on/off in 1 s, and may be turned up and down dynamically, either independently or coordinated with the others in the system. This provides great flexibility for system operation and maintenance. Integration with an overarching energy management system enables real-time decisions to be made on optimal operational mode and overall efficiency. Each stack has a conversion efficiency >75% at full load, and higher at part load. The 80 bar (1160 psi) maximum operating pressure of the stacks obviates the need for a compressor when used for gas grid injection. This eliminates the energy consumption associated with an external compressor, and reduces system maintenance. Coupled with balance-of-plant design, this achieves a system efficiency of <60 kWh/kg. In other news, ITM Power has sold a hydrogen generation system to the French atomic and alternative energy agency CEA in Grenoble. The unit will be built in the UK and housed within a containerised platform that will be shipped to France as a fully CE marked plug-and-play unit. CEA will use the 5 Nm3/h unit in a project on the storage of renewable energy. The electrolyser will be fed by a power simulator designed to mimic various forms of renewable energy. The hydrogen will be produced onsite and stored in a metal hydride system, before being used in a fuel cell to generate renewable power on-demand and to supply ‘green’ hydrogen. ITM Power Plc, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com
The car, a Hyundai ix35 FCEV, was refuelled in compliance with the industry’s international operating standard, the SAE J2601 Protocol, at the UK’s only public-access hydrogen refuelling station, in Swindon. On separate occasions over a two-day period, 5 kg of high-purity hydrogen was dispensed at a pressure of 700 bar in less than 3 minutes, the gas having been precooled to –40°C. The station is the result of a partnership between BOC – a member of The Linde Group – together with car maker Honda and Swindon’s economic development company Forward Swindon. ‘The capability of the BOC station to refuel cars at both 350 and 700 bar pressures demonstrates that the UK is rapidly increasing its credibility as a location for the rollout of hydrogen-powered passenger cars,’ comments Hyundai senior research engineer Soongil Kweon, who oversaw the refuelling on behalf of the Korean automaker. The ix35 FCEV is Hyundai’s third-generation fuel cell electric vehicle, and is equipped with a 100 kW (136 hp) PEM fuel cell stack and two hydrogen storage tanks with a total capacity of 5.64 kg, enabling the vehicle to travel a total of 525 km (325 miles) on a full tank. Its maximum speed is 160 km/h (100 mph), and it can reliably start in temperatures as low as –25°C. Many major vehicle manufacturers have publicly announced that they will begin commercialising hydrogen vehicles in 2015. The standard pressure for refuelling systems in these new models will be 700 bar, so the Swindon station will be able to service these vehicles as soon as they appear on Britain’s roads. The UKH2Mobility project was launched in January to ensure that the UK is well placed to handle the commercial rollout of hydrogen FCEVs in the next three years [FCB, January 2012, p1]. The initiative brings together government departments and industrial partners from the utility, gas, infrastructure, and global car manufacturing sectors.
UK GridGas project: www.gridgas.co.uk
BOC, Hydrogen Refuelling: http://tinyurl.com/8z5cxdh
CEA: www.cea.fr/english_portal
Hyundai Motor Company: http://worldwide.hyundai.com
BOC, Hyundai carry out UK’s first 700 bar hydrogen refuelling
DOE projects to boost performance, cut cost of hydrogen fuelling
T
T
he UK’s hydrogen-based transport sector has taken another step forward, with industrial gases and engineering company BOC undertaking the UK’s first refuelling of a 700 bar (10 000 psi) hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle.
he US Department of Energy has announced a $2.4 million investment to collect and analyse performance data for hydrogen fuelling stations and advanced refuelling components. The five projects – located in California, Illinois, and Connecticut – will track the
August 2012