A well-known new player in the market: RWE establishes Fuel Cells GmbH

Submarine saves jobs: HDW launches fuel cell powered "U 31"

H2 infrastructure on existing grounds: PowerNova completes tests

Higher pressure: Quantum receives regulatory approval for hydrogen storage system

Higher energy density: W.L. Gore launches next generation MEAs

Higher performance: Ztek selected as finalist for state park SOFC project

Cassiopeia puts in more hours: Casio introduces new FC for portable applications

The Hydrogen Ferry: Water Transit Authority receives Federal Grant

Sven Geitmann Reports: Biogas for fuel cells

Fresh from the printer's: Books on hydrogen by Sven Geitmann

Media cooperation: Handelsblatt and Hydrogen Expo join efforts

Feature areas: solar H2 production in the exhibition and seminars

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As of March 5, RWE Fuel Cells GmbH incorporates the FC activities of the utilities company from Essen, Germany. The new company is managed by Heinz Bergmann and Dr. Michael Fuebi and will coordinate the fuel cell business for the RWE group of companies. According to a recent press release this includes the development and commercialization of products, systems and services. Heinz Bergmann had already been responsible for the fuel project of the power supplier since spring 2000. Dr. Michael Fuebi was Head of Business Development at Babcock Borsig AG. Manfred Remmel, President and CEO of RWE AG, expressed high hopes for the Fuel Cells GmbH: "This step is a symbol for the great importance fuel cell activities have at RWE. With the new company we will take a leading role in stationary fuel cell technologies and applications."

Correction: There was a mistake in H2 Report 03/02. For their fuel cell home appliances business RWE does not partner with Vaillant but with US-Italian manufacturer Nuvera. An exclusive agreeement between the two was signed last year (H2 Report featured an article). This includes the installation of fuel cells running on natural gas for the power and heat supply in private households. With its own gas subsidiary, the RWE group of companies is able to provide the complete range of services from supplying the cell with fuel to operating it.

On March 20, HDW Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG christened the, according to their own release, most modern non-nuclear submarine with fuel cell propulsion in Kiel. The "U 31" is meant to be put into service for the German Navy after extensive testing on March 20, 2004. The underwater vehicle is 56m in length, 7m in diameter and provides room for 27 people. It belongs to the HDW 212 series which is characterized by a powertrain based on a hydrogen fuel cell independet of external air. This system is said to allow the submarine to stay underwater for weeks, while traditional diesel-electric versions were already running on empty after about two days. Even more importance in particular for military use might be that the fuel cell is further said to create neither noise nor exhaust heat so that it could not be located. Submarines of this type could be operated successfully in all kinds of different environments at lower costs. With the decision to use the fuel cell for submarine construction HDW's long-term employment was secured, said the company's Vice Chairman of the Board Hannfried Haun. A large number of suppliers throughout Germany benefited from this, too. According to the HDW, orders for the FC propulsion had already come in from Greece, Korea and Italy.

Vancouver based PowerNova Technologies Corporation released that following reports from its Moscow-based laboratory facility, it is now in the final stage of its hydrogen technology research and development. The chemical structure of the company's patent-pending catalyst had been obtained and the R&D team was now able to move on towards completion The catalyst is intended to act as a bridge to convert existing hydrocarbons, such as those found in gasoline, into hydrogen. The pioneering technology proposes to use a high speed of conversion with a lower temperature rate to produce hydrogen either on board a vehicle or at the filling station itself. This process expects to be cost effective, viable and emission-free and is said to contribute to the building of the H2 infrastructure. PowerNova, which is currently listed on the Canadian Venture Exchange as Aqua 1 Beverage Company Inc., intends to secure its share of a multi-billion dollar market with this development.

Quantum Technologies Worldwide Inc. recently announced that it received German TUV regulatory approval for its 10.000 psi (700 bar) TriShield10 hydrogen storage cylinder. This higher pressure meant that the operating time of a fuel cell was increased by 118% compared to that with standard 3,600-psi tanks. According to themselves, this makes Quantum the first company in the world to successfully design, validate and commence commercialization of an ultra-lightweight, advanced composite hydrogen storage tank technology for such high service pressure. The newly adopted hydrogen standard developed by the European Integrated Hydrogen Project (EIHP) was used as the basis for cylinder validation and TUV approval. Says Alan Niedzwiecki, President and Chief Operating Officer of QUANTUM, "This is a significant achievement and milestone in the advancement of hydrogen storage for fuel cell applications. In less than one year, QUANTUM designed a lightweight, polymer-lined advanced composite 10,000-psi hydrogen tank, capable of accepting a fast fill in less than three minutes, completed EIHP-based validation testing and commenced product commercialization. This technology provides QUANTUM a strong, strategic and competitive advantage." The TriShield10 had the potential to extend the range of vehicles incorporating fuel cell or hydrogen internal combustion engines and could play a significant role in the establishment of a hydrogen refueling infrastructure for both stationary and transportable refueling applications. To ensure durability and reliability of the product in the automotive environment, a series of tests were performed, including extreme temperature, severe impacts, and fire exposure.

US manufacturer W.L. Gore released news about the commercial availability of its Primera Series 56 MEAs (membrane electrode assemblies) for use in stationary PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells. Accelerated testing had confirmed the product's performance as the most durable MEA available for stationary applications. Additionally, the MEAs featured power density ratings that meet or exceed industry requirements when operating with either hydrogen or reformate fuel streams. "This is our fourth product innovation within five years," said John Mongan, Product Specialist. "We have worked with nearly all of the major fuel cell developers in that time to produce an MEA that will enable fuel cells to work efficiently and reliably. More than 80% of the public stationary PEM fuel cell demonstration and commercial systems placed in the field over the last three years have utilized Gore fuel cell products. An MEA is the 'heart' of a PEM fuel cell. It is composed of an ion exchange membrane and two electrodes that convert fuel into electricity. MEAs are arranged in stacks of 10s to 100s within a single fuel cell, depending upon system design. By employing Gore's new MEAs, fuel cell developers are said to see improved stack life, reduced stack size and weight, and low cell-to-cell variation. The company which operates more than 45 facilities and employs more than 6.000 associates around the world also offers MEAs that are designed for transportation and portable applications.

Ztek Corporation from Woburn, Massachusetts (not be confused with Zetek) announced that it was selected as a finalist by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund to receive funding for a demonstration of its 25kW SOFC system. Under this proposal, Ztek will manufacture and supply a 25kW integrated SOFC and hydrogen reformer system for the DEP's facility at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Conneticut. It will also participate in site preparation and be responsible for system installation, commissioning and service. The proposal was one of only nine selected out of 31 submitted for various projects as finalists. "This is an exciting opportunity instrumental to the growth of the fuel cell industry," said Michael Hsu, president and founder of Ztek. "This selection reinforces our belief that the Ztek Solid Oxide Fuel Cell is an industry-leader in producing low-cost, clean and efficient energy useful and beneficial to the public. The potential for using waste heat from the fuel cell for the cooling and heating needs of buildings will provide additional economic value and make it very attractive to consumers." Overall system efficiency is said to approach 45 percent, which was superior to existing methods of electric power generation. Superior environmental performance was derived from extremely low levels of SOx and NOx and the potential to capture the carbon dioxide by-product. Further to its SOFC system, Ztek developed a gas turbine/fel cell hybrid system and a compact hydrogen reformer for mobile applications. The company currently holds more than 150 U.S. and international patents.

In mid-March, Japanese Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced that the company succeeded in developing small-scale, high-performance fuel cells of a unique method that can be used in portable devices. The motive behind this development was to find an answer to how devices with high power consumption can be operated longer while at the same time acknowledging environmental concerns. The batteries currently available in the market consumed much energy in the manufacturing process but still had only a short lifetime. The new fuel cell introducted by Casio is said to rely on a micro-reactor formed on a silicon wafer which causes a chemical reaction to reform methanol to hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. The reforming rate was more than 98%. A laptop powered by the Casio fuel cell was only half in weight and provided about four times the operating time of a computer using a lithium ion rechargeable battery. For Casio's PDA (personal digital assistant) named "Cassiopeia" the fuel cells not only meant less weight but also operating time of more than 20 hours. Further, the increase in efficiency made extremely low running costs possible.

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) announced that it was awarded a USD 100.000 federal grant to design the first fuel cell powered commuter ferry in the world. The vessel will link Treasure Island with San Francisco and the East Bay. "This project is a big step towards extending zero emission fuel cell technology from cars to buses to boats." said San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown at the press conference. The grant is meant to fund the design, cost estimates and final drawings for the fuel cell powered vessel, expected to be completed by summer 2003. The WTA said it would contribute USD 25.000 towards this project. Russell Long, Executive Director of Bluewater Network, a national environmental group advocating reduction of air pollution from marine engines, commented on this: "Designing a futuristic fuel cell ferry will help make zero emission vessels a reality. Treasure Island is the perfect high-profile route for showcasing clean ferries, from today's electric, solar and hybrid systems to the fuel cells of tomorrow."

The German society for renewable energies (FEE = Foedergesellschaft Erneuerbare Energien e.V.) established an innovative work group in the field of biogas and fuel cells. The work group was created to support the energetic use of biomass in fuel cells and to build a network between research facilities, corporations and users. The project is funded by the German Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture and receives scientific counsel from the Hahn-Meitner-Institute in Berlin. The first meeting for the work group took place in February and attracted more than 60 participants. FEE President Eberhard Oettel introduced the new project, before its specific objectives and future activities were discussed. The main goal of the work group is to make application-oriented cooperation easier for companies from R&D, manufacturing and maintenance. Such cooperation was the precondition for making biogas and fuel cell technologies compatible and to foster further development. Partnerships were important to jointly run projects, identify problems and find solutions. The FEE is a national conglomerate of innovative, mostly small and mid-sized companies, research facilities and specialists from the energy saving and renewable energies business.

Book Review:

The selection of German language literature on hydrogen technologies was not overwhelming in the past. This gap has now been filled by two books by Sven Geitmann. The first book "Wasserstoff & Brennstoffzellen. Die Technik von morgen!" (Hydrogen & fuel cells. The technologies of tomorrow) provides a comprehensive overview of the complete scope of H2 and FC technologies in Europe. In addition to giving an analysis of the current situation in the energy sector, the book presents the specific characteristics of hydrogen, its positive effects on the environment, and its different methods of production. The energy conversion process in different fuel cell types and combustion in traditional reciprocating engines is explained, including various possible application scenarios. Issues such as storage, fueling and transport are addressed. Further, the pros and cons of hydrogen as a fuel and of its energy conversion device, the fuel cell, are weighed against conventional methods. Sven Geitmann offers an indepth summary of all topic areas relevant to hydrogen so that his book makes very good reading for this compelling science. The second book "Wasserstoff- & Brennstoffzellen-Projekte" (Hydrogen & fuel cell projects) adds a list of activities from the whole range of applications. So many new projects were initiated over the last years that it has become difficult to stay abreast of developments. The book presents the state of affairs in the automotive industry, which has been the leader in this field, in the home energy supply industry, and in research. It illustrates model projects of companies and institutions with strong commitment to the subject and delivers comprehensive background information. Readers of these books do not need to be technical experts. Both publications are designed to educate interested laymen as well as supply insiders from the hydrogen scene with several new, well researched details.

The author, Sven Geitmann, is a consulting engineer and journalist for renewable energies. He began compiling information for the above book already during his academic career. An assignment at the German Office for Material Reserach had him working for a Eurpean Union project focused on safety issues for hydrogen powered aircrafts. Sven Geitmann currently devotes his time to building a hydrogen information center based in Berlin and works as a freelance journalist (www.hydrogeit.de).

Both books have just been published and are available at bookstores* in Germany or can be ordered online.

Wasserstoff & Brennstoffzellen. Die Technik von morgen! 188 pages with 55 illustrations and 10 diagrams, ISBN 3-8311-3273-9, Hydrogeit Verlag, Berlin, Price: 18,50 Euro

Wasserstoff- & Brennstoffzellen-Projekte. 68 pages with 32 illustrations and 6 diagrams,
ISBN 3-8311-3280-1, Hydrogeit Verlag, Berlin, Price: 10,50 Euro

* The first book will be available in bookstores starting end of April.

Germany's largest financial daily "Handelsblatt" is the media partner for Hydrogen Expo, held from October 10 to 12, 2002, in Hamburg. This was released by organizer Freesen & Partner GmbH. The cooperation includes a number of joint promotional acitivities and a trade show special. The latter will be published on October 2 and provides an ideal platform for everyone committed to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The Handelsblatt has a circulation of more than 100.000 copies, extra copies of the trade show special will be distributed at Hydrogen Expo. If interested in details or the list of topics and media kits, please call +49-211-687858-0.

How will clean hydrogen be produced in the future, which hydrogen source is the best for certain applications? Hydrogen Expo 2002 offers answers to these questions with special feature areas. The organizer anticipates pavilions for featured topics such as solarthermal energy, biomass, wind, hydropower, and geothermal energy. There, vertical groups of suppliers will showcase how solar hydrogen production can work. The theme parks will be supported by presentations in the seminar forum on all three days of the show. If your company or institution is interested in contributing to such a pavilion, please call +49-211-687858-11 for application forms and further information.