1. Hydrogen from bio-waste

2. Los Angeles: Praxair to build hydrogen fueling station at LA International Airport

3. GM: Managing radical technological change

4. Quantum: USD 2.3 million contract from AQMD

5. Comsol: Fuel cell modeling course

6. Plug Power: Fuel cells for phone coverage in remote areas

7. Don't miss the "Hydrogen Week"

8. H2Expo Conference: Deadline for abstracts expires April 16

9. Event calendar

Researchers from the German Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg have developed a process to produce hydrogen from bio-waste. The background for this project is the recognition that physical-chemical hydrogen generation, currently the most common method, does not contribute to a sustainable energy supply. Biological H2 production offers an environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient alternative. In the process examined by the scientists from the university's waste management department, microorganisms are fed with a substrate from fermentation of energy crops and bio-waste. H2 output is said to be remarkable, the H2 portion of the resulting biogas reaches levels of 60 vol%.

America's first compressed-hydrogen fueling station for public use will be built at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as the result of a lease approved on April 5 by the LA Board of Airport Commissioners. The lease calls for Danbury, CT-based Praxair to design, construct and operate a facility that will be a prototype of a commercial automobile fueling station. The USD 1.5 million state-of-the-art fueling station will showcase the generation, compression, storage and dispensing of compressed H2 fuel in a limited-production capacity, retail-friendly environment. Praxair is funding construction by spending USD 550,000 of its own funds, and will receive a total of around 1 million USD in grants from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the U.S. Department of Energy, and from British Petroleum. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which owns and operates LAX and three other Southern California airports, has been interested in incorporating H2 FCVs into its long-established Alternative Fuels Vehicle Program. The new facility also will serve other Los Angeles City departments with hydrogen-powered vehicles, as well as private customers and other public agencies. Los Angeles is the venue for the next Hydrogen Expo USA, where Praxair and BP will be two of the more than 50 exhibitors showcasing the latest in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. For more information visit: www.hydrogenexpo.com

3. GM: Managing radical technological change

General Motors Corporation (GM) launched a new website which provides information on the company's advance technology programs and the latest news on its fuel cell activities. Under the heading "technology" the visitor learns that GM is into more than vehicles. Recent activities include an agreement between GM and Duke University in Durham, NC, on a multi-year, interdisciplinary teaching and research project aimed at furthering efforts to develop hydrogen FCVs. A major aspect of both projects is how radical technological change such as the transition from a fossil fuel-based to a hydrogen economy affect our culture. Adds Larry Burns, Vice President of Research, Development and Planning at GM: "Collaborating with Duke's outstanding faculty and students is providing GM with an excellent opportunity to further explore the technical, policy and business aspects of strategic decisions involving disruptive technological change." GM is also working on solutions in the field of stationary fuel cells. Together with Dow Chemical, the company began installation operations of a single fuel cell on Dow's largest chemical manufacturing site in Freeport, TX. Dow and GM intend to prove the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for large industrial power systems. Hydrogen is a natural by-product of chemical manufacturing at Dow. Excess hydrogen is currently used as fuel for boilers and is also sold to industrial gas companies for re-sale to their customers. Flowing H2 through a fuel cell to generate electricity is even more efficient and economically desirable for Dow. GM will be an exhibitor at Hydrogen Expo USA from April 26 to 29 in Los Angeles, CA, showcasing their latest fuel cell vehicle technology. More information on: www.gmability.com

4. Quantum: USD 2.3 million contract from AQMD

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. secured a USD 2.3 million contract from California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) for the engineering, design and development of advanced hydrogen fuel systems for a fleet of 30 Toyota Prius Hybrid Electric Vehicles. The value of the contract may be expanded to USD 2.5 million, contingent on co-funding by the Department of Defense National Automotive Center (DoD-NAC), which would increase the total number of vehicles to 35. Quantum will develop the complete OEM-level H2 internal combustion engine fuel system, including both the injection and storage system and will offer the vehicles with two hydrogen storage configurations: Quantum's TriShield(R) compressed H2 storage or an optional metal hydride storage system. The manufacturer will integrate Texaco Ovonics' metal hydride storage into five of the 30 vehicles for evaluation. Quantum previously worked with Texaco Ovonics to develop an H2 powered concept vehicle using a model year 2002 Toyota Prius Hybrid Electric Vehicle. The interest generated by the concept vehicle contributed to establishing the foundation for this program. Quantum Technologies and Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems are exhibitors at the upcoming Hydrogen Expo USA.

Comsol, the maker of modeling and simulating software for fuel cell systems, offers a two-day training course for the modeling of a generic fuel cell. According to the company, the course goes "to the heart of the fuel cell", namely the gas diffusion electrodes and the electrolyte in the FC unit. The training is based on Comsol's "Femlab" software and is said to be suitable for anybody interested in fuel cell modeling, who would like to get some "real hands on" experience. The course is held from June 9 to 10, 2004 at Comsol's offices in Burlington, MA.

Mobile phone company Orange is evaluating the first H2 powered base station in the UK. A 5kW GenCore fuel cell from Plug Power is providing electricity to a remote tower in the north of Scotland for a six-month trial, with an LPG generator as back-up. The base station is in a forest at a height of 1500 feet (450m) and provides coverage to the main A941 road near Huntley, Aberdeenshire. Its remote location would have required at least five kilometres of electricity cabling to be laid to supply mains power. Orange is working with BOC, one of the world's leading suppliers of hydrogen, on the project. Ian Guthrie, operations manager for Orange in Scotland, said: "We are delighted to be trialling the first ever ever hydrogen-powered mobile base station. This breakthrough means we will be able to look at getting network coverage to those areas not covered at this time." BOC will be an exhibitor and sponsor at Hydrogen Expo USA in Los Angeles.

A whole week full of activities around hydrogen and fuel cells – this is what Hydrogen Expo USA and the National Hydrogen Assocation's 15th Annual Conference offer from April 26 to 30 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California. "Hydrogen: A Clean Energy Choice" is the motto of the event which starts on the Monday with a variety of sessions, including the National Hydrogen Financing Forum, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Safety Short-Course, the Teacher Training Workshop and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Career Seminar. The exhibition also opens its doors on April 26 to present more than 50 companies from North America, Europe and Asia. "Compared to last year, the exhibition grew by 100%", says Ines Freesen of expo organizer Freesen & Partner GmbH. "We have a beautiful venue, exciting displays and pre-registration for the conference is even better than 2003, when we had to squeeze in extra rows of chairs to make room for 650 delegates. We are about to sell out, so anyone still interested in exhibiting should contact us immediately to secure one of the last booths." For the conference opening on Tuesday, April 27, several high-level speakers have been invited, including Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chairman Alan Lloyd. This is followed by parallel sessions on a wide range of topics from hydrogen production to fuel cell status and supply chain issues. The organizers expect 900 delegates to attend the conference and a total of 1.500+ visitors for the exhibition. The practical portion of Hydrogen Expo USA and the 15th NHA Conference includes a fuel cell vehicle ride and drive and industrial tours. The event is sponsored by Air Products, BMW, BOC, BP, CARB, ChevronTexaco, GM, Honda, NASA, Praxair, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Toyota and the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information call Ines Freesen at +49-2802-9484840 or visit: www.hydrogenexpo.com

8. H2Expo Conference: Deadline for abstracts expires April 16

This year's H2Expo for the first time features the "International Symposium and Workshop on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen for Aerospace and Maritime Applications", to be held from September 16 to 17 in Hamburg, Germany. Abstracts may be submitted online until April 16. The symposium is organized by Hamburg Messe under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Joachim Szodruch, first chairman of the German Aviation and Aerospace Center DLR. The program committee consists of Dr. Gerhard Filip, MTU Friedrichshafen, Dr. Albert Hammerschmidt, Siemens, Prof. Dr. Jobst Hapke, Technische Universitaet Hamburg-Harburg, Volker R. Hiebel, Airbus Deutschland, Dr. Rudolf Henne, DLR, Dr. Gerd Michael Wuersig, Germanischer Lloyd, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Winkler from the Hamburg ambHUniversity of Applied Siences. Sessions will be held in German or English, simulateneous translation will be available. To submit an abstract go to: www.h2expo.com

9. Event calendar

Hydrogen Expo USA & 15th NHA Annual Conference, April 26-30, 2004, Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles, CA, expo: April 26-29, conference: April 26-30, Organizer: Freesen & Partner GmbH, National Hydrogen Association, www.hydrogenexpo.com and www.hydrogenconference.org

Praxisseminar "Kraft-Waerme-Kopplung mit Brennstoffzellen", May 5-6, 2004, Juelich, Germany, Organizer: Bildungsnetzwerk Brennstoffzelle "BZ-Bildung", www.bz-bildung.de

H2 fuer Handwerker (H2 for Contractors), 1-day training course on hydrogen and fuel cell real-life applications, September 15, 2004, Hamburg, Germany, Organizer: Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, EAZ Elektroausbildungszentrum Aalen, www.h2expo.com

H2Expo, International Exhibition and Conference for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, September 15-17, 2004, Hamburg Convention Center, Hamburg, Germany, www.h2expo.com

International Symposium and Workshop on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen for Aerospace and Maritime Applications, September 16-17, 2004, Hamburg, Germany, Organizer: Hamburg Messe und Congress, www.h2expo.com