Hydrogenics acquires Enkat

BMW starts World Tour 2002 in England

Focus FCV with new storage and converter technology

New Linde Chairman expected to support hydrogen

Fraunhofer Institute introduces fuel cell laptop

Michigan wants to become word leader in FC development

Progress in H2 production from biomass

Inexhaustible supply of hydrogen?

This time with Walter Heuer, Head of Energy Policy and Projects, DaimlerChrysler AG

Hydrogen Expo on growth path

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Canadian manufacturer of PEM fuel cell and test systems Hydrogenics Corporation just announced the acquisition of Enkat GmbH, based in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Initial negotiations took place already at Hydrogen Expo 2001 in Hamburg, the agreement was signed in mid-April. Under Hydrogenics Europe GmbH Enkat's former activities will be integrated into the company, which thereby seeks to expand its existing product capabilities and geographical reach. The line of fuel cell testing and development in particular will be built on in Gelsenkirchen. A spokesman for the company also announced plans to double the team in Germany annually from now on. The Minister of Economics of the State of North-Rhine Westfalia, where Gelsenkirchen is located, welcomed the decision. "The founding of Hydrogenics Europe in the Ruhr valley is a landmark event in our efforts to make North-Rhine Westfalia a leader in fuel cell technologies." said Ernst Schwanhold during the press conference for the acquisition. Pierre Rivard, President and CEO of Hydrogenics Corp. commented on the motivation behind this move: "We are very excited about our new relationship with Enkat and the potential of our combined strenghts. Enkat has impressed and retained marquee European clients in much the same way that Hydrogenics has grown with its clients in North America, the U.K. and Asia. As a result, we see considerable compatibility between the two groups and believe our collaboration will yield impressive results."

BMW's CleanEnergy World Tour started in England this year. The designated Chairman of the Board, Dr. Helmut Panke, used the opportunity to once again explain the Bavarian car manufacturer's concept for building the hydrogen economy before a group of politicians, industry experts and scientists in London. The vision is to provide zero emission mobility. This calls for regenerative hydrogen produced from sun, wind or water to be made accessible through a yet to be build network of filling stations. During the London event the BMW Group, which began its tour of the globe with the CleanEnergy fleet last year with the mission to sharpen public awarenes, emphasized its willingness to invest heavily into hydrogen technology. This, however, had to go hand in hand with a clear commitment from politics, thereby creating a reliabe framework for progress. Ever since the Royal Commission on Environmental pollution called for a 60% reduction of Britain's CO2 emmissions by the year 2050, England offered good preconditions to play a leading role in this scenario. Further, the country had remarkable renewable ressources such as wind and hydro power, from which H2 can be produced through electrolysis. The first hydrogen filling station will be put into operation by BMW's partner BP as early as 2003. A key for the broad-based introduction of hydrogen fueled vehicles sees Panke in the bivalent motor concept his company pursues. The clean 7-series vehicles are powered by an engine which can switch between hydrogen and gasoline combustion and therefore bridge any gaps in the H2 filling station grid. So far, the prototypes already drove more than 170.000 kilometers, which is four times around the world.

The recently introduced Ford Focus FCV (fuel cell vehicle) offers a number of new developments. According to Dynetek Industries Ltd., the company supplied the fuel cell Focus with its "Advanced Lighweight Fuel Storage System". The first of five units had just been delivered to the car manufacturer. Said Heinz Portmann, President and CEO of the storage experts based in Calgary, Alberta: "We have a strong relationship with Ford beginning with supplying the hydrogen storage system for the P2000 FCV in 1999. We have worked with them on a number of fuel cell projects and are extremely excited to be involded in Ford's latest leading edge technology." The Dynetek 5000psi (350bar) storage system is said to contribute to the vehicles increased range through additional on board hydrogen storage. This was made possible by higher pressures and by the lightweight design of the system. "Range has been a key issue, and the 5000psi system from Dynetek allows us to deliver a vehicle with a range our early fleet customers tell us they can accept." commented Bruce Kopf, Director of Ford's TH!NK car program. Another new feature of the Focus FCV with hybrid drive is Enova System's "Hybrid Power Converter" (HPC). According to the California-based manufacturer, the HPC module transfers power between the fuel cell, the drive system and the battery and assists in energy recovery during regenerative braking. This is said to make the source of propulsion power transparent to the driver, allowing him or her to concentrate on normal vehicle operation. "We believe the HPC is a versatile component which can be adapted for both automotive and distributed generation applications. Enova is proud to be a supplier to Ford for this ground breaking vehicle, which will increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions." stated Enova President and CEO Carl Perry. Five Focus FCV prototypes will be on the street for testing by the end of this year, one is expected to be showcased at Hydrogen Expo in Hamburg.

It seems that when Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle takes over as new Chairman of the Board for Linde on January 1, 2003, hydrogen will be reaching a high. While the annoucement of his designation initially created some confusion among the press as to why Reitzle would turn his back on the "glamourous" car industry in favor of the more down-to-earth appearing group of companies from Wiesbaden, Germany, it now looks like there is good reason behind his mover after all. Reitzle will assume responsibility for strategic business development and technology, a key area at Linde's. A company spokesman in an interview for a large German daily confirmed that this area included the automotive sector in general and hydrogen fuel in particular. Linde was well positioned to supply the future H2 filling station network in Germany. The company's service portfolio went from the production of hydrogen to its purification, liquefaction and distribution. 18 out of 19 filling stations for liquid hydrogen existing worldwide had already been equipped by Linde. Together with BMW the company also develops tanks for the zero emission vehicles the car manufacturer wants to mass produce by 2010. Then, 2.5% of all new cars from the Bavarians are expected to have a hydrogen ICE (internal combustion engine), by 2020 numbers are to rise to 25%. One of Linde's responsibilities in this relationship will be to educate the suppliers about its storage and cryotechnology and prepare them for mass production. Under the new leader this might be incorporated into a ocompletely new line of business.

The first fuel cell system fully integrated into a laptop was just introduced by the German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE). In conjunction with Korean manufacturer LG and other partners, the ISE developed a prototype for an FC powered portable computer. The accumulator is substituted by a miniature fuel cell, hydrogen tanks and the necessary electronics. The scientists were looking for an alternative to conventional battery systems while at the same time meeting the requirements mobile, wireless and high performance. "Fuel cells offer many advantages", says Dr. Christopher Hebling, Head of the Department for Energy Technology at ISE. "Not only do they have a high energy density and long life time, they also rate high in ecological performance and bear the potential of cheap production." According to the specifications released by the Institute, the fuel cell was built as a stack consisting of only 27 individual components. Hydrogen is kept in three metal hydride storage systems. Three coolers supply the cell with oxygen from ambient air. A high performance converter with an efficiency ratio of 97% made sure that the necessary voltage for the notebook was maintained by converting the cell's working voltage of 10-20V to a constant level of 24V for the computer. The FC system has a maximum performance of 50W. Four years ago the ISE presented its first fuel cell laptop, then still with external power supply. The main task for developing portable system was miniaturization, stated Hebling, and this had now been successfully fulfilled. The next step was to optimize the operation mode.

Ambitious is the word for John Engler's plans, which the Governor of the State of Michigan unveiled on April 18. In his speech he announed that a comprehensive economic development plan called "NextEnergy" will be implemented to make Michigan a world leader in the research, development, manufacturing and commericialization of fuel cells. Engler's blueprint proposes the creation of tax-free "NextEnergyZone" and the building of the "NextEnergyCenter" as a cluster of energy innovation. The Governor made the announcement surrounded by fuel cell vehicles built by Ford, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors, emphasizing that his plan would help reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, improve the environment and strengthen the economy. The FC market alone was expected to grow to an estimated USD 95 billion by 2010. Not acting could put at risk nearly 200.000 Michigan jobs that were either directly or indirectly tied to the automotive industry. "For over a century, Michigan has been the world's leader in automotive technology. The NextEnergy program, along with a number of other initiatives, are important steps in ensuring that the state of Michigan will remain the leader not only in automotive technology but also in alternative energy technologies for the next century." commented US Senator Carl Levin. Another government spokesman stated that Engler's plan was not only visionary but simply made sense. The NextEnergyZone is said to be a 700-acre site near Ann Arbor, which according to the blueprint will be the heart of the alternative energy R&D cluster. Companies which locate there are promised a tax rebate based on the jobs they create in the zone. The NextEnergyCenter will be affiliated with the University of Michigan and is to serve as a clearing-house, information resource and provider of training to foster the development of new energy technologies.

Scientists at the University of Warwick in Great Britain seem to have devised a process that turns wet waste from sewage farms and paper mills into a source of power. The team headed by Dr. Ashok Bhattacharya reported that they cracked the problem of how to extract very pure levels of hydrogen from wet bio-matter. 2.5 million Pound Sterling European funding were granted to work up the lab based solution into larger prototypes the size of a large room which can be added directly to the sites of sewage plants or paper mills. According to the research team the process starts with the gasficiation of the waste biomass, which is broken down into methane (CH4), water (H2O), carbonmonoxide (CO), carbondioxide (CO2) and some hydrogen (H2). These gases were then fed into a reactor, which used them in a chemical reaction to extract the hydrogen. Under normal circumstances this reaction would reach an equilibrium and stop once a certain amount of H2 had been generated. However, in the case of the Warwick project, a palladium coated ceramic semi-permeable membrance was used as part of the reactor so that only hydrogen could pass through. This made it possible to harvest H2 of a purity level as high as 95% and to keep the reaction going as long as it was fed with waste biomass. The hydrogen could be used in fuel cells, and the process produced no more CO2 than would result from the material biodegrading. In addition to the University of Warwick companies from Germany, the Netherlands and the UK contribute to the project.

In the spring issue of the journal Astrobiology, NASA scientist Friedemann Freund reports that he came across vast subterranean hydrogen ressources. His argument is based on the existence of primitive bacteria in huge numbers deep in the earth which live on hydrogen gas produced in rocks. "The hydrogen that could feed the bacteria in the depth of the Earth comes from a subtle chemical reaction that occurs within rocks that were once hot or even molten. In the top 20 kilometers of the Earth's crust," Freund said, "the conditions are right to produce a nearly inexhaustible supply of hydrogen." Does this mean that the wells of the future will produce hydrogen instead of oil?

This time with Walter Heuer, Head of Energy Policy and Projects, DaimlerChrysler AG

H2 Report: Why does DaimlerChrysler invest in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies?

Walter Heuer: The combination of both technologies is now recognized worldwide as the most promising long-term solution for future alternative energy and propulsion systems. Hydrogen or methanol as hydrogen carrier bear great potential with respect to production from renewable ressources in a variety of ways. Added to the high efficiency ratio of the fuel cell this will contribute to a lasting reduction of CO2 emissions in the "well to wheel" chain. Further strategic advantages lie in reducing the dependence of our mobility and with this of our economies from crude oil. Natural ressources can be saved, and the potential for innovation these technologies bear could have a positive impact on growth and employment.

H2 Report: The best known FC vehicles from your company are the Citaro bus, which will be used for public transportation, and the Necar for personal use. How is commercialization progressing?

Walter Heuer: To start with, 30 Mercedes Benz Citaro busses will be put onto the streets for public transport in 2003 in 10 European cities. The first fuel cell vehicles for personal use will follow in 2004.

H2 Report: Which current projects for the introduction of hydrogen as alternative fuel is DaimlerChrysler involved in?

Walter Heuer: The introduction of hydrogen as alternative fuel into the market needs a broad-based infrastructure linked to the major centres of population. At the same time, the suitable vehicles for everyday use have to be provided. There are several demonstration projects focused on these issues, some co-initiated by DaimlerChrysler. Among others, there are: 1.) The Transport Energy Strategy (VES = Verkehrswirtschaftliche Energiestrategie)*, a partnership of automotive and energy companies and the German government. This project aims at jointly putting together a strategy which makes Europe a global leader in the production and use of alternative energies for road traffic. From 10 different alternative fuels and approx. 70 methods of production, natural gas, methanol and hydrogen were selected, with hydrogen being recognized as the most promising alternative fuel on a long-term basis. We are currently working on a European demonstration project to test different technologies under everyday circumstances and to bring the VES project onto a pan-European level to create the basis for the building of an infrastructure. 2.) The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP), a collaboration of car manufacturers, energy and mineral oil companies, technology companies, and federal and Californian government bodies: one major goal is to test fuel cell technologies in vehicles on public roads and to demonstrate, develop and expand the supply of alternative fuels in California. 3.) The hydrogen bus projects Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) and Ecological City Transport System (ECTOS): There, 30 busses are tested in eight European countries for the viability of hydrogen fuel. Additional projects are in the planning stage.

H2 Report: In your opinion, what are the biggest blockers for the hydrogen economy and what has to be done to overcome them?

Walter Heuer: The biggest challenges are the production of solar hydrogen at a competitive price, ready-to-use hydrogen storage systems, safe and economically viable vehicles and global standards (e.g. for fueling vehicles with hydrogen). In order to overcome the technical and economical barriers, pan-European if not worldwide research programs have to be initiated and to be pulled through successfully. The building of the instructure calls for heavy investments. This is something the energy industry cannot do on its own, there has to be commitment on a large scale. Therefore, a broad-based consensus between politics, economy and society is necessary.

H2 Report: Where do you see Germany with its H2 Research and development activities in a global comparison?

Walter Heuer: From a European perspective, Germany is the leader. On a worldwide basis I would think that Japan and the US are ahead because of the government fund programs in these countries.

H2 Report: How do you see the future of hydrogen technology?

Walter Heuer: The goal is clear: a mobility that protects our environment and saves our ressources. A lot speaks for hydrogen technology to be the means with which we can achieve this. For economical reasons hydrogen in large quantities will have to produced from fossil sources for some time. However, in the long run it is absoutely necessary to change to renewable energies. The building of a broad-based infrastructure and the supply of appropriate vehicles can start as early as the beginning of the next century, provided the above mentioned challenges can be solved over the next couple of years.

*VES members: Aral, BMW, BP, DaimlerChrysler, GM Europe, MAN, RWE, Shell, TotalFinaElf, VW

Again this year, Hydrogen Expo in Hamburg, Germany, will be the largest trade show for H2 and FC technologies worldwide. "We see a 30% growth in exhibitor numbers compares to last year", says Ines Freesen from the organizer Freesen & Partner GmbH. "This makes us optimistic that we meet our target of 120 exhibiting companies and institutions." The reason behind this upward trend, in addition to the event's international marketing campaign, lies in the increased self-reliance of the market. Whereas last year many suppliers seemed to be reluctant whether the exhibition provided a lasting benefit and success for them, Hydrogen Expo has now become a must for everyone who wants to be part of this attractive market. "Side by side with the leaders from the automotive and utilities industry, an increasing number of small and medium sized companies participate in the exhibition and conference. For this young sector in particular it is necessary to start canvassing for this technology in the early stages and to keep going. Especially with technology having made significant progress, this has to be communicated." adds Freesen. The highlights of the event from October 10 to 12, 2002, include a test driving range for hydrogen powered vehicles, the booth of the state initiatives, where project partnerships from research, SMEs and large enterprises showcase their achievements, and the US pavilion. Hydrogen Expo is again held unter the patronage of the German Environment Ministry and is supported by the German Hydrogen Association, the European Hydrogen Association, the Hamburg Hydrogen Association and the largest German financial daily, the Handelsblatt. For more exhibitor and visitor information go to: www.H2expo.com