Hydrogen Technology Center for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

HERA increases production capacity

Fuel cell-powered brewery

Scandinavian cooperation for FC development

H2 storage in "mud"

H2 by courier

Power from nuts

This time with Rex Luzader, Vice President, Business Development for Transportation and Hydrogen-Fuel Infrastructure, Millennium Cell Inc.

Register now: Hydrogen Expo 2002 with many highlights

Heliocentris sponsers FC kit for youth conference

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The first stone for the "Technology Center Hydrogen Technology" (TGZ) in Schwerin/Germany was recently laid by the Minister of Economics of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state Otto Ebnet. The ceremony for the center, which is designed to attract the location and to support the R&D activities of new companies, took place on August 19. The state is said to pick up 8.5 million Euros of a total investment of 9.5 million. Says Mr. Ebnet: "Hydrogen technology is a future technology. New products create new jobs for research and its implementation. We will offer these opportunities to innovative small companies." From 2003 the TGZ will be the stepstone for such companies. Then, 1,200sqm space for labs and workrooms will be available, and further 500sqm office space. The initiative is headed by H.I.A.T. (Hydrogen Institute for Applied Technologies), which will assist the start-ups with its know-how. H.I.A.T. and TGZ, together with the Hydrogen Technology Initiative Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, the Institute for Surface and Thin Layer Technology in Wismar, and the companies S++ Simulation Services and microsense will be exhibiting on a joint pavilion at Hydrogen Expo 2002 in Hamburg.

HERA Hydrogen Storage Systems, a joint venture owned by Shell Hydrogen, Gesellschaft fuer Elektrometallurgie and Hydro-Quebec CapiTech, apparently enjoys an increased demand for its H2 storage products. The company just announced that it has moved to larger premises. The new location, at which materials handling and hydrogen safety issues had been a priority concern, is said to provide HERA with the space to expand its production capability as well as accommodate the growth of its employee base. Says Gabriel de Scheemaker, CEO and Chairman of the Board: "This is an important step for HERA as it changes its focus from primarily R&D to manufacturing and selling serial products on a commercial base." Since January 2002, the company's workforce has doubled to 20 people. HERA is now based in Longueuil in Quebec/Canada. Its European headquarters is located in Nürnberg/Germany. HERA is an exhibitor at Hydrogen Expo from October 10 to 12.

Since the beginning of July, one of the oldest breweries in Dusseldorf/ Germany has been powered by a fuel cell appliance, generating heat and electricity. News about this project was released by local utilities company Stadtwerke Dusseldorf, one of the partners. Together with Vaillant, the Stadtwerke want to demonstrate the environmentally-benign co-generation concept under real-life conditions in an extraordinary environment. It is said that because of its constant demand for heat and power, the brewery makes an excellent test ground for the optimum FC operation. The appliance on average covers 80% of the heating demand for a 300sqm residental and office complex. Further, hot water for the brewing process and cleaning purposes is provided. The electricity produced by the fuel cell is fed into the grid of the building which includes the brewery, a pub, a hotel, appartments, and offices. During the 2-year test phase close collaboration with the sanitary trade and the utilities company was important. According to Karl-Otto Abt, VP Technology at Stadtwerke Dusseldorf, this technology will play an important part in the energy mix of the future. His company's commitment underlined that the utilities company was a competent partner for clients looking at the new technology. The Stadtwerke will showcase the project in the exhibition and the seminar forum at Hydrogen Expo 2002.

Wartsila Corporation from Finland and Haldor Topsoe A/S from Denmark released news about their joint development program for fuel cell systems. The cooperation aims to bring to the market highly efficient and cost competitive FC products with power outputs above 200kW for distributed power generation and maritime applications. Capitalizing on the strengths of the two companies, the program builds on Wartsila's know-how from power plant and marine propulsion technologies and Haldor Topsoe's expertise in the development of planar solid oxide fuel cells. The Finnish manufacturer from Helsinki has 12,000 employees and a global sales and service network in 60 countries, with total net sales amounting to 2,4 billion Euro in 2001. The Danish partner is based in Lyngby and in 2001 generated net revenues of 310 million Euro with 1,700 employees. According to Wartsila, the joint FC program is part of a strategy to provide environmentally friendly solutions for customers with different power needs. With the SOFC technology the partners want to offer products for cogeneration applications with ultra-low emission levels and outstanding reliability.

Safe Hydrogen, a company from the U.S., claims to have found a radically new method of H2 storage. Under a 3-year project funded by the Department of Energy with 3 million USD the company says it has developed a slurry which could both store and generate 99.999% pure hydrogen on demand. This is reported to be achieved by adding water to a liquid mix not unlike thick paint in a very easy and inexpensive process. The Safe Hydrogen slurry was capable of storing H2 in a non-explosive and non-flammable format, thereby reducing transportation costs. Sig Tullman, CEO of the start-up, estimates the cost of hydrogen to the consumer if this technology was rolled out on a large scale would be about 40% less than what car drivers in Europe currently have to pay for gasoline.

Another milestone for the storage of hydrogen seems to have been achieved by FuelSell Technologies (FST) from San Francisco. According to a press release, the company's "Hydrogen-Direct" system can store and release more hydrogen at lower costs than all currently known methods. The system is patent-pending. In addition to this, FST wants to offer a technology with which conventional combustion engines can be converted from gasoline to hydrogen quickly and affordably. The fuel supply was provided by so-called "Fuel Cassettes"(tm), which are said to store H2 in a non-pressurized, non-liquid "H-matrix" format. This made it possible to release hydrogen directly into the FC or ICE when needed. The cassettes were expected to be approved by several US authorities as a non-hazardous material and could then be shipped anywhere via traditional distribution channels such as mail or courier. Scott Redmond, the company's CTO adds: "The cost and logistics of hydrogen fuel distribution and storage have always been the greatest impediments to the development and proliferation of fuel cells as a viable alternative energy source. Our belief is that we've now overcome this obstacle." FuelSell Technologies has been working on H2 transportation and infrastructure technologies since 1994.

The successful one-day-testing of various biomaterials as fuel for an SOFC was recently announced by Ascent Power Systems and Community Power Corporation, both located in the U.S. The test included the gasification of pecan and coconut shells and pine wood chips, with the fuel then serving to power a small fuel cell. Compared to pure hydrogen, which achieved the best results with 2.76W, the cocomut shells produced 1.97W, followed by the pecan shells with 1.96W and the wood chips with 1.88W. It was concluded that these waste products, which were plentiful but still under-utilized in the agricultural and forestry industries, were very well suited for gasification and as an FC fuel. "We are excited about the results of this initial test", says Robb Walt, Community Power's President and CEO, "and we are eager to take advantage of the substantial increased efficiency and operational benefits fuel cells have to offer over the gas internal combustion engine generators we currently use in our small power systems."

This time with Rex Luzader, Vice President, Business Development for Transportation and Hydrogen-Fuel Infrastructure, Millennium Cell Inc.

H2 Report: What does Millennium Cell do?

Luzader: We are a development-stage company that has a proprietary technology to safely store, generate and deliver pure hydrogen. The centerpiece of our technology is the storing of hydrogen in the form of a chemical hydride. The basic elements are the storage of hydrogen in sodium borohydride and creating a new method of producing lower-cost sodium borohydride so that it is acceptable for widespread use from small portable fuel cell applications or hydrogen burning internal engines to transportation applications.

H2 Report: What is unique about your storage technology?

Luzader: The unique feature and a major piece of our intellectual property base is what we call our "Hydrogen on Demand"(tm) fuel system. We take the sodium borohydride and mix it with water to create a water-based, non-flammable fuel. The fuel is passed through our catalyst chamber, which allows for the hydrogen to be released from the chemical bond very quickly and easily in a safe and controlled reaction. With our technology the liquid fuel can be stored in ambient conditions. We have an advantage in that we can store that liquid in conformable tanks made from plastics or materials that are compatible with the mixture. On-board vehicle storage is possible without losing any of the usable passenger or storage space. Another advantage will be lower costs. We commissioned a study last year to evaluate the technology, and one of the basic conclusions was that our fuel system, when integrated on board a vehicle, is less expensive than any other alternatives of storage, that is compressed or liquefied or reforming technologies.

H2 Report: Which projects are you currently involved in?

Luzader: A wide array of projects. My responsibility is transportation where our most important demonstration project has been powering the DaimlerChrysler Natrium minivan. We began this cooperative project in May of 2000 and have successfully demonstrated our fuel system in the Natrium. Other transportation-related projects include collaboration with Peugeot in France, which will culminate sometime later this year. Their electric cab will be converted from an all battery-electric vehicle to a hybrid electric vehicle in which some of the batteries are replaced by a small fuel cell and our fuel system which will range-extend the vehicle. Here in the US, we are also cooperating with Seaworthy Systems on a maritime demonstration of the technology. Just recently we announced a cooperation with the National Automotive Center in Michigan to evaluate the Hydrogen on Demand(tm) system for a wide use of applications in the military.

H2 Report: So your technology can be employed in portable, mobile and stationary applications?

Luzader: We look at the market in two major segments, the transportation market and what we would call distributed generation. Distributed generation from our view is any portable or standby stationary application in more fixed locations. Our most important collaboration in those areas is with Ballard. We signed an agreement with Ballard in late 2000 to develop a portable fuel system using our Hydrogen on Demand(tm) technology that would match with the Nexa 2kw FC they developed. That is what we were demonstrating at Hydrogen Expo last year. This has led us to working relationships with a couple of their largest customers for whom we are manufacturing and demonstrating our prototypes. We are about ready to make an announcement about a portable FC system which will be commercially available for that application. In addition, we just announced a joint development and licensing agreement with Aperion, a division of ABB. They will be the fuel system integrator; they will market our Hydrogen on Demand(tm) system. We will provide to them our propietary catalyst chamber which becomes a key piece of the technology. We view this as a very positive and important step towards commercialization. If any of the FC manufacturers developing portable or standby systems require a source of hydrogen, Aperion will able to supply them with the fuel system.

H2 Report: Safety is one of the main issues with H2 storage. What would be the worst-case scenario for a vehicle accident with your system on board?

Luzader: From our perspective the worst-case scenario is one associated with the spill of the liquid. We are talking "hydrogen on demand", so there is limited free gaseous hydrogen available, only what is passed through the catalyst chamber. Any spilled liquid would require some very simple treatment. It can be handled in one of two ways. It is non-flammable, so there is no concern with fire. It can be diluted with water to reduce the concentration. It could also be captured by sand or some other absorber and then cleaned up. There is no danger for the tank to explode. One of the most important statements as far as that is concerned is that the Natrium vehicle has the fuel tank immediately in front of the rear bumper. So it is in a crash zone, which is a rather unique position for a fuel tank. The car manufacturer would not be designing a fuel tank in that location if it were gasoline.

H2 Report: In your opinion, where does Germany stand with its achievements in H2 and FC technologies in international comparison?

Luzader: I think Germany has certainly positioned itself as a leader, maybe a little more in the transportation sector. If you look at DaimlerChrysler and BMW, both of those companies have been very progressive in the development of FC powered respectively H2 ICE vehicles. These are two distinctly different pathways but both have been very active for a long period of time. Then you have all of the other activities going on within Germany in development of infrastructure, in use of hydrogen and other applications, and in the use of renewable energies to produce hydrogen. I view Germany as one the true leaders in the world.

H2 Report: Would you also say that for government support in Germany versus the United States?

Luzader: There has been a tremendous amount of government support and I think the US is catching up. President Bush recently announced the reorganizing of the Department of Energy and the formation of the Hydrogen Office, as well as the institution of the FreedomCAR program. Germany certainly is strong and a leader here, but I would see evidenced by the activities within our own government that there is strong desire to catch up.

H2 Report: If you asked someone in Germany about government support, you might hear it the other way, namely that the US is far more active in this respect.

Luzader: I guess it is a question of perception, and it is hard to measure sometimes. The funding, the way it is done and the forms it takes, sometimes it is not visible to people. And it is not necessarily communicated well either that there has been funding. But a prime example of strong activities in Germany is the CUTE project.

H2 Report: What is your vision of the hydrogen economy?

Luzader: It is more a case of some wishes. My vision would be one of rapid strides. I think rapid strides are being made, but there need to be even more and better strides taken in the commercialization, the actual placement of fuel cell and/or hydrogen burning engines into the market. There needs to be widespread use and adoption so that people realize hydrogen is viable, friendly, safe to use and that it is the future for replacing the hydrocarbon-based fuels in the world. This has to be supported by the development of the production and delivery infrastructure of hydrogen fuel, whatever form this is going to take. My vision would of course be that it would be based on sodium borohydride, but more likely it is going to be many forms. The key to this is commercialization and use, which will allow us to put into place demonstrations of the various forms of production and delivery infrastructure. I think the CUTE program, though still on a small scale, is a good example of what needs to be done on a larger and more wide-spread basis. Because we are still in the early stages, I think the public sector has to step in and help either drive to create a demand. If there is no viable commercial product for the private sector to buy, we have a disconnect. The public sector can play a very important role by creating that demand. My vision is that by the end of this decade, by 2010, we have millions of fuel cells in use, and it does not matter which application it is.

From October 10 to 12, 2002, Hydrogen Expo will once again offer its visitors a wide range of attractions. The exhibit area has significantly grown compared to last year, for the first time exhibitors such as Ford participate with the Focus FCV, the Fraunhofer Institute presents the latest developments in H2 production, and Sensistor showcases its technology for leak detection, to name but a few. The state initiatives from Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and North-Rhine Westfalia have pavilions where attendees get information about existing projects and financial programs to support innovative companies. Due to the great demand in 2001, for this year the seminar program with presentations about the functionality, economical viability and applications of H2 and FC technology has been doubled. One of the new features are the panel discussions which give the opportunity for critical discourse on government support, commercialization and training initiatives. The exhibitor list, seminar program and travel tips are available at www.H2expo.com. There, visitors can also register for free access to the exhibition and seminars and will receive their ticket by mail before the event.

On October 12, organizer H2 Expo GmbH and the Stiftung Jugend forscht e.V. run a youth conference at Hydrogen Expo. Exhibitor Heliocentris (booth 4130) sponsors a fuel cell kit which will be given to one of the students at the end of the day. The youth conference which includes lectures and a tour of the exhibition has been designed to explain the benefits of hydrogen technology to high school students and is also sponsored by HEW (booth 4320).