Hydrogen News

Industrial commitment to hydrogen infrastructure

Representatives of leading industrial companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 10. September in Berlin in the presence of Wolfgang Tiefensee, federal minister for transport, building, and urban affairs. They agree to investigate the possibility of setting up an infrastructure for hydrogen fuel covering Germany as a whole in order to promote the introduction of electric vehicles with fuel cells. This Memorandum of Understanding is an important step towards commercialisation of these emission free electric vehicles. The partners of the initiative „H₂ Mobility“ are Daimler, EnBW, Linde, OMV, Shell, Total, Vattenfall, and the National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH). The initiative is open for participation of other interested companies.

The Memorandum of Understanding describes two phases. Phase I is the investigation of different options for a nationwide installation of a hydrogen filling station network and the development of a common and economically viable business case, which includes possible public funding. Concepts for the building of new and additional hydrogen filling stations will be developed in this phase until 2011.

Should the business case develop positively for all participants the partners will realize it in phase II. There will be an action plan to continue the installation of a nationwide filling station network in order to support the commercialisation of electric vehicles with fuel cells in Germany starting in 2015 from the side of the infrastructure.

Hydrogen safety conference

More than 200 experts on hydrogen safety from 25 countries met in September in Ajaccio (France) for the 3rd International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS). One particular feature of this conference was the end of the EU funded network of excellence „HySafe“ early this year after five years of activity. The work of the network is finished, and a number of final reports were presented to the conference. Important progress has been made. Many questions have been answered, and the remaining knowledge gaps are now better defined so that future work can be directed in promising directions from the very beginning.

Award for hybrid power station

The hybrid power station being built by ENERTRAG received this year's „Clean Tech Media Award“ in the „Technology“ class on 10. September. The project which is located near Prenzlau (Brandenburg) won against two competitors in the final round of the contest.

What made the day for the power station was the fact that the company and partners from economy, science, and research realize one of the world's most advanced energy concepts by installing the first industrial hydrogen-wind-biogas hybrid power station in the Uckermark region.

The hybrid power station generates power from wind and biogas and makes also hydrogen for a sustainable power and heat supply and a mobility without CO₂ in the future. If there is more wind power available then anticipated the station stores the excess as hydrogen. It is generated by an electrolyser from water, compressed, and stored in pressure tanks. It can be provided to filling stations for transport. Alternatively it can be reconverted to power in biogas power stations if the wind power is less than foreseen.

(Enertrag press release of 11. September 2009)

First filling station for Cologne

Air Products will install and operate a turnkey hydrogen filling station for the Huerth city utilities in the chemistry compound Knapsack near Cologne in the framework of the Chemergy project by the HyCologne initiative. Together with the other project partners it will be embedded into the local infrastructure. The filling station will start regular operation in March 2010 and initially provide hydrogen fuel for two buses of the Huerth city utility. This will be two fuel cell hybrid buses of the „Phileas“ type. The project is a first step to utilize hydrogen from the chemical industry as fuel for vehicles. The drivers will be able to fill up their buses alone around the clock. Air Products will design the safety concept of the filling station in such a way that it can be used by the public as well.

Munich – Modena on hydrogen

Near Bozen (Italy) the building works for a new hydrogen filling station have started close to a highway exit of the Brenner route. It will be finished in one year, produce the gas from renewable sources, and generate 250 m³ per day. The station is part of the project to provide a hydrogen filling station about every 100 km at the Italian part of the 600 km long route from Munich to Modena. One of them near the Brenner pass will use wind power, another one near Nogaredo (close to Trento) photovoltaic. The mode of supply for the stations at Verona and Modena is still open.

(asapress, 28. September 2009).

Fuel Cells

Summary of the f-cell

There is an atmosphere of optimism in the field fuelled by clear commitments by car makers and infrastructure companies about the market introduction of fuel cell cars and the installation of the necessary hydrogen filling station network. This was the dominant impression during the two day fuel cell forum „f-cell“ on 28. and 29. September in Stuttgart where 700 participants from the whole world had a lot of opportunity to exchange information during the conference and fair. It appears that the current economical crisis has little impact in the field. „f-cell“ participant Dr. Oliver Knauff from fuel cell system supplier ECG from Cologne even said that the crises has advantages: „Suddenly our suppliers listen to us and adapt to what we want. We buy only small amounts so that the business with us was not so interesting for them so far – but this has changed.“ Another reason why the crisis does not disturb the field too much, at least in Germany, is the National Innovation Program Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology which started in summer 2008. „700 M€ public funding go into the program until 2016. The same amount comes from the companies. 54 % of the money goes to mobile, 36 % to stationary applications. The other 10 % are for ‚special markets’“, according to NOW manager Kai Klinder.

The forum was held for the ninth time this year in Stuttgart. The conference had 350 participants. 58 presentations were given under seven topics. There was also a fair with more than 40 exhibitors. The participation from abroad was about 20 %, more than ever before. Among the supporters of the event were traditionally the ministry for the environment of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG as main sponsor this year and Daimler AG as additional sponsor.

HotModule on sea

The first high temperature fuel cell on board of a seagoing vessel was installed in September in the framework of the FellowSHIP project (Fuel Cells for Low Emission Ships). The HotModule by the Tognum subsidiary MTU Onsite Energy GmbH Fuel Cell Systems is used on the offshore supply ship „Viking Lady“ by the Norwegian Eidesvik shipping company to test the possibility to generate clean onboard power on ships by means of fuel cells. The HotModule is integrated into the existing power system of the ship and provides 320 kW of the power demand. It is fuelled by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).

The use of the fuel cell can replace the emission of 4.755 t carbon dioxide (CO₂), 33 t sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and 180 t nitrous oxides (NO_x). This is equivalent to the emissions of some 20.000 private cars.

Australian fuel cells made in Germany

The Australian fuel cell maker Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd (CFCL) opened a fuel cell stack production on 2. October 2009 in the industrial compound Oberbruch in the presence of Jens Baganz, state secretary in the ministry for economy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The main components of small power blocks for the coupled generation of power and heat for private homes will be built in the years to come on initially 900, later 4.000 m². Up to 10.000 oxide ceramic fuel cell stacks are planned. 80 jobs will be created in development and production.

Secretary of state Baganz applauded the start of fuel cell production at Heinsberg: „The fuel cell is due to its high efficiency a key technology of the future and harbours great economical potential. Here in Oberbruch a new industry branch can now develop in the future. Before the background of the global work for climate protection we see excellent chances for the sale of fuel cell technology.“

(Press release of the ministry of economy of North Rhine-Westphalia of 2. October 2009)

Getting platinum costs down

There is no fuel cell without catalysts, and the best of them are platinum or similar metals. Unfortunately they are expensive. Lowering of these costs is the objective of the compound project „Recycling and re-use of noble metals from fuel cells (reACT)“ which is funded by the German ministry for education and research. One part of the work is reducing and substituting expensive platinum (a main component of fuel cell catalysts), another is the economical recycling of it in the focus of current research and development. The objective is a closed cycle of use for noble metals like platinum within the fuel cell technology.

The work will be done by SME and research institutes. The group comprises the industrial partners Drochow GmbH, FuMa-Tech GmbH, EKPRO GmbH, and inhouse engineering GmbH as well as the research partners University of Potsdam, University of Jena, and HIAT gGmbH. The project is supported with public funds of about 2 M€. (h2gate, 7. October 2009)

Energy and Climate

Volkswagen invests in low speed

On 9. September Volkswagen and the energy supplier LichtBlick signed an energy partnership in Salzgitter. Volkswagen will produce cogeneration units called „EcoBlue“ using modern gas motors from own production. LichtBlick will distribute the units as „ZuhauseKraftwerke“ („Home Power Station“) and use them for a new concept of heat and power supply. They will supply not only individual buildings, but will be integrated into a modern large power station by LichtBlick. Experts think that by 2020 almost of half of the electrical power will come from renewable sources. Common base load power stations can not be switched on and off quickly enough to adapt to the varying load of power input from wind turbines and photovoltaics. Networks comprising small stations can be integrated into the grid in a matter of a minute.

While the home power stations generate power on demand the heat generated at the same time is stored so that the buildings have a reliable supply of heating power and warm water. Running on natural gas these stations save already up to 60 % CO₂ in comparison to conventional methods. In the future LichtBlick plans to run the plants on renewable biogas, which would even make them emission free.

LichtBlick will start marketing the home power stations in Hamburg. First units can be installed in spring 2010. The customer pays 5 k€ for the installation.

(Lichtblick press release of 9. September)

Maledivian government adapts to climate change

On 17. October the government of the Maledives held a meeting chaired by president Mohamed Nasheed. Why is this a news? Because the meeting was held under water. 80 % of the island state is located less than 1 m above the mean level of the Indian Ocean. This makes the nation one of most vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the world.

The whole event might have a certain humorous background, but the problem itself is quite serious, according to a spokesman. President Nasheed and the ministers met for half an hour in full diver's equipment on a horseshoe-shaped table 6 m below sea level and signed a climate appeal to the rest of the world using waterproof pens. Communication was upheld by means of gestures and whiteboards. After emerging the president said that there was less discussion this time, but more work was done. He demanded the UN climate conference to be held in Copenhagen in December to come to an agreement which makes the survival for the whole mankind possible. Still in the water he answered the question for the effects of a failure of the summit: „We will die.“

Politics

US Congress supports hydrogen fuel

It became apparent during the summer when the committees of the US Congress discussed the budget for the new fiscal year starting October 1, and now it is official: the complete withdrawal of funding of work for hydrogen fuel as proposed by the Ministry of Energy will not happen. On 15. October the Congress decided that the topic will be supported in the new fiscal year with a total of 174 M$. even 5 M$ more than in the last year. This was in opposition to the position of energy secretary Chu who thinks that the hydrogen car is still too far away and that the tax dollars should rather be invested in other alternative technologies like batteries and biofuels. It is generally expected that president Obama will sign the budget law. Even Chu appears to have made his peace with the programs initiated under President Bush. He said that together with lawmakers he will try to use the money as wisely as possible.

Obama orders energy saving to US government

The offices and agencies of the US federal administration are the biggest energy consumer in the USA. President Obama now has ordered them to economize. According to an order issued on 5. October all federal ministries and agencies must submit clear objectives within 90 days how to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. It is also demanded that the vehicle fleet of the federal administration use 30 % less fuel until 2020. By 2015 50 % of the waste produced will have to be recycled. Official buildings will have to comply with up to date environmental standards.

What else we have found ...

Plugs all around

Have you ever been in a wood and wished there were an electric outlet somewhere for whatever purpose? But you were surrounded by them – trees. Researchers could generate electrical voltages of up to 1.1 V for short times. They put electrodes of the same metal in the tree and the ground, respectively. They explain this with the different pH values of wood and ground due to the metabolism of the trees.

The potential differences generated this way are between 20 and a few 100 mV, by far not enough to compete with common batteries. But the researchers constructed a kind of amplifier which accumulates the energy in a kind of stand-by mode. In regular intervals it provides voltages of up to 1.1 V for a short time before it goes back to accumulation mode. This process may not be suitable for production of energy in technical amounts, but it might be useful to supply sensors which monitor the woods.

Remark: Is this really good news? When you wanted to really get away from everything so far a walk in the wood was a good way to do this. But when in the future the tree rings and your boss is in the line this will be a matter of the past.