General

f-cell held for the tenth time

Some 700 participants from almost 20 countries attended this year the tenth f-cell, the expert forum for fuel cells which was held on September 27 and 28 in Stuttgart. During the conference 80 lectures were given in 14 sessions about stationary, mobile, and portable applications of fuel cells, market entry strategies, infrastructure, components, and scientific progress. And a lot of networking was done.

A focus of the presentations in 2010 was stationary fuel cell application for domestic energy supply. Energy providers and device makers reported about how the technology is performing at this time.

On the mobile side the battery electric vehicles were added to the fuel cell cars this time. Both technologies complement each other and are supported jointly in an increasing manner. DWV as well does not see them as competitors but as a symbiosis for which there is a compelling necessity.

The trade fair had grown again this year and comprised more than 50 exhibitors. More and more peripherical companies (materials, components, measuring and test devices) enter the field of fuel cell and battery suppliers. Also shown were efficient production processes for fuel cells. Scientific results were presented by companies and institutes.

Just as in the past the major topic was how to bring the technology into the market; larger production figures would bring the costs down and make the products attractive for more customers.

Mobile applications

BMW converts forklifts to hydrogen

The forklift fleet of the BMW in Spartanburg (South Carolina, USA) will be converted to hydrogen and fuel cells. A contract to this effect with Linde was made in mid- August 2010. More than 85 vehicles will deliver parts to the assembly lines without any emissions. The hydrogen comes as by-product from a nearby chemical plant and will be commissioned and liquefied without CO₂ emissions by means of power from a hydropower station.

BMW has multiple advantages from the conversion. Filling up takes some three minutes, much less than the 20 minutes for changing the battery. A full tank with 2 kg of hydrogen lets the vehicle run for 8 to 10 hours. Other than in the case of the battery the power output remains on the same level for the whole time. The factory consumes less power when no batteries are charged, and there is no problem with getting rid of old batteries which contain lead and acid.

Hesse running on hydrogen in Berlin

The representation of the state of Hesse to the federal government in Berlin now operates a fuel cell vehicle of the type Opel HydroGen4, as first institution of its kind in Berlin. The important thing for state minister Michael Boddenberg, head of the representation, is that electric cars running on fuel cells can soon enter the stage of serial production. Boddenberg said: „The enormous innovative potential in terms of low consumption and energy efficiency of alternative propulsions like the fuel cell can only be used fully when the price is competitive with the alternative of the internal combustion engine.“

Stationary Applications

H₂ application centre at Herten takes shape

A new building phase for the hydrogen application centre at Herten (North Rhine-Westphalia) is about to begin. Hydrogen from wind power will supply the centre with power and also hydrogen from electrolysis. The hydrogen will be used by the companies in the building and soon also for a filling station. Excess hydrogen can be stored and re-converted if necessary, for example when there is no wind. The centre can be autonomous for up to three days. The interplay of the components will be monitored scientifically. This will deliver important results as basis for further optimization.

Volker Lindner, responsible for public works of the city, sees the project also as an advertisement for the future attempts of the city. The project offers a lot of perspectives for further projects and new companies. „This considerably improves our profile as internationally known site for hydrogen and fuel cell technology which we have acquired in the recent years.“

(City of Herten press release of 1. October 2010)

Award for fire prevention using fuel cells

The company N2telligence received the Security Innovation Award in gold for its „QuattroGeneration“ system during the opening event of the „Security“ fair in Essen. QuattroGeneration is the first fire prevention system in the world using a fuel cell. It not only prevents fire but also produces power, heat, and climatization which makes is attractive for use in computer centres, archives, storages for dangerous materials or museums. The location of N2telligence is a technology and commercial centre in Wismar (Baltic Sea coast); a demonstration plant has been running there since two months.

Infrastructure

Wind power plus hydrogen for North Germany

Converting wind power to hydrogen can help Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost state, to cope with the increasing excess amounts of wind power which can not be used due to a lack of storage and grid capacities and to use them for transport and industry, in particular in Hamburg. This is the conclusion of a study made by Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH from Munich in a joint project with the Hamburg Hydrogen Society, the city of Hamburg, and the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Renewable energy which is so far not used can be applied meaningfully and enhances the grid stability.

The key results:

• Industry and transport in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein promise in the middle term a potential demand of some 320 million std. m³ of renewable hydrogen. This can mostly be covered from excess wind power from the region. Even exports to other regions are possible.
• Using hydrogen from wind could save the emission of some 320.000 t CO₂ per year.
• The region offers a unique combination of high wind potential, a growing demand for hydrogen, and the availability of salt deposits for storage in underground caverns.
• Hydrogen storage can also improve the integration of power from renewable sources and optimize the grid.
• Large scale hydrogen production of hydrogen and storage in salt caverns is the only technology which can cope with changes of grid use between seasons.

The experts recommend that politics, science, and economy in the region jointly make an implementation plan. Favourable boundary conditions and rewards as in the case of renewable energy should additionally help the installation a hydrogen economy.

The study is available for free download under www.h2hamburg.de.

(Joint press release of 20. September 2010)

Longest hydrogen pipeline

Air Products, largest hydrogen producer in the world according to its own statements, plans to create the longest pipeline grid for this gas in the USA. A 290 km long connecting line will merge existing grids in Texas and Louisiana into one. It will be fed by the output of more than 20 plants, more than 28 million m³, and distribute it to refineries and other chemical plants between Houston and New Orleans. The complete grid will have a length of almost 1000 km when it starts operation in mid-2012.

(Bloomberg, 17. October 2010).

Research News

Max Planck Society enhances hydrogen research

The Max Planck society will establish an „Institute on chemical energy conversion“. By doing so it plans to enter the global competition in energy research for a future without fossil fuels. The objective of the new field is to split water into hydrogen and oxygen by means of catalytic processes on the basis of sunlight. The energy in the hydrogen can then be converted into other forms of energy. The new energy research centre will be the contribution of the Max Planck Society to solve the problem of storage of renewable energies. The objective is fundamental research, not technology development. The institute will have an annual budget of 15 M€.

(Der Tagesspiegel, 18. October 2010)

Energy and Climate

Clever packaging for car batteries

The Swedish car maker Volvo and the Imperial College in London are said to work on a project which aims at using parts of the car shell for the storage of energy. Eight other European companies and institutes are involved.

The first step is the development of a new material from carbon fibres and polymeric resin which can store electricity but is also flexible, robust, and light enough to be suitable for car parts. In comparison to conventional steel parts the new parts will be lighter by some 15 %. During the next three years the material as such will be developed and its storage capacity and structure be optimized. The next step will be its industrial production - and its use in the car.

Electrochemistry experts observe the matter with interest, but not also sceptically. Storing power in carbon fibre compounds is basically possible, but the shape of the storage medium can not be chosen arbitrarily. Electrical storage devices should be as homogenous as possible, either flat or precisely wound. Inhomogeneous shapes would do violence to electrochemistry.

(Der SPIEGEL online, 24. September 2010)

Politics

Parliamentary evening of DWV

Over the years the Parliamentary Evening of DWV towards the end of the year in Berlin has become a tradition. This year is was prepared in co-operation with the states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Both states have similar interests and potentials in the field of renewables, hydrogen, and fuel cells. So the focus was found quickly: hydrogen as supporter for the extension of renewable primary energies.

Using hydrogen as storage medium will make it possible to bring renewable primary energies into the grid and to the customer in a larger extent than today, was the key message. State secretary Tina Fischer for Brandenburg, state secretary Ruediger Moeller from the ministry for economy of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Dr. Andreas Scheuer, parliamentary secretary of state in the federal ministry for transport and housing, supported the DWV initiative for this evening. Even Brandenburg's Prime Minister Platzeck has almost come, but it appears that he could not get away from the budget debate in parliament in Potsdam.

Wind power and hydrogen are an ideal couple, also in the mind of Werner Diwald, board member of the energy provider ENERTRAG. His company will demonstrate this symbiosis next year in a hybrid power station near Prenzlau, in northern Brandenburg.

People

Bert De Colvenaer

Bert De Colvenaer has been appointed Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking Governing Board since 1. September 2010. He worked for 20 years in the car industry for drive train research. In 2002 he founded and headed the Advanced Technology Division of Toyota Europe, specialized on breakthroughs in robotics, fuel cells, hydrogen and new production processes. Of particular use in his new job is probably that he speaks Dutch, French, English, German and Italian fluently.