Hydrogenics to partner on fuel cells … biodiesel for the navy … ballard develops UPS fuel cell - alternatives: covering fuel cells and other emerging and alternative technologies

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Dec, 2003

Hydrogenics Corp. said it will partner with IdaTech, the fuel cell subsidiary of IDACORP, to develop a 50 kW fuel cell system that can serve as an independent energy source for large facilities such as hotels, hospitals and office buildings. IdaTech was recently awarded a $9.6 million development program by the Dept. of Energy (DOE). The fully integrated proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system will combine IdaTech's patented multifuel find processing technology with a Hydrogenics fuel cell power module and will deliver both electricity and thermal energy to hotel systems. Three 50 kW systems will be field-tested, one each with Sempra Utilities, Puget Sound Energy and Mariott International.

Cummins Westport Inc. said that transit services in two Chinese cities have ordered buses equipped with low-emissions engines from CWI. These orders include CWI's first repeat sales outside of Beijing, to the city of Xian, while the second order represents a new market for CWI with a sale to the city of Chongqing. With a population of over 30 million and approximately 5000 transit buses in service, 55 percent of Chongqing's transit fleet is natural gas-powered, however this is the first time the city has purchased imported natural gas engines. Both cities have ordered new transit buses powered by CWI 230 hp B series natural gas engines.

The U.S. Navy has announced plans to recycle used cooking oil by processing it into cleaner burning biodiesel for use in its diesel vehicles at its Port Hueneme Naval Base in California.

The Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC) is partnering with Santa Barbara-based Biodiesel Industries Inc., to install a modular biodiesel processing unit which will transform used cooking oil into biodiesel through a chemical process known as transesterification. The U.S. military is one of the largest users of biodiesel, but this is the first attempt to create a self-sustaining plant. The demonstration validation plant's annual capacity is one million gallons. The base plans on using 20,000 gallons a year.

Engelhard Corp. said it has developed an advanced catalytic approach for hydrogen reforming of natural gas and liquid petroleum gas used in fuel cell applications. The technology features durable monolithic structures based on Engelhard's extensive product line of environmental catalysts including the automotive catalytic converter.

Toyota Motor Co. recently delivered fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to the Aichi and Nagoya governments, three months later than initially planned. The delay was the result of hydrogen leaks in the vehicles' fuel systems, a problem since repaired. Toyota also presented FCVs to Nippon Oil Corp., Toho Gas Co. and Tokyo Gas Co. Each FCV is being leased at a rate of about $10,212 per month.

Ballard Power Systems has introduced a hydrogen-fueled stationary fuel cell power generator developed to meet the needs of the uninterruptible power system (UPS) and telecommunications power markets. The Nexa RM Series is based on the technology developed from Ballard's first commercial fuel cell product, the Nexa power module and its power output is scalable in 1 kW increments to meet individual customer requirements. Ballard has delivered Nexa RM systems for utility and server room UPS field trials and has scheduled deliveries for telecommunications field trials.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide completed the installation of its first fuel cell energy system at its Sheraton Edison Hotel Raritan Center, Edison, New Jersey. Starwood signed an agreement a year ago with Allentown, Pa.-based PPL Corp. to install, own and operate individual 250 kW FuelCell Energy systems at both the Sheraton Edison and the Sheraton Parsippany (N.J.) hotels. The two Sheraton projects are part of a master agreement Starwood and PPL signed that would offer PPL the possibility of installing fuel cells at Starwood locations throughout the U.S.

Portland General Electric, NW Natural and a consortium of other organizations are installing a fuel cell system to efficiently generate electric power and heat for hot water at Harkins House, a juvenile shelter in Hillsboro, Ore. The 5 kW cell runs on natural gas and is manufactured by Plug Power Inc. The fuel cell can generate up to 40,000 kW-hr per year, enough to supply about 20 percent of the 14,000 sq.ft. facility's needs. The heat generated by the fuel cell will transfer to the hot water tank and NW Natural will supply natural gas for the cell at a discounted rate.