Ballard, Sanmina in telecom deal … ArvinMeritor to supply Iveco … plug power & Honda in phase 2 of fuel cell venture

Diesel Progress North American Edition, May, 2004

Ballard Power Systems and enclosure manufacturer Sanmina-SCI Corp. have entered into a sales, marketing and product development memorandum of understanding through which the companies will work toward commercialization and sales of fuel-cell based backup power systems for the telecommunication industry. The system incorporates Ballard's Nexa RM series fuel cell modules in a Sanmina-SCI manufactured outdoor enclosure. The Nexa RM series is based on Ballard's Nexa power module platform, which was launched in 2001.

ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Systems group said its Selective Catalytic Reduction/silencer (SCR) unit will be standard on Iveco's heavy-duty Cursor series, which includes 28,000 trucks and specialty vehicles per year. The SCR system meets the N[O.sub.x] reduction requirements established for Euro IV (2005), and potentially Euro V (2008) emission regulations, Arvin-Meritor said. Since 2002, ArvinMeritor has supplied 30,000 Euro III exhaust systems per year to Iveco.

Plug Power Inc. and Honda R&D Co. Ltd. have agreed to continue development of the Home Energy Station, a fuel cell system designed to provide electricity and heat, while also providing hydrogen fuel for a fuel cell vehicle. The new agreement is the second phase of an expected multiphase product development effort. The first phase was completed in October 2003 with the successful demonstration of a prototype Home Energy Station, at Honda R&D Americas' facility in Torrance, Calif.

Hydrogenics Corp. said the National Research Council Canada (NRC) will take delivery of a Hy-LYZER electrolyzer, which will use solar power to make pure hydrogen from water. The electrolyzer, which is specified to produce 1.9 kg of hydrogen a day, will be delivered in the second quarter to the NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation in Vancouver. The hydrogen produced will be compressed into storage containers for the building's back-up power system.

Hydrogenics also reported that it has won a contract to supply two 10 kW fuel cell power modules to SunLine Services Group (SSG). SSG is a California public agency that supports alternate fuel development in public transit and related applications for clients such as the U.S. Army. The two fuel cell power modules will be configured into a single, self-contained auxiliary power unit that will be mounted on a Peterbilt Class 8 tractor.

Toshiba Corp. said it will produce motors to be used hi Ford Motor Co.'s hybrid cars. Toshiba said its subsidiary, Toshiba Industrial Products Manufacturing Corp., will make up to 2000 motors a month for Ford hybrids, some of which are planned for the U.S. market.

Cummins Westport Inc. has received an order fur 150 B series natural gas engines for transit service in Beijing. Beijing Public Transportation Corp., which currently operates more than 2000 CWI engines in its transit fleet, has ordered the engines to be installed in buses manufactured by Beijing General Coach Factory in Beijing. The engines will be delivered in the second quarter of this year.

FedEx Express has placed the first of its new, low emission, hybrid electric powered delivery vehicles into service. The FedEx OptiFleet E700 hybrid electric vehicle (see November 2003 Diesel Progress) is expected to decrease particulate emissions by 90%, reduce smog causing emissions by 75% and travel 50% farther on a gallon of fuel, reducing fuel costs by one-third. FedEx Express will place 18 additional hybrid electric diesel delivery trucks into service in selected dries throughout 2004.

The San Francisco Municipal Railway has begun retrofitting the first of 375 diesel buses with the Long, view emissions control system from Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls in San Leandro, Calif. Cleaire is a division of Cummins West Inc., the Cummins engine distributor for northern and central California. Fleetguard Emission Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cummins Inc., markets the Longview nationally.