NEWS

6Fuel Cells Bulletin August 2013

Of key importance was the ability of the NZDF to locally source its own liquid methanol fuel, an important part of the XX55’s fuel mixture. This is a low-cost COTS (commercial off-the-shelf ) item, and is readily available from local sellers. By adding deionised water, the NZDF could use the CliC-It to refill the portable cartridges.

UltraCell is also collaborating with SAFCell to demonstrate to the US Army a 50 W wearable power unit for the ‘dismounted warrior’, in a project to integrate the latter’s solid acid fuel cell (SAFC) stack into UltraCell’s rugged, lightweight micro fuel cell system [FCB, July 2013, p8].

UltraCell LLC, Livermore, California, USA. Tel: +1 925 455 9400, www.ultracell-llc.com

Eylex Pty Ltd: www.eylex.com.au

Ballast Nedam builds 700 bar hydrogen station in Netherlands

In the Netherlands, Ballast Nedam is to build its first 700 bar (10 000

psi) hydrogen refueling station, for the Flemish-Dutch WaterstofNet organisation. This type of refueling station, which will be built as part of the cross-border Hydrogen Region Flanders-Netherlands Interreg IVA programme, will be suitable for hydrogen-fueled passenger cars that are approaching market introduction.

Ballast Nedam IPM specialises in installation engineering for energy and mobility, and has a leading role in alternative fuels. This will be Ballast Nedam’s first 700 bar hydrogen refueling station in the Netherlands, and the company will be responsible for its maintenance for two years. Hydrogen at 700 bar is envisaged as appropriate for passenger cars, with vehicles such as buses, goods vehicles, and forklifts refueling at 350 bar.

‘This 700 bar hydrogen refueling station completes our product range,’ says Rien van Alphen, managing director of Ballast Nedam IPM. ‘We now have the capability to deliver refueling stations for any alternative transport fuel, including CNG/green gas, LNG (liquefied natural gas), LBM (liquefied biomethane), electricity, and hydrogen.’

Like the 700 bar stations being established elsewhere, this Dutch hydrogen station meets the latest hydrogen-fueled vehicle communication standards and cooling

requirements. It takes less than 3 min to fill a car’s tank with approximately 5 kg of hydrogen, for a range of 500 km (310 miles). The electrolyser at the core of the hydrogen station is apparently supplied by Hydrogenics, whose European electrolyser operation is based in Belgium [FCB, January 2012, p6].

Ballast Nedam is also currently building a hydrogen refueling station for WaterstofNet on the AutomotiveCampusNL in Helmond. The hydrogen for this station is produced using ‘green’ electricity, and will be able to serve the first 350 bar (5000 psi) vehicles in the second half of 2013. AutomotiveCampusNL is also being investigated as a possible site for the 700 bar hydrogen station.

‘It is important for the development of hydrogen in the region that a player such as Ballast Nedam, with its many years of experience in the construction and maintenance of the current refueling stations, expands its activities into the development of hydrogen refueling stations,’ says Adwin Martens, MD of WaterstofNet. ‘This reference will be a strong basis for the development of additional hydrogen infrastructure in the Flanders-Netherlands region and beyond.’

WaterstofNet is developing the Flanders-southern Netherlands region into a leading hydrogen region. It is coordinating a E14 million (US$19 million) demonstration programme within the Flanders-Netherlands Interreg programme, focused on sustainable hydrogen and early markets (maritime, logistics, public transport). This hydrogen station for the southern Netherlands is its third major project, after the world’s largest PEM fuel cell running on residual hydrogen in Antwerp [FCB, February 2012, p6], and a hydrogen station in Flanders [FCB, December 2012, p1]. Earlier this year WaterstofNet agreed to cooperate with the HyCologne regional cluster in Germany to develop future markets for hydrogen and harness the complete hydrogen value chain [FCB, April 2013, p9].

Ballast Nedam IPM: www.bnipm.com

Ballast Nedam: www.ballast-nedam.com

WaterstofNet: www.waterstofnet.eu/english.html

Hydrogenics: www.hydrogenics.com

ITM Power cutting cost structure of HGas hydrogen generation

UK-based ITM Power has issued an update on the cost structure of

its hydrogen generation technology. The assessment is based on efficiency improvements, electrolyser cost

reduction of its HGas platform, and from data provided by Hyundai for the ix35 Fuel Cell car [FCB, March 2013, p2].

The company based its latest analysis on a 1 MW (446 kg/day) hydrogen generation module comprising 16 HGas electrolyser stacks and associated balance-of-plant [see page 10]. In addition to capital cost and electricity consumption, the analysis includes an indicative annual maintenance cost and utilisation factor.

The hydrogen cost at 70% utilisation factor is projected at £4.19/kg (US$2.95/lb) in a 10-year capital amortisation period, a 32.7% reduction from last year’s projected cost of £6.23/kg [FCB, August 2012, p8], and £2.69/kg ($1.90/lb) after capital amortisation, a 22.9% reduction from last year. The projected costs at 100% utilisation factor are even better, at £3.52/kg ($2.50/lb) in a 10-year capital amortisation period and £2.47/kg ($1.75/lb) thereafter. These comfortably beat the European cost targets for hydrogen generation at E9.90/kg ($5.96/lb) in 2015 and E5.50/kg ($3.31/lb) in 2025 [http://tinyurl.com/powertrains-europe, and see the feature in FCB, January 2011].

The key to a low hydrogen price is a high utilisation of assets, combined with a low electricity price achieved by grid-balancing payments. One way of achieving high utilisation is by combining Power-to-Gas energy storage with refueling. Two 1 MW energy storage schemes that have recently been bid for by ITM are appropriately located to add a dispenser to offer FCEV refueling. The company is actively developing this concept of a Hydrogen Energy Hub.

ITM Power, Sheffield, UK. Tel: +44 114 244 5111, www.itm-power.com

Nuvera hydrogen tech for Ace Hardware distribution facility

In the US, Ace Hardware has selected Massachusetts-based Nuvera Fuel

Cells to provide hydrogen for the fuel cell powered lift truck fleet at its new Retail Support Center in Wilmer, Texas.

Nuvera will install and maintain its PowerTap onsite hydrogen generation and refueling solution at the facility, producing up to 50 kg/day of hydrogen from natural gas supplied to a steam methane reformer. The lift trucks are manufactured by The Raymond Corporation, and will be powered using GenDrive® PEM fuel cell units manufactured by Plug Power [FCB, May 2013, p3]. Construction of the new Ace facility began in mid-March, with completion scheduled for early 2014.

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