NEWS

6Fuel Cells Bulletin June 2013

converts the HydroPlus™ methanol-water liquid fuel mixture into hydrogen gas to power the PEM fuel cell. Ballard acquired the methanol-fueled product line – and other key assets – from IdaTech last summer [FCB, August 2012, p10].

Electric grids in the CALA region are susceptible to power disruptions due to extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, which means that telecom networks are vulnerable to frequent grid outages. Lead-acid batteries and diesel generators are not necessarily a practical or financially attractive means of providing backup power, whereas fuel cell systems can offer a reliable, economic, and clean alternative energy solution. Elevated temperatures throughout the region and proximity to the ocean also present challenging operational conditions that impact life expectancy of traditional backup power solutions. The use of fuel cell systems is also cutting theft of diesel fuel and batteries.

Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Tel: +1 604 454 0900, www.ballard.com

Oorja signs MOU to demo units in South Africa telecom market

California-based Oorja Protonics has executed a Memorandum of

Understanding with several entities in South Africa, to conduct various levels of evaluation and demonstrations of its OorjaPac™ direct methanol fuel cell systems. The participants in the MOU, which include Powertech System Integrators and HySA Catalysis, aim to commercialise this Oorja product for deployment in the telecom tower market in South Africa.

Pretoria-based Powertech System Integrators (PTSI) is focused on the telecom and backup power systems sector, and works with an extensive technology portfolio of products for its target markets. PTSI has an established track record with leading telecom customers, for installing and managing large turnkey managed services.

‘We will add value with our in-house developed remote monitoring system that collects the performance data from all the fuel cells in the field, and our seven years of in-depth technical knowledge and experience with fuel cell systems from various international suppliers,’ says PTSI engineering manager Kennith Shuda.

HySA Catalysis, jointly hosted by the University of Cape Town and Mintek in Johannesburg, is one of three Centres of Competence established to fulfill the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development and Innovation Strategy (now

called Hydrogen South Africa, HySA) [see the feature in this issue]. HySA Catalysis takes the lead role in HySA’s Portable Power Programme, with the goal of delivering commercially viable prototypes in the 50 W to 5 kW power range.

‘We are very excited to see this partnership take form as HySA’s Portable Power Key Programme, under the leadership of Dr Sharon Blair,’ comments Dr Olaf Conrad, Director of HySA Catalysis. ‘It takes great strides towards establishing commercial fuel cell activities with our partners in South Africa.’

Earlier this year Oorja signed an MOU with HySA Catalysis to collaborate in a strategic partnership for the commercialisation of direct methanol fuel cells in the South African market for various applications such as telecom towers, materials handling, and refrigerated trucks [FCB, March 2013, p10].

Oorja has subsequently secured additional purchase orders for its OorjaPac Model III fuel cell from HySA Catalysis, and started shipping DMFC units for deployment and demonstration on materials handling equipment at various customer sites with HySA Catalysis partners in Limpopo and Western Cape provinces [FCB, May 2013, p11, and see the Oorja feature in FCB, March 2012].

Oorja Protonics, Fremont, California, USA. Tel: +1 510 371 4340, www.oorjafuelcells.com

HySA Catalysis: www.hysacatalysis.uct.ac.za

Powertech System Integrators: www.ptsi.co.za

Acta makes first sale of integrated backup power system

Italian-based Acta SpA has sold its first Acta Power backup power system,

only six weeks after the product was launched at the Hannover Messe in Germany. The system will go on trial with a major international mobile telecoms company at a base station in Africa. Acta also picked up several repeat and new orders for its electrolysers and other products in Hannover.

The Acta Power self-recharging backup power system incorporates a PEM fuel cell from FutureE Fuel Cell Solutions (based on a Ballard stack) with an Acta electrolyser for low-cost, onboard hydrogen generation [FCB, May 2013, p4]. It is available with a power output of 2 or 4 kW, and with a 500 or 1000 L/h hydrogen generator. The system has been developed to meet the backup power requirements of telecom base stations in off-grid or poor grid locations, avoiding the cost and logistical barriers of

hydrogen delivery to remote or inaccessible sites.The initial sale is for a system incorporating

a 4 kW fuel cell and 1000 L/h hydrogen generator, and has a list price of E35 000 (US$46 200). The system is being shipped to the client this month for commencement of the onsite trial, which will run for up to three months. Subject to the successful completion of the trial, Acta expects to undertake a larger-scale installation of Acta Power systems for the telco’s remote base station sites.

In addition, Acta has received two repeat orders from an existing customer for EL500R electrolysers, a repeat order for a smaller electrolyser from Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies (APFCT) in Taiwan, and five confirmed orders for electrolysers and other products from new customers. The APFCT order relates to hydrogen refueling of light electric vehicles; at the end of May Acta shipped an EL1000R electrolyser, its largest product, to APFCT for installation in the Taiwanese government fuel cell scooter project in the Kenting region [FCB, August 2012, p5].

The repeat customer orders, as well as a large number of the sales enquiries, have been for applications in the area of backup power for telecom base stations or domestic renewable energy storage, for which the company’s electrolysers and the new Acta Power system are ideally suited [see the Acta feature in FCB, September 2012].

Acta has also joined the Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association, as it sees significant potential there for its product range because of the many remote locations and the high logistical cost of fuel transportation for backup power systems.

Acta SpA, Crespina (Pisa), Italy. Tel: +39 050 644281, www.actagroup.it

Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies: www.apfct.com

Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association: www.chfca.ca

CFCL partners with Novogaz for Swiss BlueGen distribution

Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has announced a distribution

partnership with Novogaz SA in Switzerland, under which they will join forces to distribute CFCL’s BlueGen® technology to the growing market for micro combined heat and power (mCHP) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This move intensifies the cooperation between the two partners that started in 2010 when BlueGen units and integrated systems were installed in a field-testing exercise.

NEWS

June 2013 Fuel Cells Bulletin7

‘We have tested the BlueGen in-depth, and we are extremely impressed with the efficiency and reliability of the technology,’ says Pascal Favre, director of Novogaz, a subsidiary of the Holdigaz Group. ‘Now is the right time to take the next step. We are confident that the BlueGen will prove to be an attractive value proposition for our clients, and help us to quickly identify buyers.’

The Swiss market is known for its high environmental awareness and strong interest in innovative solutions for clean energy generation, while there is also a substantial need for distributed generation. CFCL and Novogaz view this as a major opportunity to successfully market highly efficient solid oxide fuel cell-based micro power plants.

‘The distribution agreement with Novogaz is truly advantageous for us,’ says Bob Kennett, CEO of CFCL. ‘We benefit from the market experience of our partners that give us greater access to the attractive Swiss market, thereby strengthening our European BlueGen distribution network.’

Ceramic Fuel Cells is a global leader in SOFC-based micro CHP generators, and offers the first commercially available product in Europe. Although based in Australia, the company’s initial commercialisation focus is on the UK [FCB, April 2013, p5], Germany [FCB, April 2013, p4], and the Benelux countries [FCB, March 2013, p4]. The company is also developing fully integrated power and heating products with E.ON UK, GdF Suez in France, and EWE in Germany [FCB, May 2013, p4].

Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9554 2300, www.cfcl.com.au

European Sales Office: Ceramic Fuel Cells BV, Heerlen, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 88 5445 070.

Groupe Holdigaz: www.holdigaz.ch (in French)

Construction under way for Dominion, FCE at largest US site

In Connecticut, FuelCell Energy and Dominion – one of the largest energy

companies in the US – have broken ground at what will be the largest fuel cell power project in North America. Dominion Bridgeport Fuel Cell, which is being built in downtown Bridgeport alongside Interstate 95 and the Northeast rail corridor, will produce 14.9 MW of clean, reliable, baseload electricity for Connecticut, enough to power approximately 15 000 homes.

Dominion Bridgeport Fuel Cell is part of Project 150, a programme sponsored by the state and supported by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA), to add 150 MW of renewable and clean energy projects in Connecticut. CEFIA – formerly the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund – is the first full-scale clean energy finance authority in the US to leverage public and private funds to drive investment and scale up clean energy deployment in Connecticut. This project is also supported by the City of Bridgeport, which provides a tax incentive development agreement that will be in place for the life of the project.

Danbury-based FuelCell Energy will build, operate, and maintain the facility under contract to Dominion. FCE is supplying five Direct FuelCell® stationary molten carbonate fuel cell power plants, and an organic Rankine turbine that will convert heat from the fuel cells into additional electricity. FuelCell Energy supplied the power plants for the world’s largest fuel cell installation, a 59 MW fuel cell park for Posco Energy in Korea [FCB, October 2012, p1]. FuelCell Energy has expanded its Connecticut manufacturing workforce by more than 20% or more than 50 jobs in the past six months, reflecting demand such as the Bridgeport fuel cell park.

The first Bridgeport power plant installation will be completed in the summer, and the remaining plants installed in stages. The $65 million fuel cell park will be fully operational by the end of 2013. Dominion will sell the output of the fuel cell power plants to Connecticut Light & Power under a 15-year fixed power purchase agreement.

‘FuelCell Energy has a sizeable and rapidly expanding installed base and extensive operating history of fuel cell power plants,’ says Chip Bottone, the firm’s president and CEO. ‘We see a trend to larger installations such as the Bridgeport fuel cell park.’

FuelCell Energy, Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 825 6000, www.fuelcellenergy.com

Dominion: www.dom.com

Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority: www.ctcleanenergy.com

Sirius Integrator intros 500 W propane SOFC battery charger to US

Massachusetts-based Sirius Integrator has become the

reseller and integrator in North America of the propane-fueled 500 W

solid oxide fuel cell battery recharger manufactured by by new enerday GmbH in Germany. The natural gas model will be available later in 2013.

The SiriusPower 500w is outdoor-ready for providing off-grid and grid-backup power for both leisure and industrial applications. Leisure applications include 24 V power for sailboats, cabins, and recreational vehicles (RVs). Industrial off-grid applications include powering surveillance cameras, emergency management, oil & gas pump/compressor and corrosion systems, traffic management, telecom stations, ground sensors, radio repeaters, radar and lidar, workboats, military support, and weather and seismic configurations.

Sirius Integrator has been reselling and integrating SFC Energy’s EFOY Pro direct methanol fuel cells in North America for more than four years, with hundreds of deployments across a dozen vertical markets [FCB, May 2013, p6]. The company also hybridises 40–80 W thin solar, lithium-ion capacitors (LICs), and 12–100 W wind turbines into its remote configurations as range extenders to reduce fuel use and increase time between site visits.

Sirius Integrator, Devens, Massachusetts, USA. Tel: +1 855 747 4874, www.siriusintegrator.com or www.propane-fuelcell.com

new enerday GmbH, Neubrandenburg, Germany. Tel: +49 395 3799 9202, www.new-enerday.com

Neah ships PowerPlay to major client, tie-up with Ion Geophysical

In the US, Neah Power Systems has announced that it has shipped a paid-

for PowerPlay™ low-cost polymeric fuel cell to a ‘Fortune 110’ consumer company for evaluation. Neah also reports that it has continued to make significant progress with the PowerChip® product development for Houston-based Ion Geophysical Corporation.

The PowerPlay unit is a passive direct methanol fuel cell that uses some key technologies from the PowerChip platform, and leverages some elements of the PowerChip manufacturing process. The current version of the PowerPlay – unveiled last autumn [FCB, November 2012, p7] – is for off-grid smartphone charging for professional and recreational users, while future versions could be optimised for tablets and other consumer electronics.

‘This shipment represents a significant milestone for the company,’ says Dr Chris

PORTABLE & MICRO

LARGE STATIONARY