Fuel Cell

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) has issued two press releases today. First they have received a series of purchase orders from General Motors Corporation for fuel cell test services anticipated to be delivered in 2006. HYGS gave GM common share purchase warrants as part of an agreement in 2001. The proceeds for the new testing contract were used to re-purchase these warrants back from GM. HYGS also announced that it has been awarded a US$8 million Fuel Cell contract for multiple units of its HyPM® 500 Series Fuel Cell Power Modules from a world leading military...

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) announced that it has received two contracts to demonstrate energy density advantages and to quantify potential logistical advantages of its direct methanol micro fuel cells (DMFCs) and fuel refill systems for the United States Armed Forces.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc (APD) has been selected for three demonstration projects by the California South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for fueling stations to be placed in Burbank, Riverside and Santa Ana in 2005. Air Products will be collaborating with Proton Energy Systems, Inc. (DESC) on two of the fueling stations. Each city will operate its station following fueling process and safety training by Air Products.

Distributed Energy Systems Corp (DESC) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiaries, Northern Power Systems and Proton Energy Systems, will build an advanced hydrogen fueling station through a partnership with EVermont, a non-profit organization that supports cleaner and more energy-sustainable vehicles. The grid-connected system will utilize locally generated renewable energy. This was made possible by a nearly $1 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant secured by Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The grant will be administered by the DOE's Hydrogen, Fuel Cell, and Infrastructure Technologies Program.

Ballard Power (BLDP) has delivered the first prototypes of its next generation fuel cell, the Mark 1030 V3, for the residential cogeneration market to EBARA BALLARD Corporation (Ballard's Japan-based joint venture with the EBARA Corporation). The prototypes are for integration and testing in 1 kW residential cogeneration systems. Featuring increased reliability and lifetime, with significantly less weight and volume, the Mark 1030 V3 fuel cell has been designed in alignment with the 2008 Japanese government targets of 40,000 hours operation, equivalent to a system lifetime of 10 years in the home.

PolyFuel announced additional funding for their portable fuel cell technology. They are currently a privately held company backed by several venture capital firms. I'm keeping this company on my radar screen because these venture firms will eventually want to take this company public. Here is an excerpt from this most recent PR announcement. Click the link to read the full press release. PolyFuel, Inc., the world leader in membrane technology for portable fuel cells, today announced it has closed an $18.4 million, third round of funding, bringing total investment in the 5-year-old startup to approximately $40 million....

Plug Power Inc (PLUG) announced today that the Company's GenCore®5T48, a 5-kilowatt backup fuel cell system, is providing backup power to the Oneida County Rural Telephone network. "This program is another example of our efforts to keep the communities we serve on the cutting edge of technology," stated James McCarthy, Vice President of Oneida County Rural Telephone. "We have considered using alternative backup power in support of our network infrastructure in the past, and fuel cells are an attractive alternative to batteries. Fuel cells offer a clean, cost-effective solution for our backup power needs."

BusinessWeek has written an article about the investment opportunities available int he Alternative Energy marketplace. Renewable energy is booming. The use of solar power has been growing by more than 30% a year and, except for a hiccup in 2004 when Congress delayed renewing a tax credit so has wind power. Ethanol is heading for record production levels. And there's no end in sight, given high oil and gas prices, an increasing number of government mandates and incentives, and the first real steps toward tackling global warming. Clean Edge Inc., a research and strategy consultant, predicts...

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenlight Power Technologies, received a test station contract from QuestAir Technologies to supply three specialized test rigs to support the development of QuestAir's advanced pressure swing adsorption (PSA) products for refinery, petrochemical and industrial applications. PSA technology is utilized by a wide range of industrial applications for purification of such gases as hydrogen, oxygen and helium. Greenlight's test equipment contract, valued at US$615,000, is scheduled for delivery to QuestAir by the end of the first quarter 2005. This contract was included in the backlog cited in Hydrogenics' recent third...

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announced that the Company has undertaken a second work order with ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures LLC under the master services agreement signed between the two companies earlier this year. Hydrogenics' contract is for the provision of engineering and product- related services to integrate a fully packaged hydrogen generator based on proprietary natural gas reforming technology being developed by ChevronTexaco. Plans for the facility include ultimately having the capacity to generate 150 kg/day of hydrogen to serve the fueling needs of a fleet of fuel cell demonstration buses at AC Transit in Oakland, California. The station...

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc (QTWW) announced that it received a contract from the U.S. Army's National Automotive Center (NAC) for an additional HyHauler Plus(TM) transportable hydrogen refueling station. This contract represents an expansion of Quantum's Mobile Hydrogen Infrastructure program with the U.S. Army that will demonstrate "in-time" solutions to meet emerging hydrogen fuel demand as fuel cell technologies are deployed throughout the military as part of the 21st Century Base initiative. As you may have noticed from my Firefox tip yesterday, I'm starting to take a serious look at the Fuel Cell stocks again. All...

Hoku Scientific, Inc. (HOKU) announced that the U.S. Navy has officially accepted the first two of ten planned PEM fuel cell power plants incorporating Hoku MEA that will be demonstrated at Pearl Harbor Naval Station. Each of the stationary fuel cell power plants, or demonstration systems, designed by IdaTech LLC and incorporating Hoku MEA, generates net electrical output of approximately 1.5 kilowatts. Hoku Scientific's contract with the U.S. Navy requires a minimum net electrical output of 1 kilowatt. The fuel cell power plants incorporate an IdaTech fuel processor that produces hydrogen from a mixture of water and methanol....

Millennium Cell Inc (MCEL) announced that it has been awarded a subcontract to develop hydrogen storage systems for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The prime contractor is Pennsylvania-based Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), which operates the DoD's Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center (FCTec) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Millennium Cell's contract is part of first-year activities under the DoD contract to develop Common Core Power Production (C2P2) technology for the Air Force's Advanced Alternate Power Technology Transformation Office (A2PT2O). The C2P2 Program is based on utilizing fuel cell systems as interchangeable power sources for military equipment. Millennium Cell...

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announced that is has signed an agreement with Japan's Hitachi Zosen Corporation (Hitz) to develop hydrogen fuel cell-based power products. The agreement will see Hydrogenics combine its expertise in hydrogen fuel cell power systems with Hitz' power technology and experience with Japanese power markets. The collaboration between Hitz and Hydrogenics will focus on stationary power applications, but will also investigate markets for transportation and hydrogen generation.

ENER1 INC (ENEI) announced it has signed letters of intent to acquire Giner Electrochemical Systems, LLC (GES), a privately held company located in Newton, Massachusetts, that specializes in the development of fuel cell technologies and products. GES is currently owned by Giner, Inc. and General Motors Corp.(GM). GES will maintain its existing GM multi-year contracts (totaling several million dollars) and its broad research and development relationship with GM going forward.

Carbon nanotubes play a pivotal role in a three-company effort to create small-scale fuel cells for portable electronics. The project, which recently received $3.6 million in funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, looks to establish a low-cost manufacturable hydrogen fuel cell based on proton-exchange membranes, or PEMs. The work is being conducted by Carbon Nanotechnologies, Motorola Labs and Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells.