Fuel Cell

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announced that it has signed a contract to manufacture a self-contained regenerative fuel cell power system that will be used to provide auxiliary power for a U.S. Army Stryker Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV). This is a collaborative government project whereby Radian Inc. has entered into a contract with the United States Army (TACOM/TARDEC), and Hydrogenics has signed a defence industrial research contract with Defence R&D Canada, an agency of the Canadian Department of National Defence.

Sumitomo Corporation has announced that is has obtained Japan's first certification for a 700-bar (10,000psi) pressurized hydrogen storage system for fuel cell vehicles in collaboration with Suzuki in July 2004. The hydrogen storage system that Sumitomo is using is produced by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc (QTWW). This is the third country where Quantum hydrogen storage system has been approved for use.

IdaTech (IDA) announced it has entered into a new contract with the U.S. Army to continue the development of a portable fuel cell system for military applications. This contact was signed 11 months after one signed in 2004, further establishing IdaTech's advanced portable power systems and integrated Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell system as a potentially key technology for meeting the unique field energy supply requirements of the military.

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announces that it has been contracted by the Ministry for Transport Energy and State Planning of the State North-Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, to develop a fully operational electric hybrid 'midi-bus'. The propulsion system of the 17 foot European-manufactured bus platform will be based on Hydrogenics' high performance fuel cell hybrid design that integrates HyPM® power module technology. Also under the terms of the contract, Hydrogenics will supply full scale testing and select demonstrations in NRW. The contract is a cost share arrangement in which NRW will fund 50% of the project cost up to euro 566,000...

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) and LOGANEnergy Corp have joined forces to develop and sell commercial fuel cell power plants, with a focus on megawatt-class systems. The two companies have signed a Market Development Agreement whereby FuelCell Energy will provide the power plants along with related engineering and technical support. LOGAN will contribute its expertise in developing fuel cell power plants for commercial and industrial customers, along with site-specific duties such as permitting, utility interconnections and power plant installation.

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.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc (QTWW) announced that it received a purchase order for 15 hydrogen-fueled Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles from Miljobil Grenland AS, a participant and vehicle provider to the Norwegian Hydrogen Highway (HyNor). These hydrogen hybrid vehicles will be put in service in Norway in 2006 and 2007 as part of the HyNor program. HyNor is a unique Norwegian joint public/private partnership initiative to demonstrate real life implementation of hydrogen energy infrastructure along a route of 580 kilometers (360 miles) from Oslo to Stavanger during the years 2005 to 2008. The project comprises all steps...

BusinessWeek.com discusses John Kerry's plan to increase alternative energy usage for the country. John Kerry's blueprint for energy independence doesn't suffer from lack of ambition. In early August, he'll unveil an energy plan that he says can break America's addiction to foreign oil, revitalize the U.S. auto industry, help farmers and coal miners, fight global warming, and create jobs all for just $2 billion per year. "We can live in an America that is energy independent," Kerry promises.

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.

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced it has successfully incorporated design changes to the 250-kilowatt (kW) Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plant resulting in a 25 percent cost reduction as previously announced. This is part of FuelCell Energy's rolling three-year cost-out program that targets a 20-25 percent cost reduction per year. In addition to reduced capital costs, the DFC300MA power plant the new name for the sub-megawatt unit is expected to result in lower routine maintenance expenses thanks to its modular three-piece design. This modular architecture, with separate skids for the mechanical balance of plant, electronic balance of...

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) announced today that it has received United Nations (UN) Packaging Certification and is now in United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Compliance for shipment of its methanol fuel cartridges, supporting its initial product launch planned by year-end. With this UN and DOT recognition in place, authorized shippers can now conveniently transport MTI Micro's fuel refills by ground, sea and air, both domestically and internationally. "MTI has emerged as a leader in the development of safe and reliable methanol fuel cartridges and packaging," said John Lynn, President and CEO of the Methanol Institute, the global...

Medis Technologies Ltd. (MDTL) announced today that it has been issued a new patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. Patent #6,758,871 "Liquid Fuel Compositions for Electrochemical Fuel Cells") for its proprietary fuel. This is the third U.S. patent issued with respect to the fuel used in Medis' proprietary fuel cell technology and this patent relates to the composition of that fuel. Additional patents that cover other aspects of the fuel and its use in Medis' fuel cell are still pending.

Ballard Power (BLDP) has announced that second-quarter losses narrowed year-over-year to post better-than-expected results, but revenue declined across many business segments on lower volumes and decreased demand. Revenue fell to $21.2 million from $29.1 million for the same period in 2003, primarily due to lower product revenue as a result of completing deliveries of heavy-duty bus engines to the European Fuel Cell Bus Project in 2003. The significant decline in engineering service revenue in the latest quarter was due to the development phase of the current generation light-duty fuel cell engine program nearing completion and the next generation...

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.

Plug Power Inc (PLUG) announced that it is terminating a distribution joint venture with a unit of General Electric Co. and said a GE executive had resigned from its board. Plug Power said it and GE MicroGen Inc. would terminate the GE Fuel Cell Systems joint venture. As a result, Plug Power can now sell its products to anyone without obligation to General Electric, the company said in a regulatory filing. Shares of Plug Power are down 1% in pre-market trading.