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Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Headlines
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FuelCell Energy Completes World's Largest Fuel Cell Park in South Korea
On February 19, FuelCell Energy announced a series of updates on Asian markets, including the completion of the world's largest fuel cell park in Hwasung City, South Korea. The plant consists of 21 FuelCell Energy DFC3000 power plants, totaling 59 MW of electricity generation on 5.1 acres of land. The project was constructed by POSCO Energy, the largest energy producer in South Korea.
 | | Hwasung Fuel Cell Park under construction Source: Forbes |
Other updates provided in the press release include the sale of 3.7 MW of fuel cells to POSCO, and the announcement of a 19.6 MW fuel cell park to be built in Seoul City, South Korea. This Seoul installation will provide power for approximately 45,000 South Korean homes and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Plug Power Receives Milestone 1,500 Forklift, Multi-Site Order from Walmart
 On February 26, Plug Power announced that Walmart placed an order for 1,738 GenDrive fuel cell forklift units to be used at six North American distribution centers.
Currently Plug Power has over 4,500 GenDrive units deployed with North American material handling operators like Procter & Gamble, Kroger, BMW and Mercedes Benz. Walmart alone has 535 GenDrive units at refrigerated distribution centers in North America.
This Walmart order includes a six-year GenCare service contract for each site and GenFuel infrastructure construction and hydrogen supply. The first site is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2014.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
ClearEdge Power Plans Expansion in South Windsor
 On February 25, ClearEdge Power announced plans to expand its South Windsor campus where the company manufactures two types of fuel cells: the PureCell 400 kilowatt product for large commercial users and utilities, and the ClearEdge 5 kilowatt product for residences and small businesses.
Additionally, it was announced that ClearEdge is investing $22 million in research and development to decrease the price of its fuel cells. ClearEdge will also be increasing its sales, service, and engineering staff to prepare for expected growth.
For a link to the full article, click here.
Hyundai Previews Intrado Concept with Next-Gen Fuel Cells at Geneva
 On February 24, Hyundai revealed official images of its Intrado fuel cell concept, due at this year's Geneva Motor Show in early March. Hyundai's design team found inspiration from the aviation industry, using carbon fiber and lightweight steel for the construction of the vehicle.
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Hyundai's Intrado Fuel Cell Concept Source: Hyundai
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This vehicle is powered by a "next generation" fuel cell along with a 36 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and has a range of 372 miles.
The Intrado will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show, which opens March 4 to press and March 6 to the public.
For a link to the full article, click here.
ITM Power Receives Approval for Five Hydrogen Refueling Sites on Isle of Wight
 On February 10, ITM Power announced its planning permission for five hydrogen refueling sites on the Isle of Wight, England. Four of these sites were approved for an 80kg/day hydrogen refueling station while the other was approved for a 15kg/day marine refueling station.
ITM has chosen two sites for 2014 production, one of which is owned by Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) and will further the commercial relations with SGN. The 2014 developments are part of the EcoIsland Hydrogen Vehicle Refueller project which is funded by UK's innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board.
For a link to the full article, click here.
Excess Wind Power Turned Into Gas in Denmark Using Hydrogenics Technology
 On February 18, Hydrogenics announced that it will participate in the Power-to-Gas Biological Catalysis ("BioCat") Project in Denmark, an installation that will use hydrogen made from excess wind power to convert biogas from sewage sludge into cleaner methane gas. "BioCat" is an industry consortium with funding from a research pool to develop a commercial scale power-to-gas demonstration in Denmark.
Hydrogenics will install a 1 MW water electrolysis plant at one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in Denmark, Spildevandscenter Avedore. Surplus electricity from the grid will be used to produce hydrogen using Hydrogenics' electrolyzer, which will then be combined with excess carbon dioxide from biogas to produce pipeline-grade renewable methane.
For more information on Hydrogenics and the "BioCat" project, read the full press release here.
ClearEdge Power Publishes White Paper on Benefits of Fuel Cell Systems for Energy Security
 On February 6, ClearEdge Power announced its white paper, Critical and Clean Power: 7 Reasons Why PureCell Fuel Cell Systems Are the Right Choice, comparing the benefits of the PureCell Model 400 fuel cell system to traditional diesel generators for achieving energy security. ClearEdge Power's PureCell fuel cell systems offer a 10-year cell stack life and operate at an overall CHP efficiency of 90%, a level of efficiency that surpasses the generating efficiency of central station utility power plants. In comparison to traditional diesel generators, PureCell fuel cell systems offer lower GHG emissions and noise level, which allows the fuel cell systems to be running almost anywhere without disruption. To read the full white paper, click here.
Air Products Launches Hydrogen High-Pressure Tube Trailers for European Hydrogen Infrastructure Deployment
 On February 4, Air Products announced the next step in hydrogen infrastructure deployment with the launch of its fleet of hydrogen high-pressure tube trailers in Europe. The SmartFuel tube trailers are able to transport and deliver hydrogen at a pressure above 350 bar (5000 psi), which is a significant improvement on the current 200 bar (2900 psi) models.
This advancement eliminates the need for onsite compression for 350 bar vehicle refueling, and requires considerably less compression for 700 bar vehicle refueling. The trailers, due to be deployed in the next few months, will also reduce the cost and space necessary to build hydrogen refueling stations which no longer need a solution for onsite hydrogen compression.
For more information on the story, click here.
Air Liquide Co-Launches Power Generation Project THEMIS  On February 20, eco-innovative start-up ATAWEY is collaborating with Air Liquide and ARELIS group, an advanced electronic service company, to launch THEMIS: a renewable and autonomous power generation project using fuel cells.
The project is designed for television and telecommunication broadcasts from remote sites, and will provide 8 megawatt hours (MWh) a year of independent energy from the grid. All of the fuel cell power generation will come from high capacity storage of solar and wind produced during periods of overproduction. THEMIS is financed by ADEME and the Rhone-Alpes region and is expected to launch in 2015. For a link to the full article, click here.
Additional Headlines
Nebraska Company Expands to Meet Demand for Hydrogen Fuel
Department of Energy | February 4, 2014
Telecom Loves Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Energy & Capital | February 6, 2014
University of Birmingham Launches Innovative Hydrogen Car in India
Phys.org | February 6, 2014
How to Power a Fuel Cell Company
Daily Finance | February 14, 2014
Artificial Leaf Converts Water into Hydrogen, Oxygen
International Business Times | February 19, 2014
New Solar Power Fuel Cell Runs on Wood Chips
CleanTechnica | February 19, 2014
Test Fleet Shapes Next Step for Fuel Cell Cars
Automotive News | February 21, 2014
Toyota's Fuel Cell Car Gain's Ground on Hybrids
Consumer Reports | February 24, 2014
New Solar-Induced Hybrid Fuel Cell Directly Converts Biomass to Electricity
Business Standard | February 24, 2014
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| Federal Program Updates | |
DOT Announces $24.9 Million in Funding for Zero-Emission Buses
On January 6, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the availability of $24.9 million through its new Low or No Emission Vehicle Deployment Program (LoNo).
This program was created under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), and builds on the FTA's National Fuel Cell Bus Program, which successfully committed $90 million over seven years for innovative research, demonstration, and deployment projects to reduce the cost of fuel cells for transit use.
Similar to the National Fuel Cell Bus Program, the focus of the LoNo program is to spread the adoption of reliable green energy buses into transit fleets. The grant will move the initiative forward by allocating $21.6 million for non-polluting transit buses and $3.3 million to
support facilities and related equipment.
For a link to the full press release, click here. For a link to the notice for Request for Proposals (RFP), click here.
Maritime Administration Partners with DOE and Sandia National Lab to Power Ships at Berth with Fuel Cells
 On February 19, the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Maritime Administration (MarAd) announced that they have partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia National Laboratory to explore potential cost and emission reductions through hydrogen fuel cells for powering ships at berth.
The fuel cells will provide electrical power to ships, which currently account for one-third to one-half of the in-port emissions for ocean-going vessels. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from onboard diesel generators, hydrogen could help maritime businesses lower overall costs.
MarAd is investing $700,000 for the construction of a 100 kW system at the port of Honolulu that will help power on-board systems from the pier for ships, tugs, and barges going between the Hawaiian Islands.
For more on the Port of Honolulu fuel cell project, click here.
Fuel Cells Help Power NASCAR at Daytona 500
 On February 21, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced fuel cells will be playing a part of the Daytona 500 NASCAR race. The DOE and Acumentrics partnered to test four fuel cell units to replace generators that will power broadcast cameras, spotlights, concessions and other race equipment.
Replacing the 30 gasoline-powered generators that are used at a typical NASCAR race could save more than $2,000 per race weekend, and up to $77,000 throughout the season. The fuel cell units only need to be refueled once per weekend as opposed to every 8-12 hours in the case of gas generators.
For more information on the project, read DOE's blog post here.
DOE Releases Phase I Award Winners of SBIR/STTR
On February 11, the Department of Energy announced the Phase I award winners of the FY 2014 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR), which includes four hydrogen and fuel cell projects in Arizona, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.
Amsen Technologies, Giner, Inc., GVD Corp., and Tetramer Technologies received awards to develop improved fuel cell and hydrogen system parts and components. The Office of Basic Energy Sciences awarded the businesses based on their ideas for clean energy solutions that could improve manufacturing processes, reduce reliance on foreign oil, and generate electricity from renewable resources.
For more information on the awards, click here.
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Request for Papers, Proposals, and Information
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DOE Extends Deadline for RFI on Biological Hydrogen Production
On February 26, the Department of Energy issued a request for information regarding biological hydrogen production research and development pathways, barriers, issues, and opportunities for development of technologies that can ultimately produce low cost hydrogen that meets DOE goals.
Feedback is specifically requested on the workshop report for the Biological Hydrogen Production Workshop held September 24-25, 2013 by the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Full RFI Applications are now due by 5:00 P.M., March 14, 2014.
For a link to the full workshop report and presentations, click here. For a link to the full RFI, click here.
NHSTA Proposed Rule on Alternative Fuel Vehicle Badging
 On February 20, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) proposed requiring badges, labels, and owner's manual information for new passenger cars, low speed vehicles and light-duty trucks in order to increase consumer awareness regarding the use and benefits of alternative fuels.
The proposed rule would implement specific statutory mandates that manufacturers be required to add information on capabilities and benefits to owner's manuals, identify that vehicles are capable of running on alternative fuels by labeling fuel filler compartments appropriately, and more.
Comments on the proposal must be received on or before April 21, 2014.
For more information, click here.
DOE announces $7 Million in Funding to Improve Grid Resiliency
On February 7, the Department of Energy announced up to $7 million available for grants to advance the design of technologies to strengthen and modernize the electric grid. The Microgrid Research, Development, and System Design funding opportunity specifically targets teams of communities, technology developers and providers, and utilities to help the grid become more adaptive and prepared for power outages caused by severe weather and other events.
Applicants must work with an entity or community to design microgrid systems of less than or equal to 10 MW, enough to power a small community.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 28, 2014.
For more information on the funding opportunity, click here.
Long Island Power Authority Issues RFP for Renewables, Distributed Generation
On October 21, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), a non-profit municipal power provider, issued two requests for proposals (RFPs). The first RFP seeks the procurement of new renewable capacity from a variety of technologies, including fuel cells, for up to 280 megawatts (MW) by 2018.
The second RFP is for as much as 1,630 MW of distributed
generation, energy storage and demand response resources to replace current generation by 2019.
The RFP's are part of LIPA's long range renewable energy plan, expected to increase renewable generation by 1,000 MW by 2022.
Proposal deadlines for both RFPs is March 31, 2014.
For a link to the RFP's, click here and here.
Department of Labor Seeking Input on Fuel Cell Technicians
 The US Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is seeking assistance from expert fuel cell technicians, with at least five years experience, to complete a series of occupational questionnaires for a national database. This database is a service to employers, human resource professionals, job counselors, and labor market analysts across the country, providing information about the skills, abilities, activities, and work context for about 900 occupations nationwide.
Technicians will be asked to complete several O*NET questionnaires to provide information on their field of expertise. These take about 90 minutes to complete.
Interested applicants should contact Jim Rose Business Liaison O*NET Operations Center, RTI International at 877-233-7348, Ext. 121 or by email jrose@onet.rti.org.
Further information about this initiative can be found at www.doleta.gov/programs/onet.
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About the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Connection
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Administration
Press releases and story ideas may be forwarded to Connor Dolan and Karen Hall for consideration at cdolan@fchea.org and khall@fchea.org respectively.
The Sponsors
Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association -- The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is the trade association for the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry, and is dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. Fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies deliver clean, reliable power to leading edge corporate, academic and public sector users, and FCHEA members are helping to transform the our energy future. FCHEA represents the full global supply chain, including universities, government laboratories and agencies, trade associations, fuel cell materials, components and systems manufacturers, hydrogen producers and fuel distributors, utilities and other end users.
National Energy Technology Laboratory -- The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory system is owned and operated by the DOE. Its mission is "Advancing energy options to fuel our economy, strengthen our security, and improve our environment". NETL performs, procures, and partners with universities and the private sector. Together, these efforts focus a wealth of scientific and engineering talent on creating commercially viable solutions to national energy and environmental problems. NETL has expertise in coal, natural gas, and oil technologies, contract and project management, analysis of energy systems, and international energy issues. NETL supports DOE's mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.
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