Exelon Partners with Bloom Energy to Finance 21 Megawatts of Fuel Cell Power
On July 29, Exelon Corporation, one of the nation's largest energy providers, announced a partnership with Bloom Energy to provide equity financing for 21 megawatts (MW) of fuel cell power at 75 commercial locations around the country. Bloom will install their solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) servers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, which include sites for returning customers like AT&T, who will be receiving installations at 9 separate locations.
Billed as the first step in a long-term partnership between the two organizations, Exelon will finance Bloom Energy projects through Bloom Electrons, which allows customers to purchase fuel cell power as a service, instead of purchasing equipment directly. Bloom Energy and Exelon plan to complete the SOFC installations over the next year, providing power to the equivalent of more than 11,000 homes a year.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Intelligent Energy Signs Multi-Million Fuel Cell Deal with Japanese Automaker
On July 29, Intelligent Energy signed a further two-year, multi-million pound agreement with a Japanese Automotive OEM. The agreement will focus on the development of fuel cell technology in engines for compact cars, two-wheeled vehicles, and as range extenders for other low emission light duty vehicles (LDVs).
Intelligent Energy's will provide its fuel cell technology in a 2 kilowatt (KW) to 100 KW range through a licensing model to two Japanese OEMs.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Commercial Hydrogen Fueling Made Possible with a New SAE Standard (J2601)
On July 16, SAE International, the global engineering association that sets technical standards for the automotive, aerospace, and commercial vehicle industries, approved a light duty vehicle hydrogen fueling standard (SAE J2601). The standard enables hydrogen fueling at both 35MPa and 70MPa pressures, and will serve as a baseline for commercial fueling of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) worldwide.
SAE J2601 has been advanced through 13 years of testing and development with the international automotive and hydrogen industry. Using SAE J2601, FCEVs are the only zero emission vehicle technology that replicates today's driving experience of a 300+ mile range and three-to-five minute refueling time.
This J2601 release follows the May 2014 publication of Vehicle-to-Station Hardware and Software standard for FCEVs (SAE J2799), which standardizes wireless communication of the tank temperature and pressure between the FCEV and the hydrogen station.
FCHEA's press release on the announcement is available here. The SAE J2601 Standard is available online here.
Walmart Expands Fuel Cell Forklift Contract with Plug Power
On July 24, Plug Power announced that Walmart is expanding its contract for more than 1,700 material handling fuel cell systems and six hydrogen stations, announced in February. The contract extension is to develop an additional hydrogen refueling station and deploy an additional 286 fuel cell systems at Walmart's Sterling, Illinois distribution center.
The contract schedules installations to take place over the next two years, with the first deployments to begin this September.
Today, there are more than 4,500 forklifts in North America running on Plug Power's GenDrive fuel cells.
For a link to the full article, click here.
Ballard to Supply New Flyer Industries with Next Generation Power Module for U.S. Fuel Cell Electric Bus
On July 22, Ballard Power Systems received a purchase order from New Flyer Industries for the delivery of Ballard's first next-generation FCvelocity�-HD7 fuel cell power module to a North American bus manufacturer.
The module will be utilized in a next generation New Flyer Industries fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) that will be sent to Altoona, Pennsylvania for testing and qualification prior to being deployed into revenue service under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) National Fuel Cell Bus Program.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
3M Fuel Cell Activities Highlighted in Assembly Magazine Interview
On July 18, Assembly Magazine published an interview with the Advance Materials Division Business Manager at 3M, Janice Bennett, on the company's role in the fuel cell industry.
Although 3M is known for their scotch tape, sand paper, and post-it notes, they are also a leading provider of materials that are critical to fuel cells, such as fluoropolymers, membrane materials, and advanced ceramics.
Bennett talks about the fuel cell assembly process and challenges the industry faces in the interview.
For a link to the full interview, click here.
Nuvera Introduces Hydrogen Gas Generator to Distributors
On July 21, Nuvera Fuel Cells announced that it will introduce its PowerTap™ PT-50 hydrogen generator to the international gas distributor market in 2015. With Nuvera's generator, industrial gas distributors can potentially increase their margin on hydrogen gas sales by installing their own dedicated production source, rather than purchasing gas for re-sale.
Nuvera is currently seeking distributors for PowerTap hydrogen generators in North America, as well as international markets.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Linde Begins Small Scale Production of Hydrogen Stations
On July 14, The Linde Group officially opened the world's first small-series production facility for hydrogen fueling stations in Vienna, Austria. Attendees at the opening event included Doris Bures, Austrian Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology, and Detlev R�nger, the German Ambassador to Vienna.
Linde reached an agreement with Iwatani Corporation, a Japanese energy and gas development and supply company, for the delivery of 28 hydrogen fuelling stations for the new facility. Through their collaboration with Linde, Iwatani hopes to contribute to the development of Japanese hydrogen infrastructure. Linde believes the new production facility represents a key milestone on the journey to the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Linde's press release on the announcement is available here.
Ace Hardware Orders Additional Plug Power GenDrive Units
On July 10, Plug Power announced that it had supplied GenDrive fuel cell units for lift trucks at Ace Hardware'sWilmer, Texas Retail Support Center, making it Ace Hardware's first all-hydrogen material handling fleet. The 450,000 square foot facility has nearly 90 loading docks, where the fuel cell lift trucks will be used to load and unload delivery trucks.
PlugPower's lift truck units had been in operation for three months at the facility as part of a pilot project, and Ace Hardware has committed to ordering further GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell units at a distribution center now under construction in Ohio. Upon completion of the Ohio site, Ace Hardware will have over 130 hydrogen-powered vehicles in operation.
To read the full article, click here.
FuelCell Energy Announces German Government Support for Advancement of Fuel Cell Technology
On July 22, FuelCell Energy, Inc. announced that its German subsidiary, FuelCell Energy Solutions GmbH (FCES), received nearly €5 million in awards by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The funding will support a three year research and development project between FCES and joint venture partner Fraunhofer IKTS, an advanced material research institute.
The project targets further enhancements to the Direct FuelCell (DFC) technology by increasing power density and operating life of the fuel cells, leading to lower costs. The research is being performed in Germany by FCES at an existing facility in Ottobrunn, and by Fraunhofer IKTS at a facility located in Dresden.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Air Liquide Wins Bid for Hydrogen Filling Station in France
On July 24, Air Liquide won a competitive bid launched by French transit company Conseil G�n�ral de la Manche to supply and install a hydrogen filling station in Saint-L�, France. This station will be able to refill Conseil's fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which will be in operation in France by the end of 2014.
Air Liquide installed its first hydrogen filling station in D�sseldorf, Germany in 2012. Air Liquide plans to install four additional stations in Denmark.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Sure Partners with Intelligent Energy to Offer Upp Fuel Cell Charger
On July 9, British telecommunications company, Sure, announced its partnership with Intelligent Energy to offer the Upp personal energy device in its retail stores. Designed to meet the growing demand for portable power, Upp powers a range of USB-compatible electronic devices.
The Upp fuel cell starter pack, consisting of the fuel cell and cartridge, will be available soon in Sure stores across the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. An Upp companion app is also available for iOS and Android.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Air Liquide, Daimler, and Intelligent Energy Elected to Lead Industry in Renewed Program for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Worth €1.3 billion
On July 1, the European industry association for fuel cells and hydrogen, NEW-IG, endorsed companies Air Liquide, Daimler, and Intelligent Energy to lead the group for the next two years.
Along with Siemens, Vattenfall, and H2 Logic, these companies will represent the industry's interest on the governing board of the Fuel Cells Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH 2 JU), a public-private partnership to promote fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) adoption in Europe.
For a link to the full press release, click here.
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Test Drives Toyota's Fuel Cell Sedan
On July 15, the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Toshimitsu Motegi, test drove Toyota's upcoming fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the company's headquarters. He expressed strong interest in using the Toyota FCEV as an official METI vehicle.
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Japan's Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry on Toyota's Fuel Cell Vehicle
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The FCEV will launch in Japan before April 2015, and preparations are underway for launches in the U.S. and European markets in the summer of 2015. In Japan, the FCEV will go on sale at Toyota and Toyopet dealerships, priced at approximately 7 million yen. The prices for U.S. and Europe have not yet been announced.
Toyota's press release on the announcement is available here.
On July 10, a study done by the researchers at Sandia National Laboratories concluded that a number of existing gas stations in California can safely store and dispense hydrogen, suggesting a broader network of hydrogen fueling stations may be within reach. Out of 70 reviewed commercial gasoline stations, 14 stations could integrate hydrogen fuel into their stations immediately, with another 17 that could integrate for hydrogen with a property expansion.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently announced that they will be providing $20.5 million for projects that further microgrid progress. 
