NEWS

February 2006 Fuel Cells Bulletin11

Progress Energy invests$1m in Microcell

North Carolina energy utility ProgressEnergy is investing $1m in Microcell

Corporation, a Raleigh-based firm that isdeveloping micro fuel cells based on itspatented microfiber, cylindrical design.

The Microcell fuel cell is a proton-exchangemembrane converted to the form of a microfiber;it differs from other fuel cell designs in that allthe fuel cell components are extruded into asingle microfiber. The technology is showingpromise for more efficient mass-production thanother designs.Privately owned Microcell was setup in 2000, and initially funded by AdvancedEnergy Corporation. Its current focus is on theproduction of fuel cells for distributed genera-tion and automotive applications. The companyhas developed its first fuel cell cores designed for1 kWe units, and testing is under way.

Progress Energy has been involved in a numberof hydrogen-related initiatives in Florida. It ispresently running two hybrid hydrogen FordFocus fuel cell vehicles in a road-testing programthat also involves the Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection.

Contact: Microcell Corporation, Raleigh, North Carolina,USA. Tel: +1 919 858 8500, www.microcellcorp.com

Or contact: Progress Energy Inc, Raleigh, NorthCarolina, USA. Tel: +1 919 546 6111, www.progress-energy.com

Nissan FCV approved for road testing

In Japan, Nissan Motor Co has receivedapproval from the Ministry of Land,

Infrastructure and Transport to beginpublic road testing and leasing of itslatest high-pressure, hydrogen-poweredX-Trail fuel cell vehicle.

The company’s latest sport utility FCV ispowered by a fuel cell stack developed in-housethat is about 60% smaller than the previousstack, used in the 2003 model. Despite its com-pact size, the new stack has a power capacity of90 kWe, up more than 40% on the 2003 stack’soutput, giving the all-new FCV a slightly highertop speed of 150 km/h (90 mph).

The FCV is also equipped with a compact,350 bar (5000 psi) high-pressure hydrogen stor-age cylinder whose capacity has been reduced by15%. However, the improved fuel cell systemmeans the FCV’s cruising range has been slightlyextended, to more than 370 km (230 miles).

Separately, Nissan also announced it has alsodeveloped an X-Trail FCV equipped with a 700bar (10 000 psi) high-pressure hydrogen storagecylinder, offering a cruising range of more than500 km (310 miles). The automaker plans totest the vehicle on public roads in Canada fromFebruary, and in other locations when compatiblehydrogen stations are available.

Contact: Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Nissan ResearchCenter, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan. Tel: +81 468675331, www.nissan-global.com/EN/TECHNOLOGY

FCE power plant sold toJapanese ceramics firm

In Japan, Marubeni Corporation – theAsian distributor for US-based FuelCell

Energy – has sold a 250 kWe DirectFuelCell® power plant to NGK InsulatorsLtd, a ceramics manufacturing companyin Nagoya.

NGK expects that using FCE’s high-efficiencyDFC300A power plant in a combined heat andpower application at its Nagoya ceramics kiln willcontribute significantly to exceeding its corporategoal for reducing CO2 emissions. The DFCpower plant is part of NGK’s goal to reduce CO2emissions at its three ceramics manufacturingfacilities by 24% over the next five years.

‘Integrating a highly efficient DFC powerplant into our ceramics kiln operations is expect-ed to help us to meet our CO2 emissions reduc-tion objectives while saving energy costs,’ saysYoshihiko Kurashima, director of corporatemanufacturing engineering. ‘In addition, we seeopportunities to improve the overall thermal effi-ciency of our ceramics manufacturing processesby integrating DFC power plants – the mostefficient source of firm, 24/7 onsite power in itssize range – into our kiln operations.’

The power plant will run on natural gas sup-plied by Toho Gas, and will operate in parallel tothe grid. It is scheduled to be up and running inearly 2006.

FCE’s sub-MW DFC fuel cell power plant is acollaborative effort combining its Direct FuelCelltechnology with a Hot Module® balance-of-plantdesign from MTU CFC Solutions GmbH inGermany.

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

Or contact: Marubeni Corporation, New Energies Team,Utility & Infrastructure Division, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo,Japan. Tel: +81 3 3282 3943, www.marubeni.co.jp

Or contact: MTU CFC Solutions GmbH, Ottobrunn,Germany. Tel: +49 89 607 31524, www.mtu-cfc.com

I N B R I E F

NRL demos unmanned aerial systemIn the US, the Naval Research Laboratory, incollaboration with industrial partners, hasdemonstrated an unmanned aerial system(UAS) flight solely powered by fuel cell tech-nology. The flight of the 2.5 kg ‘Spider-Lion’lasted 3 h 19 min, and consumed 15 g of com-pressed hydrogen.

The project is a joint venture between NRL’sChemistry and Tactical Electronic WarfareDivisions and Massachusetts-based ProtonexTechnology. The flight was conducted with L3-BAI Aerosystems at its Ragged Island facility onMaryland’s eastern shore. The 100 We fuel cellsystem used to power the UAS was designed andconstructed at NRL largely using commerciallyavailable hardware, together with a fuel cell stackand components developed by Protonex.

Hydrogenics in military power moduleorder, GM test servicesOntario-based Hydrogenics has been awarded aUS$8 million contract for multiple units of itsHyPM® 500 series fuel cell power modulesfrom an unidentified ‘world-leading militaryOEM’, to be used for an undisclosed applica-tion. The power modules, representing in aggre-gate more than 600 kWe of power capacity, willbe delivered over a two-year period starting laterthis year. The company has also won a series ofpurchase orders from General Motors for fuelcell test services.

The company believes that considerable ben-efits will accrue from the military sale in termsof product initiatives for these commercial mar-kets, since the power modules to be deliveredunder this military contract are identical to thepower modules that underpin its products forthe backup power and light mobility markets.

The fuel cell test services for General Motorsare anticipated to be delivered this year.Concurrent with these orders, Hydrogenics hasrepurchased, for US$750 000, the 2.47 millioncommon share purchase warrants issued to GMin 2001. This purchase will be paid for by wayof a credit against the services to be provided.

Speedy Hire orders Voller portable chargersIn the UK, portable fuel cell systems developerVoller Energy has received its first purchaseorder from Speedy Hire Plc, a leading providerof tool and equipment hire services. This initialorder is for the supply of 300 cordless multi-tool battery chargers for use on building sites.The product uses rechargeable battery technol-ogy, and will appear in the new 2006 SpeedyHire catalog.

Voller Energy and Speedy Hire are also coop-erating to develop a range of fuel cell productswhich will power portable accommodation andremote working facilities, enabling operators torecharge their equipment without the need toleave the immediate vicinity of their work.