Connection

January 2018
Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Connection


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Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Headlines
Hyundai Debuts Next-Generation Fuel Cell SUV with Autonomous Features

On January 8, Hyundai debuted NEXO, its next-generation commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV), at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.   According to Hyundai,  the five seat SUV has an estimated range of 370 miles, 105 miles higher than its Hyundai Tucson FCV predecessor. NEXO will also feature autonomous driving programs developed by Hyundai with Silicon Valley tech startup Aurora.

NEXO utilizes Hyundai's new fuel cell powertrain, a lighter and smaller system which was revealed in South Korea last year, and is fueled by three on-board hydrogen tanks.

According to Hyundai, NEXO has a power output of 135 kW, 11% higher than  the Tucson FCV, and an estimated 60 miles per gallon equivalent, which is 10 miles higher than the Tucson.  By using excess electricity generated from its fuel cell stack, NEXO can be used as a 'mobile energy station' to provide power to outdoor appliances.  

Click the image to view the NEXO introduction video that showcases all the new features of the FCV. Source: Hyundai Motor Company via YouTube

Hyundai announced a number of additional new technology features provided with the NEXO including Blind-spot View Monitoring, L ane Following Assist, Highway Driving Assist, and  Remote Smart Parking Assist which enables NEXO to autonomously park or retrieve itself from a parking space with or without a driver. 

In addition, Hyundai confirmed that next month the automaker will demonstrate a NEXO operating in dense urban traffic with level 4 (i.e. fully) autonomous driving. 

According to Hyundai, NEXO will be available in select markets around the world starting early this year. Hyundai also says that NEXO's fuel cell technology will be expanded to sedans, trucks, and buses developed by the automaker in the coming years. NEXO will spearhead Hyundai's goal of introducing 18 new eco-friendly vehicles to global markets by 2025. 

On January 10, NEXO received Reviewed.com's Editor's Choice Award for CES 2018. Out of tens of thousands of products displayed at CES, NEXO was only one out of 34 selected for this prestigious honor. NEXO was also named to Digital Trends Top Tech of CES 2018 on January 16, one of fourteen products at CES to receive this award. 

Click  here for the full press release from Hyundai Motor America.  Hyundai's CES press conference from January 8 is available  here.

Plug Power Celebrates 10 Millionth Fuel Cell Forklift Hydrogen Refueling 

On January 5, Plug Power's customers surpassed the 10 millionth GenFuel hydrogen refueling of their GenDrive fuel cell forklifts. According to Plug Power, this is an average of 15,000 fills each day over the last year, which bumped the count total from 5 million to 10 million in just eleven months.

Graph tracking the number of hydrogen fillings with Plug Power's GenFuel dispensers, and total kilograms of hydrogen dispensed. Source: Plug Power 

Plug Power attributes several factors to the increased adoption of their hydrogen fuel cell forklifts, including the use of the "hub and spoke" fuel transport model for smaller facilities, and smaller scale innovations in fuel reformers and electrolyzer systems. The company is working  to enable an even wider cross-section of material handling facilities to convert their operation to hydrogen and fuel cells.  

In addition, Plug Power says that their fuel cell technology will expand in the coming years beyond material handling to airport ground-support equipment, automated guiding vehicles, and on-road delivery vans.

Click  here for the full blog post from Plug Power.

Global Automotive Executive Survey: Two-Thirds Will Invest in Fuel Cell Vehicles Over the Next Five Years

On January 5, Big Four auditor KPMG released its 2018 Global Automotive Executive Survey. Of the 1,000 surveyed executives from leading automotive companies, including ninety from the U.S., 67% say they plan to invest in hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) powertrains over the next five years. 

The survey also states that "Fuel cell electric vehicles are the number one executive key trend until 2025 and have steadily grown in importance on their agenda over the last four years."   

An overwhelming 77% of auto executives worldwide believe that FCVs will be the "real breakthrough for electric mobility," with respondents in North America and Asia especially optimistic. In addition, 78% of global automotive executives say that hydrogen will be more favorable than traditional batteries for energy storage applications.

Click  here for the full press release from KPMG's American member firm, and click  here for the "Electric Readiness" section of the 2018 Global Automotive Executive Survey. 

Toyota Mirai to Go on Sale in Canada this Year

On January 18, Toyota Canada announced that the Mirai fuel cell vehicle (FCV) will go on sale for the first time in the country later this year, starting in the province of Quebec. 

The Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC)  reports  that  one of the first customers in the province will be the Quebec government, which plans to purchase a test fleet of 50 Mirai FCVs.  

To prepare for the vehicle's launch, Toyota is working with government and private sector stakeholders in Quebec - such as the Ministries of Energy, Environment, and Transportation - to ensure the introduction of an appropriate hydrogen fueling infrastructure. FCHEA member Hydrogenics is currently constructing a hydrogen station in the province's capital of Quebec City. 

The Toyota Mirai retails for $57,000 U.S. in California. The carmaker hasn't yet revealed the purchase price in Canada. The Quebec government plans to test a fleet of 50.
Toyota Mirai on display at the 2018  Montreal International Auto Show, January 19. Source: CBC

The Mirai is currently on display at the 2018 Montréal International Auto Show through January 28. Visitors will be the first in Canada to have the opportunity to book Mirai test drives and engage with the interactive TimePlay Mirai experience as part of the Toyota exhibit. 

Click  here for the full press release from Toyota Canada.

Second FuelCell Energy Anaerobic Digester Gas Power Plant Achieves California Clean Air Standard

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On January 16, FuelCell Energy announced that its 2.8 megawatt SureSource 3000 fuel cell power plant operating on Anaerobic Digester Gas (ADG) has received certification under the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) distributed generation emission standards. 

The ADG SureSource 3000 can utilize on-site renewable biogas or directed biogas as a fuel source to produce hydrogen. FuelCell Energy's 1.4 megawatt ADG SureSource 1500 achieved the same CARB certification in October of last year. Together, they are the only fuel cell or other type of power generation technologies to gain CARB certification for the 2013 Waste Gas standard using on-site biogas. 

Power produced by the system can be used on site or sold to an electric utility under tariffs, such as California's BioMAT feed in tariff. According to FuelCell Energy, the system's technology can be modified to produce vehicle-grade renewable hydrogen in addition to power and heat.    

Click  here for  the full press release from FuelCell Energy. 

MyFC Showcases Fuel Cell Products at CES 2018 

This week, myFC showcased their JAQ Hybrid fuel cell-battery charger and LAMINA Rex fuel cell range extender for electric vehicles at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.   According to myFC, JAQ Hybrid is the world's smallest fuel cell charger, able to both produce and store energy thanks to the coexistence of battery and fuel cell. 

In an  interview with  the Mac Observer, myFC   Group Sales & Marketing Director Max Rydahl said the price of the JAQ Hybrid Charger with one fuel cell PowerCard is $59, and each additional PowerCard is $2. 

The JAQ Hybrid micro fuel cell-battery charger platform. Source: myFC

LAMINA Rex is currently under development, but once completed, it may as much as double the range of a medium-sized electric car. MyFC aims to have a prototype of LAMINA Rex ready during 2018.

Click  here for the full press release from myFC.

In a separate January 9 press release, myFC predicts that as soon as 2020, its LAMINA fuel cell technology will surpass lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy per volume and weight. The company also estimates that the manufacturing cost for LAMINA and its hydrogen fuel may be lower than the equivalent cost for lithium-ion battery manufacturing within 3-5 years.

Ceres Power Signs 5th Major OEM Joint Development Agreement 

On January 10, FCHEA member Ceres Power announced that it has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with a significant European-based global Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Ceres Power and the new partner will work together to develop prototype multi-kilowatt power systems for several potential applications.

In the past two years, Ceres Power has also signed JDA partnerships with Cummins, FCHEA members Nissan and Honda, and an additional global OEM. Ceres Power is working with these strategic JDA partners to embed its SteelCell Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology into power systems for residential, business, data center, and electric vehicle applications.

Click  here for the full press release from Ceres Power.

Hydrogenics Receives $7.8 Million Order for Fuel Cell Vehicles in China

On January 18, Hydrogenics announced that that it has received an order valued at CAD 7.8 million (about $6.3 million) to supply fuel cell power systems for zero-emission vehicles in China. According to Hydrogenics, shipments are expected to be made over the next twelve months.

Click  here for the full press release from Hydrogenics.

PDC Machines Honored at Local Chamber of Commerce Awards Ceremony

On November 30, PDC Machines' SimpleFuel on-site generation, compression, storage and dispensing system received the 2017 Emerging Technologies Champion of Commerce Award from the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce in Pennsylvania. This is SimpleFuel's second award, after winning the $1 million H2 Refuel H-Prize contest by the U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Office and the Hydrogen Education Foundation in January 2017.

PDC Machines receiving the Champions of Commerce Award from the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce last November. Source: PDC Machines

Click  here for more information on SimpleFuel.

Toyota Boosting Fuel Cell Bus Development Efforts

On January 3, the  Nikkei Asian Review reported that Toyota will launch its next generation fuel cell buses and commercial trucks in Tokyo starting next year. According to  the Nikkei Asian Review, Toyota plans to have 100 bus units - based on its Sora concept bus shown at last year's Tokyo Motor Show - on the road in central Tokyo by the start of the 2020 Olympic Games. 

Digital rendering of Toyota's Sora fuel cell bus concept, which will be the basis for their next generation fuel cell buses to be deployed in 2019. Source: Toyota

Click here for the full article from the Nikkei Asian Review.

Connecticut Releases Draft Fuel Cell RFP for Public Comment 

Last month, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) released a Draft Request for Proposals (RFP), allowing utilities in the state to procure up to 1,800 gigawatt hours of electricity from fuel cell systems. Public comments on the Draft RFP were accepted through January 16, and DEEP will issue the final RFP on January 31.

According to the Draft RFP, eligible Class 1 fuel cell systems must be a minimum of 2 MW, with a cap of 10 MW. Class 1 Combined Heat and Power fuel cell systems will have no maximum size limit. 

To view the Draft RFP, click here  here.

Canadian Government Announces New EV Infrastructure Funding Round, Includes Hydrogen Stations

Image result for natural resources canada logo
On January 10, Canada's Department of Natural Resources (NRCan) announced a new 120 million CAD (about $95.8 million) funding round for the deployment and demonstration projects of electric and alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure across the country. The new investments are part of Phase 2 of Canada's Green Infrastructure Fund, and eligible projects include hydrogen stations for fuel cell vehicles. 

The Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative will pay up to 50% of the total project costs for eligible hydrogen stations built by Canadian companies, to a maximum of one million CAD ( about $798,000) per station. 

Under the 2017 Phase 1 funding round of 62.5 million CAD (about $49.9 million),   FCHEA member Hydrogenics received 1.63 million CAD (about $1.30 million) to construct two stations in Quebec and Ontario, and HTEC received one million CAD to construct a station in British Columbia. All three stations are still currently under construction. 

Click  here for the full press release from NRCan, with links to application instructions for the new Phase 2 funding.  

Japan Announces Plan to Slash Price of Hydrogen Fuel 

Emblem of the Prime Minister of Japan.svg
On January 2, a ministerial group under Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe endorsed a new basic strategy to promote the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) in the country. One goal of the plan is to bring the price of hydrogen fuel down to as much as one-fifth of its current cost by 2050, to make it competitive with gasoline and liquefied national gas. 

The plan envisions 40,000 FCVs on Japanese roads by 2020 and 800,000 by 2030. To promote FCV adoption, the government will enact regulatory reform measures to accelerate the construction of hydrogen fueling stations. The strategy sets a goal for a nationwide network of 320 stations by 2025, while Japan also promotes the use of fuel cell buses and forklifts.

Click  here for the full article from the  Nikkei Asian Review.

eventsUpcoming Events
 
11th Operational Energy Summit  

Operational Energy Summit
The Institute for Defense & Government Advancement (IDGA) is proud to announce the return of the 11th Operational Energy Summit this January 29-31, in Washington, D.C. This summit provides a forum for policy makers and technology leaders to come together to solve some of the U.S. Department of Defense's operational energy challenges. We will explore critical areas such as: Alternative energy, mobile energy, expeditionary energy, intelligent grids, reducing energy waste and modernizing current force with innovative energy efficient technologies. 

T he summit will also review recent organizational and operational changes proposed in the FY 2017 operational energy budget. 

Hear from speakers such as:
  • Roberto Guerrero, Deputy Assistant Secretary Operational Energy, US Air Force
  • Jack Surash, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Energy & Sustainability, U.S. Army
  • Colonel Bill Myer, Director, Operational Energy and Contingency Basing ASA, Installation, Energy and Environment, U.S. Army
  • Colonel Adrian Marsh, Project Manager, Expeditionary Energy & Sustainment Systems, PEO CS & CSS US Army
  • Lieutenant Colonel Michael Baker, Product Manager for Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit, US Army
Register  here, or call 1-800-882-8684. Government, Law Enforcement and Military attend at no cost! 

TechConnect World Innovation Conference with Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Symposium

May 13 - 16, Anaheim, California 

The TechConnect World Innovation Conference is an annual event which gathers 4,000+ attendees and is uniquely designed to accelerate the commercialization of innovations out of the lab and into industry. The Technical Program spotlights applications focused innovations, materials and devices emerging from industrial, government and academic laboratories worldwide. As part of the Technical Program, the Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Symposium will highlight innovations in materials and devices which will enable development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cells with the ultimate goals of decreasing our dependence on oil, reducing carbon emissions, and enabling clean, reliable power generation.

The Innovation Partnering Program gathers market-ready, commercially-viable, innovations into the largest global technology accelerator program. The TechConnect World Innovation event encompasses the 2018 SBIR/STTR National Conference, and Nanotech2018 - the world's largest nanotechnology event. 

Join the brightest and most productive innovators, funding agencies, national and federal labs, international research organizations, universities, tech transfer offices and investment and corporate partners in Anaheim, CA. 

Scottish Business Insider | 28 December 2017

Fox News | 29 December 2017

Wired UK | 30 December 2017  

Gas 2 | 2 January 2018

Trucks.com | 3 January 2018

Autocar | 4 January 2018 

Autoblog | 4 January 2018

Road/Show by CNET | 5 January 2018 

Rail Engineer | 5 January 2018

Financial Times | 8 January 2018 

The Verge | 8 January 2018

Bloomberg Technology | 8 January 2018

Motor1 via MSN | 8 January 2018

Auto Week | 9 January 2018 

Drive.com Australia | 9 January 2018 

BBC Top Gear | 9 January 2018 

CNET Australia | 9 January 2018 

Perth Now Sunday Times | 9 January 2018 

Microgrid Knowledge | 10 January 2018

ARPA-E OPEN Funding Opportunity 

The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) empowers America's best energy innovators and entrepreneurs with funding and technical guidance to reimagine how energy is generated, stored, and used in the 21st century. 

On December 13, ARPA-E announced its fourth open funding solicitation. The program, known as OPEN 2018, will award up to $100 million in funding across dozens of potentially transformational early-stage energy projects. 

While ARPA-E typically awards funding to projects in specific technology areas, the agency's open solicitations invite researchers and engineers to submit proposals for high potential, high-impact projects that address the full range of energy related technologies and concepts. Projects will be evaluated based on their compatibility with ARPA-E's mission, the novelty of their approach to energy innovation, and the extent to which they meet technical needs currently underserved by other parts of the Department of Energy or the private sector's R&D efforts. 

Do you think you have what it takes? Will you engineer the next energy breakthrough? You can learn more about the funding opportunity  here. Make sure to visit the teaming list to find potential partners, available  here.  Concept papers are due to the agency on February 12, 2018. 

For more information, please visit ARPA-E's  website. 

California Energy Commission Grant Funding Opportunity: Advanced Freight Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment

The California Energy Commission's (Energy Commission's) Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) announces the availability of up to $22,257,799 in grant funds for projects that will support infrastructure deployment for Advanced Freight Vehicles.

Deadline to Submit Applications: February 12, 2018, by 5:00 p.m.

For more information and to submit an application, click here. 

Australia Announces Renewable Hydrogen Funding Round 

Image result for ARENA logo australia
On December 20, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced a 20 million AUD (about $15.4 million) funding round for early stage research and development into hydrogen to propel innovation in exporting renewable energy.

ARENA will be inviting a broad range of R&D applications, from early stage R&D (TRL 2) through to demonstration of R&D technology (TRL 6), and through all stages of an export supply chain.

The objective of this funding round is to accelerate the development of a potential renewable energy export supply chain, centred around hydrogen and related carrier materials. Eligible projects will include hydrogen production, conversion to a carrier or substance suitable for export, and transformation into energy at point-of-use.

Applications will be open until 5pm AEDST on February 28, 2018.

For more information and to apply for this funding round, click  here.

Canada: Phase 2 Funding Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative

Image result for natural resources canada logo
Applications are now being excepted for Phase 2 of the   Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative. Natural Resources Canada is allocating 120 million CAD (about $95.8 million) for the deployment and demonstration projects of electric and alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure across the country.

The Initiative will pay up to 50% of the total project costs for eligible hydrogen stations built by Canadian companies, to a maximum of one million CAD ( about $798,000) per station. 

Applicants are required to submit a complete application by 23:59 Eastern Standard Time, March 22, 2018.

Click  here for more information and instructions on submitting an application. 

Germany: Funding for Additional Hydrogen Fueling Stations Under NIP

The National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP) is currently funding the construction of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in road transport.

The funding amounts to 60 percent of the refueling station's investment costs and can include the building of an electrolyzer for the generation of green hydrogen.  Funding applications may be submitted to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) until March 31, 2018. 

The new funding call is part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (2016-2026) - or NIP 2 - under the market activation funding guideline. The BMVI is allocating 250 million euro (about $296 million) in all for research, development and innovation as well as market activation measures until 2019.

For more information and to submit a funding proposal, click  here.

FCH JU Call 2018 Open for Submission

The new Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) call for proposals is now open, featuring 20 topics in view of developing research and demonstration in fuel cells and hydrogen, with a budget of €73.2 million (about $89.6 million available. The financial support will be divided between activities from different areas of research and innovation for each of the transport and energy pillars, as well as overarching and cross-cutting activities.

The deadline for submission of proposals is April 24, 2018.

Click  here for more information and instructions on how to submit a proposal.

Administration

  

Press releases and story ideas may be forwarded to Connor Dolan and Karen Quackenbush for consideration at cdolan@fchea.org and khall@fchea.org respectively.

 

If your company is interested in joining FCHEA, please visit fchea.org or contact Connor Dolan at cdolan@fchea.org.

 

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 the DOE's mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.

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