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Secretary Perry Test Drives Fuel Cell Vehicle at DOE Headquarters
On October 18, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published an article about Secretary of Energy Rick Perry's recent test drive of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C. The test drive took place on October 11, and was part of DOE's celebration of the 2017 National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.
Secretary Perry tweeted about his test drive on October 19, acknowledging the years of DOE research and development that have gone into advancing zero emissions FCV technology. DOE also posted a YouTube video about the test drive.
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Click on the image to view Secretary Perry's tweet about his FCV test drive.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
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Click on the image for a video of Secretary Perry's test drive.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy via YouTube |
For a link to the full article from DOE, click
here.
General Motors Commits to Fuel Cell Vehicles as Part of Zero-Emissions Future
On October 2, General Motors (GM) committed to the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) as part of a two-pronged approach to electrification. GM stated that both FCVs and BEVs will be required in order to achieve a zero-emissions future for its automobiles, as envisioned by GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra.
GM plans to launch at least twenty all-electric vehicles by 2023.
In addition, GM announced the Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS), a a four-wheel, heavy-duty fuel cell truck frame that's driven by two electric motors. GM says that SURUS could be used as a zero-emissions delivery vehicle, truck, or even an ambulance. Automotive News reports that GM is in talks with the United States Army about adopting the SURUS platform for military use.
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| GM's SURUS heavy-duty truck frame. Source: GM |
For a link to the full press release from GM about their zero-emission vehicle strategy, click
here. For more information on the SURUS fuel cell vehicle platform, click
here.
Toyota's Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Truck to Begin Field Testing at Southern California Ports
On October 12, Toyota announced that its hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty truck use will be put to work in a feasibility study at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Code-named "Project Portal," the zero-emission class 8 truck concept will begin moving goods from terminals at the ports to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution, starting on October 23.
According to Toyota, the trips will total about 200 miles per day for the truck. As the feasibility study progresses, longer haul routes will be introduced.
The Project Portal truck concept generates more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 pound feet of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery. The concept's gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs, with an estimated driving range of over 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation.
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| Toyota's Project Portal heavy-duty fuel cell truck concept. Source: Toyota |
For a link to the full press release from Toyota, click
here.
FuelCell Energy Finalizes Utility Agreement to Power U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Connecticut
On October 19, FuelCell Energy announced the finalization of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC) for the long-term supply of power to the U.S. Navy Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut. This PPA execution follows a previously announced letter of intent from May, 2017.
FuelCell Energy will install and operate the fuel cell installation, comprised of two SureSource 4000 power plants with a total output of 7.4 megawatts. The fuel cell plant is part of a multifaceted plan by CMEEC to support the U.S. Department of Defense in adding resiliency and grid independence to key military installations.
For a link to the full press release from FuelCell Energy, click
here.
Nel to Construct World's Largest Hydrogen Electrolyzer Fueling Station in California
On September 26, Nel ASA announced that two of its subsidiaries, ProtonOnsite and Nel Hydrogen Solutions, have been awarded a purchase order on a combined hydrogen PEM electrolyzer and H2Station fueling solution for the SunLine Transit Agency in California.
The station, worth $8.6 million, will have a hydrogen capacity of up to 900 kilograms per day, making it the world's largest combined hydrogen production and fueling facility currently under contract.
Funding for the project is being supported by the Californian Air Resources Board under the California Climate Investments (CCI) program.
For a link to the full press release from Nel, click
here.
Doosan's Fuel Cell Business Earns Over 1 Trillion Korean Won Worth of Orders in 2017
On October 10, South Korea's
Pulse business publication reported that Doosan's fuel cell business has earned over 1 trillion won (approximately $878 million) worth of orders so far this year. With these earnings, Doosan Fuel Cell is now turning a profit for the first time in its history, according to
Pulse.
The financial news follows the company's June announcement that it plans to invest $780 million in expanding
Doosan Fuel Cell America's manufacturing facility in Connecticut, and bolster its research and development capability.
For a link to the full article by
Pulse
, click
here.
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District Receives Federal Grant to Purchase Two Fuel Cell Buses
On September 27, the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois Mass Transit District (MTD) announced that they have received a $1.45 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for the purchase of two fuel cell buses and associated infrastructure.
The Low-No Emissions Grant is offered by the FTA to support the transition of the nation's transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles. The grant will make MTD the first transit authority in the state to add fuel cell buses to its fleet.
News of the grant was celebrated by federal lawmakers from Illinois, including Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Representative Rodney Davis (IL-13).
For a link to the full press release from the MTD, click here.
Daimler, Linde, Shell Open First Hydrogen Station in Bremen, Germany
On October 16, Daimler, Linde, and Shell held an inauguration ceremony for the first hydrogen station in the city of Bremen in northern Germany. Daimler developed the station, which is integrated into an existing Shell gas station, with hydrogen technology provided by Linde. All three companies are part of the H2 Mobility joint venture, which is constructing hydrogen infrastructure across Germany for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).
The Bremen station will provide FCV drivers with a refueling option between the city of Hamburg to the north, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to the south. In addition to Bremen, stations in Bad Rappenau, Cologne, and Munich are also opening this month. By the end of October, there will be a total of 41 hydrogen stations open to the public in Germany.
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| Business and political representatives attend the opening of the Bremen hydrogen station. From left to right: Joachim Heider, Linde; Manfred Becker, Shell; Oliver Bishop, Shell; Dr. Joachim Lohse, Senator of Environment and Transportation for the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen; Peter Theurer, Daimler AG; Enak Ferlemann, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure; Thomas Bystry, Clean Energy Partnership. Source: Daimler |
The opening of the station was attended by representatives from all three companies, as well as local and federal German politicians. Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure has committed to supporting the development of the country's first 50 hydrogen stations, and invested about EUR 900,000 (approximately $1.06 million) in the Bremen station's construction.
For a link to the full press release from Daimler, click here.
Linde Opens Hydrogen Fueling Facility at Gas Station in Munich
On October 18, the Linde Group announced the opening of a hydrogen fueling facility at the Allguth vehicle service station on Kreillerstrassein Street in Munich, Germany. The Federal Ministry for Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) supported the construction of the hydrogen facility with EUR 400,000 (about $474,000) from its National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP).
The hydrogen pump is available to customers between 6 am and 10 pm from Monday to Sunday. The Kreillerstrassein facility is one of the first 50 hydrogen filling stations that are being built as part of the German Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) with the support of the BMVI. With several other openings this month, by the end of October there will be 41 hydrogen fueling stations open to the public in Germany.
As part of the hydrogen station opening, Toyota will hand over 15 Mirai fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to CleverShuttle, a German ride-sharing service. CleverShuttle's FCVs will mainly fill up at the new station, along with Linde subsidiary BeeZero, the world's first car-sharing service to use a fleet comprised exclusively of FCVs.
For a link to the press release from Linde, click here.
Air Liquide Opens Middle East's First Hydrogen Fueling Station in Dubai
On October 11, Air Liquide announced the opening of a hydrogen fueling station in the city of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The station, the first of its kind in the Middle East, was designed in partnership with Al-Futtaim Motors, the exclusive distributor of Toyota in the country.
According to Air Liquide, the station was built with cutting-edge technologies tailored to suit the specific climate conditions of the UAE. The station is meant to align with the UAE's Vision 2021, which aims at lowering CO2 emissions and promoting cleaner and sustainable mobility in the country.
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| The Air Liquide hydrogen station in Dubai. Source: Air Liquide |
For a link to the full press release from Air Liquide, click
here.
Sweden Approves New myFC Fuel Cell Patent
On October 6, myFC announced that the Swedish Patent and Registration Office has approved a new patent for its fuel cell card technology. The patent covers the design that separates the inactive fuel components in myFC's fuel cards until it is time for hydrogen to be generated in a controlled manner.
For a link to the full press release from myFC, click
here.
Ceres Power Holds Successful Field Trials of Residential Fuel Cell Systems
On September 18, Ceres Power announced the completion of successful field trials for their SteelCell fuel cell systems to power homes and offices. Prototype SteelCell systems that generate power and heat were trialed in five English family homes for a year.
According to Ceres Power, the trials showed that UK households could expect to reduce their annual energy costs by about £400 (approximately $538), and annual carbon emissions by about two metric tonnes.
The data also demonstrated that end-users can generate most of the power needed for their home, and also export enough surplus power to charge a typical electric vehicle. Additional annual savings of over £1,000 ($1,344) would be achieved if the technology gained government support through the UK's current Feed-in Tariff.
For a link to the full press release from Ceres Power, click here.
Toyota Unveils Fuel Cell Vehicle and Bus Concepts, Bus to Launch in 2018
On October 18, Toyota unveiled next generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) and fuel cell bus concepts.
The "Fine-Comfort Ride" concept FCV has a 6-person occupancy, and the seat layout can also be flexibly adjusted. According to Toyota, the Fine-Comfort Ride concept can achieve a driving range of about 1,000 km (approximately 621 miles) per hydrogen fueling.
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The Fine-Comfort Ride FCV concept. Source: Toyota
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In addition to the Fine-Comfort Ride, Toyota also announced the Sora fuel cell bus concept. The Sora is powered by two 114 kW fuel cell stacks, with ten 60-liter tanks of hydrogen fuel. It is also is equipped with a high-capacity external power supply system, providing high output and a large capacity of electricity supply, and can be used as an emergency power source following disasters. The bus concept has a capacity of 78 passengers and a driver.
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The Sora fuel cell bus (concept model). Source: Toyota
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Toyota plans to launch sales of a commercial model based on the concept vehicle in 2018 and expects to introduce over 100 Sora, mainly within the Tokyo metropolitan area, ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Both the Fine-Comfort Ride and Sora concept vehicles will be officially displayed at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, which runs from October 25 to November 5.
For a link to the full press release from Toyota on the Fine-Comfort Ride FCV concept, click here. For a link to the full press release from Toyota on the Sora fuel cell bus concept, click here.
First Hydrogen Station with Nel Technology Opens in Japan
On October 5, Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha (MKK) opened a hydrogen fueling station based on H2Station technology from Nel ASA in Kawasaki City, Japan. MKK purchased the rights to manufacture hydrogen fueling stations based on Nel's CAR-100 H2Station in 2015, and today's opening in Kawasaki City is the culmination of two years of developing the Japanese version.
The Japanese government is committed to building a network of hydrogen fueling stations across the country, with a goal of having a network of 160 stations by 2020. More than 90 stations are in operation today.
For a link to the full press release from Nel, click
here.
FuelCell Energy's Anaerobic Digester Gas Power Plant Achieves California Clean Air Standard
On October 17, FuelCell Energy announced that its SureSource 1500 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 1500 can utilize on-site renewable biogas or directed biogas as a fuel source to produce hydrogen, and is the only fuel cell or other type of power generation technology to gain CARB certification to 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.
For a link to the full press release from FuelCell Energy, click
here.
Nel Awarded 1 Million Euro Grant for Hydrogen Station Technology Development in Denmark
On October 18, Nel ASA announced that its Nel Hydrogen subsidiary has been awarded a EUR 1 million (approximately $1.19 million) research and development grant from the Danish Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP). The grant will be used for continued development of Nel's H2Station hydrogen technology. According to Nel, the grant recognizes the importance of hydrogen fueling in achieving Denmark's environmental goals.
For a link to the full press release from Nel, click here.
Global Vehicle Manufacturers Meet at Hydrogen for Clean Transport Conference in Brussels
 On September 22, the Hydrogen for Clean Transport Conference in Brussels brought together vehicle manufacturers from around the world to discuss their commitment to expanding the deployment of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) and hydrogen infrastructure in Europe.
The conference, sponsored by the European Union's Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), was the first of its kind for Europe's transportation industry. FCHEA members BWM, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota were in attendance.
The conference also highlighted the progress of major FCV deployment efforts and a
Europe-wide collaboration to put more hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on European roads.
For a link to the full press release from FCH JU, click here.
Remember Former DOE Secretary Steven Chu?
The Nobel laureate and former Energy Secretary was driven in one of the world's first commercially available fuel cell vehicles to the 232nd Electrochemical Society meeting for his keynote speech. Forty years ago, government, national labs, and industry convened to brainstorm options for reducing dependence on foreign oil and the DOE fuel cell program was born. Since then, researchers made great strides in improving performance and durability, achieving dramatic cost reductions, and supporting fuel cell technology commercialization.
Professor Chu's entry to the ECS meeting via fuel cell vehicle was quite a sensation! At his keynote speech, Professor Chu spoke of exciting advances in the carbon-free production of hydrogen and CO from electrochemical reduction of CO2 as the first step to the production of liquid fuels.
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National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day Update
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The Third National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day was a huge success!
FCHEA would like to thank all of our members and supporters who helped make this year's National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day the biggest and best yet.
For the third year in a row, the United States Senate
officially declared October 8 to be National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day. FCHEA extends a big thank you to the Senate Resolution's cosponsors: Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Chris Coons of Delaware.
The 2017 National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day
Thunderclap campaign had a social reach of over 375,000 people, exceeding previous years by over 130,000! Thank you to all of our members and supporters who signed up.
Check out
http://hydrogenandfuelcellday.org/ for a full listing of all the activities and announcements held around the country to celebrate this year's National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day.
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Upcoming Events
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Join us in Long Beach at the Fuel Cell Seminar!
Don't miss out on the largest and most comprehensive industry conference in the U.S.
Registration includes:
- Exclusive H2@Scale afternoon mini-symposium hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy
- Plenary sessions featuring high-level industry, government and customer speakers, hosted by Toyota and Honda
- More than 180 presenters across 30 Technical Tracks with presentations on a range of exciting topics, including SOFCs, heavy-duty transportation, energy storage, infrastructure and more
- Poster Display including more than 40 posters on latest research
- Exhibition Hall showcasing products and services from an international spectrum of companies
- National Supply Chain Exchange event hosted by the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition and UC Irvine
- Fuel cell vehicles on display, including cars and a Class 8 Semi-truck
- Three networking receptions, including a welcome reception hosted by Anglo American
- Fuel Cell Vehicle Ride and Drive
- Integrated and interactive conference app to help keep you informed and connected throughout event
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Additional Links
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The Seattle Times | 23 September 2017
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | 25 September 2017
Chemical & Engineering News | 25 September 2017
The Sacremento Bee | 27 September 2017
Today Online | 28 September 2017
The Wall Street Journal | 2 October 2017
The Washington Post | 2 October 2017
CNN | 2 October 2017
Road/Show by CNET | 2 October 2017
The Maritime Executive | 2 October 2017
gasworld | 2 October 2017
Motor Authority | 3 October 2017
Truck.com | 3 October 2017
CantonRep.com | 5 October 2017
IHS Jane's Defence Weekly | 9 October 2017
International Railway Journal | 9 October 2017
The Economic Times (India) | 9 October 2017
MSN News | 9 October 2017
Elektrek | 9 October 2017
The Sydney Morning Herald | 10 October 2017
East Bay Times | 11 October 2017
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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 [email protected] and [email protected] respectively.
If your company is interested in joining FCHEA, please visit fchea.org or contact Connor Dolan at [email protected].
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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