Hydrogen News

Safety meeting

The first international meeting dedicated to hydrogen safety was held from 8. to 10. September in Pisa. It was organized by the University of Pisa within the Network of Excellence HySafe, a project in the 6. EU research framework program. More than 200 participants from 28 countries had registered. The range of topics was from the great lines for the creation of the infrastructure to scientific details as the change of the explosion limits of hydrogen/air mixtures at elevated temperatures. Also presented were related projects from Europe and elsewhere. Among them were from the EU CUTE (fuel cell buses in urban transport), NATURALHY (natural gas and hydrogen), and StorHy (hydrogen storage) as well as similar activities from the USA and Japan. The International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) and the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy (IPHE) supported the event.

H2-Expo

The fifth Hydrogen Expo was held on 31. August and 1. September in Hamburg. Since a while ago the focus shifts from a pure exhibition to a conference with a number of specialized meetings on individual topics under one roof. „Hydrogen is the fuel of the future. We must make the right decisions today. Development and test of new technologies requires the enthusiasm of committed companies. Your pioneering spirit can be seen here on this fair.“ This was the statement of Angelika Mertens, parliamentary Secretary of State in the federal transport ministry in her opening address.

Similar to other German states Hamburg has now a government supported state initiative called „HyCity“. Members include Airbus, Deutsche BP, European Fuel Cell, Airport Hamburg, Germanischer Lloyd, GKSS research center Geesthacht, HDW, HEW, Hermes, the city transport utility Hochbahn, Linde Gas, Siemens, Still, TÜV Nord and the hydrogen society. The office is run at the state agency for urban development and environment. Environment senator Michael Freytag wants Hamburg to hold a top position in hydrogen technology, according to his opening statement. The HyCity booth was one of the greatest on the fair. A number of research institutes was also represented. FH Lübeck is the nucleus of a new hydrogen and fuel cell state initiative in Schleswig-Holstein. TU Chemnitz presented a funny drop-shaped vehicle with extremely low energy consumption. It is called „Fortis Saxonia“ (mighty Saxons) and had participated in the Shell Eco-Marathon; the energy from one liter of gasoline would have fuelled it (mathematically) for 665 km.

Stuttgart

The f-cell, which was held from 26. to 28. September in Stuttgart, has meanwhile a fixed place in the event calendar. More than 600 international participants, speakers, and visitors of the accompanying fair as well as guests of the special events got the up to date picture of research and development in the field of fuel cells and its applications for cars, home energy, and portable devices like cell phones and laptops. Conference, exhibition, political VIPs, and framework program fitted together well and satisfied exhibitors (among them also DWV) and visitors. Financial support came from DaimlerChrysler and the Baden-Wuerttemberg state government. The general statement at the end was: „We need more cooperation in the field and political support for a joint 'schedule' to the future.“ Professor Dr. Werner Tillmetz, spokesman of the Fuel Cell Alliance Germany, said: „It is not time to develop, together with politics, market introduction programs for these silent and emission free energy converters“. The technology is still to expensive to be competitive. But the manufacturers are working hard to simplify the systems and to use less expensive materials. „But finally only the serial production can bring about competitive prices“, Tillmetz said.

Daimler

On the Tokyo Motor Show DaimlerChrysler presented a new hydrogen and fuel cell concept car called F 600 HYGENIUS. „Our new fuel cell is 40 % more compact than previous systems, but at the same time much more efficient and powerful“, said Dr. Thomas Weber, the DaimlerChrysler Executive Board member responsible for Research, Technology and Development at Mercedes-Benz. Although it generates around 30 % more power with 85 kW and a maximum torque of 350 Nm, the system consumes 16 % less energy – in part thanks to the ability of the electric motor to recover drive energy when braking and feed it back to the lithium-ion battery by the process known as recuperation. The fuel consumption of the F 600 HYGENIUS amounts to the energy equivalent of 2.9 l of diesel fuel per 100 km. „Our new fuel cell is also the equal of conventional drive systems in terms of acceleration, maximum speed and operating range“, Weber added.

(DaimlerChrysler press release of 19. October 2005)

New liquefier

Linde will build Germany's second hydrogen liquefaction plant at the chemistry site of Leuna in the state of Sachsen-Anhalt. The project with a financial volume of more than 20 M€ will be realized until mid 2007 in the immediate vicinity of the hydrogen production plants run also by Linde. The liquefier will ensure mainly the supply for the industrial hydrogen customers. But in the long run it will also be an important element for the future hydrogen filling station network to be created in Europe in the years to come.

(Press release of 7. September 2005)

A matter of balance

In September a number of companies and institutes from Oldenburg (North Germany) started a project called „HyWindBalance“. It aims at the problem of fluctuating power output from wind parks by using hydrogen as energy storage. Participants are Overspeed GmbH & Co. KG, PLANET GbR, the ForWind – Wind Energy Research Center of the universities Oldenburg and Hannover, energy und meteo systems GmbH, Projekt Oekovest GmbH and the energy and semiconductor research unit of the university of Oldenburg.

Hydrogen storage holds the option to integrate energy from renewable sources in the supply grid though the supply is not constant and not entirely predictable, as it is typical for wind and sun. The power can be trapped chemically by electrolysis. Reconversion happens by means of fuel cells. So the variations can be smoothed, and even control energy from renewable sources can be provided. Today the latter comes mainly from fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. A key element of HyWindBalance is to develop such a system. A pilot plant will be built in the energy laboratory of the university of Oldenburg.

The project extends until the end of 2007 and has a financial volume of about 1.5 M€. The state of Lower Saxony and the European Union (Regional Development Fund) provide about 620.000 €. The energy supplier EWE AG supports the project with money and manpower.

(Press release of 7. September 2005)

Bus

Two MAN hydrogen buses operate since 31. August in scheduled service between Munich airport and the suburb of Hallbergmoos. One of them has an internal combustion engine, the other an electro motor and an fuel cell. MAN expects the operation of the buses with different technologies in daily service to reveal new insights on its usefulness in daily urban transport, according to Anton Weinmann, chairman of MAN Utility Vehicles. MAN tells that at this time both technologies are much more friendly in environmental terms than diesel buses. Their disadvantages lie with durability and costs. In about one year MAN will present another hydrogen combustion engine with 200 kW power instead of 150 now.

(Press release of 31. August 2005)

Semiconductors

Hurrican „Katrina“ affected among other things also an Air Products plant near New Orleans which produces extra pure hydrogen for semiconductor elements; the plant had to be closed. To make things worse another Air Products site in Canada making liquid hydrogen is out of operation as well, this one according to plan. The company declared that it can not meet its duties for the supply of liquid hydrogen at this time. Other suppliers of electronic hydrogen have increased their production. Additionally other purification methods are used in order to be able to use hydrogen of lower quality.

Fuel Cells

Metamorphosis

The partnership between Ballard, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford has now been reshaped completely. Since 1. September the German company Ballard Power Systems AG operates under the name NuCellSys GmbH. DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company took over the fuel cell system business from the Canadian Ballard Power Systems Inc. and hold 50 % each of the shares. NuCellSys GmbH will continue to develop and produce fuel cell systems. Ballard will focus on the development and production of fuel cell stacks. DaimlerChrysler and Ford will work on the integration fo the complete fuel cell drive train including power converters, electro motor, and hydrogen storage into their vehicles. NuCellSys and its parent companies will work on development scenarios for fuel cell systems and their realization and also provide fuel cell systems for other car makers for integration into their vehicles.

(Press release of 2. September 2005)

Micro Cells

The German Federal Ministry for Research (BMBF) has announced a 20 M€ research program to support the field of micro fuel cells for portable electronics. The ministry described this as the largest research program of its kind in Europe. Tenders are to be submitted until 13. January 2006. Proposals should provide significant input for the reduction of the system periphery (pumps or valves), micro structurization of micro fluidic particles, miniaturization of system control, or system integration. Alternative materials or building methods are to further develop the miniaturization of micro fuel cells. This aims at a more flexible design which provides new possibilities for the producers of portable electronics and gives an impulse for future solutions. The ultimate goal is the development and production of powerful and low-cost small fuel cell systems.

(Press release of 25. August 2005 )

The end for Sulzer Hexis

In late August the Swiss Sulzer company had announced that it will not provide more funds for the development of fuel cell heating appliances for homes by its subsidiary Sulzer Hexis. Now all steps for an „orderly close-down of business“ have been initiated. 52 employees are affected. First contracts were dissolved in September. In 1997 the former fuel cell project had been shifted to the Hexis division. Chairman Ulf Berg is not willing to invest 15 million Swiss Franks per year any longer; the whole development costed about 150 millions. This happens though Sulzer was technologically at the front, according to spokeswoman Verena Goelkel, and no technical problems are known. The patents will be used further.

Energy and Climate

Aviation

The British government wants to reduce the country's CO₂ emission by 60 % in comparison to 1990 until 2050. Scientists of the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research do not see this happen unless the growth of air transport is braked. Cheap fares made aviation almost explode in recent years, and the number of passengers is expected to double again until 2020. The combustion of fossil fuels contributes more and more to the greenhouse effect. Since the substitutions of fossil fuels is even more difficult in aviation than elsewhere the scientists urge to limit this sector dramatically. A carbon supplement on the fare would be one means to do this.

(AP, 21. September 2005)

When, if not now

It makes no sense to discuss whether or not the global climate change will come. It is happening. Two new studies made for the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) show how tangible it is already in Germany.

Storms and floods have doubled or tripled globally in the last decade in comparison to the 60s, the economical damage was six times as high. During the last 100 years the temperature in Germany rose by about 0,8 °C. No climate protections measures will be able to prevent an increase by 1.8 ... 3.6 °C until 2080. Warmer and wetter winters and hotter and drier summers will be seen. Heat waves and strong precipitations will happen more frequently. South West Germany, the center of East Germany, and the Alps are most susceptive for climate change. Health and tourism based on winter sport are in danger.

(Press release No. 48/2005 of UBA of 8. September 2005)

Politics

Europe

On 12. September a group of members of the European parliament from all groups presented a „hydrogen manifesto“ demanding a fundamental turn away from fossil fuel to green hydrogen economy. With rising oil prices in view the MPs expressed their will to see the creation of a fully integrated hydrogen economy in the EU as soon as possible. By 2025 this could trigger a „third industrial revolution“.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras (Conservatives) pointed out the critical issue of the safety of the energy supply and how to overcome the dependency on external sources. Speaker Josep Borrell expressed his hope that the paper be adopted by those in EU who have to power to more something. Environment commissioner Stavros Dimas admitted that the EU has to do more to change traditional patterns of energy supply and use. The green MP Claude Turmes underlined the necessity of political action to shift from what he called „dirty and dangerous energy“ to green and efficient energy. Greenpeace welcomed the initiative as a step in the right direction and found it positive that the European Parliament takes the lead.

The manifesto urges the EU to use all available forces to create until 2025 a „fully integrated green hydrogen economy“. It urges to emit a European hydrogen bond to provide the billions necessary to build the infrastructure. By late October the MPs will submit an investment plan as part of the 7. research framework program.

Award

Freiburg

One half of the German Environment Award 2005 was given to Prof. Dr. Joachim Luther, founder and head of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems (DWV founder member). Federal President Horst Koehler presented the awards on 16. October at Luebeck. Since its creation in 1981 the ISE is devoted to using solar energy directly for man. Under Luther's leadership the institute became one of the leading solar research institutes of the world. Also recognized are its contributions to the field of hydrogen and fuel cells.