The joint presentation on hydrogen and fuel cells on the Hannover Fair was an unparalleled success. 68 exhibitors shared the 900 m² in the two stands in hall 18 (research) and hall 13 (products and services). Federal Chancellor Schroeder visited the presentation on his opening tour. Also seen were eight ministers from German states, a member of the Canadian government, many MPs and other VIPs.

The product oriented presentation in hall 13 has seen an astonishing growth since last year. An item of particular economical and political interest is the fuel cell for the home, as the reaction of many politicians showed. Other exhibitors showed systems, teaching and demonstration models, materials, components, measuring devices, test racks, and more.

At least nine European cities will see hydrogen buses in normal public transportation, namely Reykjavik, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxemburg, Porto, Stockholm, and Stuttgart. The transport companies of the cities have bought three converted city buses each based on the type Mercedes-Benz Citaro. This is the first fuel cell vehicle series of the world which is available in the market. 40 % of the about 7 MEuro project costs are covered from EU funds. The transport companies built a hydrogen gas filling station each. BP Amoco and other fuel producers co-operate with them to gather experience of their own with alternative fuels.

In Reykjavik Prime Minister David Oddson underlined the importance of traffic based on non-fossil fuels. This would make oil and gas imports for Iceland almost superfluous, because the country's stationary energy consumers are already supplied from hydropower and geothermy almost completely anyway. Another interested party is the Australian state of Western Australia. In late 2002 a similar experiment with three buses in normal service will be run in Perth.

(See DWV press release No. 1/01)

On 6. March BMW presented its hydrogen car fleet in Brussels to Mrs. Frau Loyola de Palacio, vice president of the European Commission and commissioner for transport and energy. BMW chairman Milberg demanded political support for the introduction of hydrogen fuel: „If environmentally friendly mobility it is the declared objective of politics, then we need political support until this fuel has been established in the market.“ An oil company has calculated that 1 % of the German ecotax would be enough to convert 100 filling stations in Germany at once. Only a clear decision for renewable hydrogen as the only sustainable fuel would permit Europe to assume the technological leadership in the field of energy. Loyola de Palacio said that hydrogen would make it possible to create a new market for renewable energy in the transport sector. Only hydrogen from renewable sources would be able to reduce the CO₂ emissions considerably.

On 21. March the Bavarians were guests in Milan. They made an agreement with the city and the energy supplier AEM SpA for the opening of the first Italian hydrogen filling station. It will be built on a ground where there is already a power station generating 1,3 MW from hydrogen by means of fuel cells.

Byron McCormick, co-director of the General Motors fuel cell development center, said according to US press reports that GM, Volkswagen, and Toyota have decided to use gasoline as hydrogen storage for the market introduction of fuel cell cars. A prototype will be running next year, and McCormick's vision is: „Our internal objective is to be the first company to sell a million fuel cell cars." The obstacles on this way will be removed much quicker than he himself used to expect formerly. And there are also business opportunities not related to road traffic.

(Detroit Free Press, 15. March 2001; Bloomberg, 17. March 2001; Reuters, 16. March 2001)

VW chairman Piëch wants the fuel cell in his cars, but no hydrogen. In an interview for the company paper Volkswagen he said: „We will essentially go away from hydrogen.“ The latter might be a good idea for bus fleets and other vehicle fleets with a central fuel supply, but safety reasons would forbid to equip 40 million cars a year with hydrogen tanks. VW bets on liquid fuels and experiments now with four of them.

(Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 7. April 2001)

A lorry crashed into a hydrogen tube trailer with considerable speed on 7. March on the highway A1 near Cologne. The lorry driver was killed. Gas escaped from tubes and valves of three of the nine tanks and was ignited. The fire brigade let the gas burn and cooled the undamaged tanks. Other vehicles or persons were not involved. A spokesman of the Cologne fire brigade said that accidents like this with transports for dangerous goods are extremely rare. The danger associated with them is usually not greater than in any other accident. Tanks for LPG or gases are especially resistant against damage.

On 3. April a cylinder trailer fell on its side in Meschenich near Cologne when the driver tried to avoid a hare crossing the road. A connecting tube at one of the five bundles became leak. The fire fighters isolated the place of the accident and controlled the gas concentration until the trailer could be removed. There was no danger for the environment. Neither has the hare so far complained about damage to him.

An industrial consortium lead by STN Atlas Elektronik develops in Bremen an unmanned diving vehicle called „DeepC“; another one of the partners is ZSW. DeepC will operate in depths of up to 4000 m for 60 h independently of a ship; it will cover distances of up to 400 km with a payload of up to 2000 kg. It is fueled from a hydrogen tank which feeds a fuel cell. The Federal Ministry for Research funds the project with 4 MEuro.

(Weserkurier, 21. March 2001)

The general public of Iceland can now use fuel cells and hydrogen as battery substitute. The cells are made by the US company DCH Technology (Valencia, California), deliver 12 W at 12 V, have about the size of a soft drink can and a weight of 640 g. Skeljungur Ltd. (Shell in Iceland) distributes the cells and various types of hydrogen storages (gas cylinders, metal hydride) in its filling stations. They say that the price for hydrogen will be significantly below what commercial suppliers demand. First users will include mountaineer clubs, fishing associations, emergency services, and the coast guard.

Torsteinn Sigfusson, chairman of Icelandic New Energy, said: „The market study will make it possible for Icelanders to get acquainted with fuel cells and the clean energy they deliver. They will learn how they work, how easily they are refilled, and how simple and safe they cover the demand of portable energy.“

(DWV press release 2/01 of 5. March 2001)

ZeTek Power officially started operation of the world's first industrial production for alkaline fuel cells on 8. March in Porz near Cologne. Initially cells with a total output of 5 MW will be produced, but they aim at 500 MW in five years. The plant was started by Ernst Schwanhold, minister for economy of North Rhine-Westphalia, and ZeTek head Nicholas Abson. ZeTek Power will reduce the production costs for fuel cells in the long term to 0,07 Euro/kWh, which is the level of conventional power stations. For the time being they are around 2000 Euro/kWh.

Minister Schwanhold sees the fuel cell as a chance to create safe jobs in his state. In
April 2000 the state created the "Competency Network NRW", which includes now 90 companies and institutes. Since 1989 about 15 MEuro have been paid for funding 17 projects.

(Press release of the ministry of 8. March 2001)

ALSTOM Energietechnik and the utility EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg will equip the spa of Mingolsheim near Karlsruhe (SW Germany) next year with a Ballard PEM fuel cell with an output of 250 kW. The electrical power will be fed in the grid, while the heat will go to the heating system of the spa.

(EnBW press release of 27. March 2001)

Until 2004 the DaimlerChrysler subsidiary will make molten carbonate fuel cells mature for serial production, according to company head Hanssen on 26. March. Ten years later fuel cells and pressure electrolyzers might make up to 30 % of the total turnover. For this year Hanssen announced that funds for investments and development will be doubled to 98 MEuro.

(Stuttgarter Zeitung, 27. March 2001)

International Fuel Cells and Buderus Heiztechnik GmbH co-operate in the development and marketing of fuel cells for small and medium output. IFC develops a system with 3-5 kW_el and 8-9 kW_th plus an additional burner for peak loads. Buderus will market it in Europe. Both companies expect first tests in important European markets by the middle of 2003.

(Press release of 28. March 2001)

In 2010 only 90 % of the cars will still have a combustion engine, according to Rolf Zimmermann, chairman of Ford Germany. Until then the fuel cells would have to become significantly cheaper and lighter. But he said that the combustion engine as well still has an important potential for energy saving.

(Westfaelische Rundschau, 21. March 2001)

Two fuel cell cars with drives from XCELLSIS will undergo an extensive test program in Japan. One is a DaimlerChrysler NECAR 5, the other the Mazda Premacy FC-EV. XCELLSIS head Ferdinand Panik commented: „The support of the Japanese government for the project is an important signal for the fuel cell drive technology." One of the partners of the Petroleum Energy Center, an agency of the ministry of economy.

(Asiaweek, 8. March 2001)

The Japanese industry ministry will join with Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Nippon Mitsubishi Oil, and about 80 other companies for the desulfurization of gasoline to a degree which makes it suitable for the generation of hydrogen for fuel cell cars. Reports say the ministry opted for gasoline because it can be distributed at existing filling stations more easily than methanol.

(HartEnergy Network, 2. March 2001, referring to Nikkei Weekly)

Toyota will present a new fuel cell prototype in summer. Cell and battery will deliver 90 kW, and the car will accommodate five persons. Similar to DaimlerChrysler Toyota manager Hiroyuki Watanabe expects that the mass production for fuel cell cars will be there around 2010.

Solid anorganic acidic compounds (solid acids, for short) like CsHSO₄ and Rb₃H(SeO₄)₂ have been investigated as an alternative to PEM membranes because of their interesting proton conductivities at higher temperatures. A recent study says that voltages of 1,11 V without load and current densities of 44 mA cm^-2 under short cut conditions have been measured in a cell with a membrane of 1,5 mm thick CsHSO₄ at 150 … 160 °C in a H₂/O₂ environment. Humidity did not disturb the performance.

(S. M. Haile et al., Nature 410 (2001) 910-13)

The European Commission expects the world energy demand to rise by about 60 % from 2000 to 2020. EU countries will then have to import 85 % of their oil demand (now 75 %). 93 % of the additional demand will come from traffic. Hans Kronberger (MEP, FP), member of the environment committee of the EU parliament, doubts that a consumption of 115 million barrel per day in 2020 can be covered by production. He said that even John Browne, head of BP, sees the ceiling at 90 million barrel per day.

(Salzburger Nachrichten, 28. March 2001)

Superconductivity has been found in magnesium diboride (MgB₂) at 39 K. This is the highest transition temperature without external field ever found in a stable metallic compound which obeys the conventional BCS theory. Researchers now investigate whether or not the results can be extended to higher temperatures.

(J. Nagamatsu et al., Nature 410 (2001) 63f)

The German laws for the support of electric power generation by means of renewable energies comply with European rules. The European Court ruled on 13. March that the aids are not forbidden subsidies, because they are not paid from state funds. Neither are they forbidden obstacles to competition because the protection of environment is an objective of high value which justifies limitations of free trade.

(Ref. C-379/98)

The USA will not further contribute to the realization of the decisions of Kyoto for the reduction of greenhouse gases. In 1997 the USA had signed the protocol, but is was never ratified. President Bush will now officially undo the signature. In a letter to republican senator Hagel Bush expressed himself against legal steps for the reduction of CO₂ emissions. He refers to the allegedly incomplete knowledge about global climate change and to the lack of marketable technologies for the removal and storage of carbon dioxide.

Germany's Chancellor Schroeder expressed his concern about this development when he was in Washington. Romano Prodi, president of the EU commission, and Sweden's prime minister Goeran Persson as president of the council told Bush in a letter that a global strategy against climate change be a key element of the relationship to USA. The Japanese government as well regretted Bush's step in public.

According to the draft for the next federal budget the DoE will get more than one third less for renewable energies than this year. Biomass, wind, and research on global warming are cut back as well. Winners are coal, oil, and nuclear power.

of „USA“ in the last issue: Robert Walker was member of Bush's campaign team with science as special topic, but he did not enter an office in the new government.