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News from Hydrogen and Fuel Cell compiled by the German Hydrogen Association |
| Media |
| The news of the foundation
of DWV found a good echo in the media. In other fields as well there seems to exist a
considerable interest in the topic. The paper "Vision auf dem Abstellgleis" in "DER SPIEGEL" 45/96 was quite correct as far as the facts were concerned, but it had a melancholic undertone which was not justified at all. |
| International cooperation |
| DWV cooperates with partner organizations in France, Norway, Russia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Argentine, USA, and China. |
| Hanover Fair |
| DWV takes part in the joint presentation "Hydrogen Technologies" in hall 18 on the Hanover Fair 1997. |
| New committee (1) |
| A new working group "Fuel Cells" has been founded by DVGW. It is to create basis on which to certify ready-to-connect fuel cell heating stations. Most members are from those parties who operate such plants, which means city utilities or electricity suppliers. DWV is represented in the new committee. |
| New committee (2) |
| The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) has founded a working group "Hydrogen Airport Fuelling Facility" under the chairmanship of DASA in Bremen. Its task is to create a safety relevant frame for the supply of commercial aircraft (like Cryoplane). |
| Cars (1) |
| The Necar II by Mercedes-Benz should be well known meanwhile. In October Toyota as well presented a PEM fuel cell car with a hydride storage and a range of 250 km. |
| Cars (2) |
| The "Society for the Introduction of Hydrogen in the Energy Economy" in Hamburg continues to work on the project of operating a few utility vehicles running on hydrogen. The conversion of the vehicles begins now. The first of them is intended to roll through Hamburg in May. |
| Fuel cells |
| Hamburgische Electricitaetswerke (HEW) and Hamburger Gaswerke install fuel cells in the heating station of a group of apartment houses in Hamburg in the framework of the Euro-Québec project. One running on natural gas operates satisfactory since 1995, the approval under environment law for another running on liquid hydrogen has been granted, and the building works are underway. Both are phosphoric acid cells with about 250 kW electric output. The delivery of the hydrogen cell will probably be in June. |
| Aircraft |
| The Federal Ministry for Economy has agreed to support the project "Cryoplane" by DASA and Tupolev (commercial aircraft running on hydrogen) with 7.5 MEuro, provided the same amount is provided by the states. Chances are good that they will. The objective is to convert a regional aircraft of the type Dornier 328 to a demonstrator with liquid hydrogen as fuel until 1999. |
| Munich airport |
| In the framework of Expo 2000 a hydrogen project will be done on the airport of Munich. The companies who have products in the field "Hydrogen Energy" will have the opportunity to present them in 1999 and 2000 in two "paths": one of them gaseous with H2 generation on site, the other liquid. The hydrogen will be the fuel for apron vehicles (buses, cars). The project is funded at 50 % by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economy, Transportation, and Technology. |
| Thuringia |
| A number or companies and institutes in Thuringia with
support by the state government pursue a project for the use of hydrogen as energy source
in vehicles, particularly in devices as heating, air condition, or generator. Also the
emission of nitrous oxides in Diesel exhaust can be decreased by 60 to 90 % by adding
small amounts of hydrogen! There are positive preliminary talks with companies operating
many vehicles; some of them will now receive concrete proposals by the working group. The village of Kettmannshausen (between Erfurt and Ilmenau) will be made a "Solar Village Thuringia" with support of the Technical University of Ilmenau, and this will also involve hydrogen. The political intention in Thuringia to make hydrogen technology an economical factor is very encouraging and positive. |
| Bavaria |
| The imminent foundation of a "Hydrogen Initiative Bavaria" had been announced on the WHEC in Stuttgart. Meanwhile it was announced that a final decision will not be made before the end of a study phase of two or three years. Until then the work will be directed by the "Coordination Office Hydrogen Initiative Bavaria" located at the Research Institute for Energy Economy in Munich. Specific projects (such as Munich airport) will be decided about during this time. |
| Québec |
| The government of Québec and the power supplier Hydro-Québec have founded a joint company called H2T Inc. which will coordinate the hydrogen activities of the province. A particular close cooperation is planned with Bavaria. |
| Internet |
| A data bank called "HyWeb - Internet presentation and data base on hydrogen" is being created at the company Ludwig-Boelkow-Systemtechnik. |
Hydrogen Mirror 1/97
Published by German Hydrogen Association, Berlin
Editor: Ulrich Schmidtchen, Berlin
