for job training funds, which will be used to hireand train seven people within the state, at a timeof rapid growth for the company.

Contact: MesoFuel Inc, 1001 Menaul Boulevard NE,Albuquerque, NM 87107, USA. Tel: +1 505 314 8145,Fax: +1 505 314 8144, www.mesofuel.com

Automotive, aerospaceorders for HydrogenicsA major, unnamed European automotivecompany has selected Hydrogenics’ testsystems to support its expanding fuel cellactivities. The initial order totals approx-imately US$1m, and includes test systems forfuel cells and combined fuel cell/reformersystems. The Canadian-based company hasalso received an order from AeroVironment inCalifornia for fuel cell modules and supportand testing services. The fuel cell modules willbe delivered later this year, for installation inthe high-altitude unmanned solar-electricHelios aircraft.

EnKAT GmbH, Hydrogenics’ new, whollyowned subsidiary based in Gelsenkirchen,Germany played a key role in securing theautomotive contract. The contact highlights thesynergies of the EnKAT acquisition, with thecombined equipment order to be manufacturedout of Hydrogenics’ Canadian and Germanoperations. ‘We welcome the opportunity tobuild and support this new client within theframework of our recently acquired Europeanoperations,’ commented Pierre Rivard, president/CEO of Hydrogenics.

The fuel cell modules for AeroVironment willbe part of an airborne fuel cell power system toenable continuous multi-day flight operations.The project is a joint development with Nasa’sEnvironmental Research Aircraft and SensorTechnology (ERAST) program. Helios isexpected to use the fuel cells to power telecoms,remote sensing instrumentation andatmospheric measurement systems, withdemonstration-testing a fuel cell – allowing thesolar-powered plane to stay in the air overnight –expected sometime next year.

Contact: Hydrogenics Corporation, 5985 McLaughlinRoad, Mississauga, Ontario L5R 1B8, Canada. Tel: +1 905361 3660, Fax: +1 905 361 3626, www.hydrogenics.com

Or contact: EnKAT GmbH, Luggendelle 19, D-45894Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Tel: +49 209 933 1220, Fax:+49 209 933 12218, www.enkat.de

Or contact: AeroVironment, 825 S. Myrtle Drive,Monrovia, CA 91016, USA. Tel: +1 626 357 9983, Fax:+1 626 359 9628, www.aerovironment.com

Michelin Challenge fromHeidelberg to ParisThe fourth edition of the Michelin ChallengeBibendum will take place 22–25 September,in Europe. The run will begin in Heidelberg,Germany and conclude in Paris, France intime for the start of the Paris Auto Show. Theroute will include stops at the Hockenheimmotor racing circuit and the EuropeanParliament in Strasbourg.

Every year, the Michelin Challenge Bibendumpresents the most environmentally friendlyinnovations from the world’s largest vehiclemanufacturers, technology developers andenergy suppliers through a series of performancetests: emissions, noise, performance, safety anddesign. Last year’s Challenge, which ran 226miles (360 km) from Los Angeles to Las Vegas,featured the largest collection of fuel cell vehiclesin the world, with 10 vehicles from sevendifferent manufacturers.

This year, the ADAC (Automobile Club ofGermany), one of the most important consumers’associations in the world, will be Michelin’s mainpartner and will assist in the performance testing.

Complete details are available at:www.challengebibendum.com

Global for Montana,new top man, progressMontana State University-Billings (MSUB) isto evaluate two SOFC systems developed byCalgary-based Global Thermoelectric, inpartnership with Montana Dakota UtilitiesCompany (MDU). Global has also seen achange in its senior management, with PeterGarrett appointed to replace Jim Perry aspresident/CEO, following Perry’s resignation.It has also reported progress with its latest-generation prototype residential SOFC, and aproof-of-concept propane reformer.

The agreement with MSUB’s Center forApplied Economic Research is for a 2 kWenatural gas residential system and a 3–5 kWemethane remote power system for light indust-rial applications, for MSUB and MDU to testand evaluate. The program will also test thesystems using well-site gas as the feedstock, todemonstrate fuel flexibility. The US$125 000order will be delivered over the next year.

New top man Peter Garrett was previouslyCOO, joining last fall from Nortel Networks,where he was VP of wireless access development.Jim Perry resigned ‘for personal reasons’.

Global has completed assembly and initialtesting of three latest-generation prototyperesidential 2 kWe fuel cell systems within itsalliance with Enbridge. The systems willundergo extensive testing at Global’s facilities,where component validation and systemoperating parameters can determined using thetest equipment and support infrastructure. Afterachieving agreed performance criteria, twosystems will be delivered to Enbridge for furthertesting and demonstration, with the thirdremaining at Global for ongoing evaluation.

The company has also recently developed a5 kWe proof-of-concept propane partialoxidation (POX) reformer, modified from anexisting natural gas fuel processor. The testresults will be used to develop the next-generation propane fuel processor. Global alsodesigned, built and tested a dual-stage, low-temperature adsorbent desulfurizer, since sulfurin propane may exceed as much as 300 ppm(compared to 2–15 ppm in natural gas).

Contact: Global Thermoelectric Inc, 4908 – 52nd StreetSE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3R2, Canada. Tel: +1 403 2046100, Fax: +1 403 204 6105, www.globalte.com

Or contact: Center for Applied Economic Research,Montana State University-Billings, College of Business,Suite 113, 1500 University Drive, Billings, MT 59101,USA. Tel: +1 406 657 2220, Fax: +1 406 657 2327,www.msubillings.edu/caer

Japan gets serious fordemonstration programAs part of the effort to commercialize fuelcells in Japan, the government and private-sector firms will in October launch a series ofjoint projects to test both fuel cell poweredvehicles and residential fuel cells, according tothe Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

Toyota Motor, Nippon Oil and 24 otherprivate firms and institutions will cooperate withthe Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry(METI) in the three-year projects, which willalso test facilities that provide hydrogen to fuelcell vehicles. METI is allocating ¥2.5bn(US$21m) in its fiscal 2002 budget for the newprojects, and will make the test data public.

Toyota, Nissan and Honda – and local subsid-iaries of DaimlerChrysler and General Motors –will participate in a road test of fuel cell vehiclessponsored by the Japan Electric Vehicle Assoc-iation. Each automaker will provide one or twofuel cell cars for the test, expected to start earlynext year in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Roadtesting will enable assessment of fuel efficiency aswell as environmental ‘friendliness’ measuredthrough CO2 emissions and other means.

NEWS

4Fuel Cells Bulletin September 2002

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