Fuel Cells Bulletin July 2005

FDT, Plug Power inGenCore distributionagreement for UK

US-based Plug Power has signed anagreement with FDT Associates in

the UK, under which FDT will market,distribute, sell and service Plug Power’shydrogen-fueled GenCore® backuppower products to the telecoms indus-try throughout the UK.

For the past 14 months Plug Power has beenproviding backup power to a remote cell tower inElgin, Scotland in collaboration with FDT and itscustomer, the mobile communications companyOrange [FCB, May 2004]. The cell site is situatedin a forest 450 m above sea level at the HuntlyNordic Ski Center training site, and provides tele-coms coverage between Rhynie and Elgin. Thesystem has provided more than 2750 h of backuppower to the site since installation.

FDT is a market leader in providing inspec-tion and testing services to the mobile telecomssector. The company sees the supply of fuelcells as a logical extension of its existing inspec-tion, design and construction capabilities, aswell as a reliable, cost-effective way to providebackup power for its customers.

‘Our work with FDT and Orange over thepast year has been very successful, and we areexcited about formalizing our relationship withFDT and making fuel cell technology availableto all mobile telecoms service providers,’ com-ments Mark Sperry, chief marketing officer forPlug Power.

Contact: Plug Power Inc, Latham, New York, USA.Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com

Or contact: FDT Associates Ltd, Denton, Manchester,UK. Tel: +44 161 320 2700, www.fdtassociates.com

DuPont unveils latestdirect methanol MEAtechnology

US-based DuPont Fuel Cells haslaunched its DuPont Gen IV tech-

nology, for a new generation of mem-brane-electrode assembly (MEA) com-ponents. It is claimed to enable directmethanol fuel cells with improvedoverall power performance and longerrun-times. The company’s Gen IV MEAtechnology requires significantly less catalyst loading than previous

generations, while still delivering anapproximately 20% increase in powerdensity and more than doubling dura-bility and reliability. This in turn leadsto more cost-effective fuel cell systems.

The new technology facilitates the develop-ment of direct methanol fuel cells by originalequipment manufacturers (OEMs). Such fuelcells are expected to provide portable power inconsumer electronic applications, including lap-tops and cell phones, as well as in larger unitsfor recreational, military and industrial use.

‘Our new Gen IV technology demonstratesstrong advantages for DMFC system develop-ers,’ says Richard Okine, technology director atDuPont Fuel Cells. ‘DuPont is committed tocontinuing its leadership in fuel cell technologydevelopment, putting science to work torespond to the needs of our customers and get-ting the best technologies out into the market-place to enable cleaner, more convenient andsustainable energy.’

DuPont Fuel Cells was established as a sepa-rate business unit at the beginning of 2001, andhas grown into a technology and market devel-opment organization that is enabling theadvancement of fuel cell technology and prod-ucts with leading players in the industry. By dri-ving the technology to make fuel cells a com-mercial reality in the near and long term, itsmission is to become the leading global supplierof proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cellmembranes and components for all applications.

Contact: DuPont Fuel Cells, MEA Components &Conductive Plates, Wilmington, Delaware, USA.Tel: +1 302 774 4249, Fax: +1 302 999 3415,Email: Fuelcells-Components@usa.dupont.com,www.fuelcells.dupont.com

Dantherm, HTceramixintegrate SOFC stack

Swiss-based SOFC stack developerHTceramix has succeeded in

integrating one of its stacks with athermal management system manufac-tured by Dantherm in Denmark. Theproof-of-concept system produces netelectricity, hot water and air in stableconditions, and marks the conclusionof a partnership begun in 2004 todevelop complete SOFC systems.

The prototype system demonstrated byDantherm and HTceramix runs on a fuel mixture comparable to partial oxidation reformate. The system was operating underthermally autonomous conditions. The proto-type system includes the thermal management,

hot water and hot exhaust recuperators, andan HTceramix stack.

‘The Dantherm system provides remarkablethermal capabilities, and forms a base for accel-erated development of end-user applications,’says Michele Molinelli, fuel cell engineer atHTceramix. ‘For stacks up to 750 W, it usesless than 50 W for internal needs. This concepthas the potential to achieve very high electricalefficiencies.’

‘The SOFConnex based stack uses a uniqueapproach for stacking ceramic fuel cells,’explains Olivier Bucheli, Htceramix’s managingdirector. ‘The flexibility of its design allowsHTceramix to translate the latest researchresults into products within weeks. This is nec-essary to master the challenges of cost anddurability encountered in the fuel cell industry.’

In a next step, Dantherm and HTceramix willextend the system’s capabilities to directly use nat-ural gas, before scaling-up the power. Differentreformer technologies are currently being evaluat-ed in terms of performance and cost.

HTceramix recently teamed up with US-based Fideris to unveil an SOFC research anddevelopment testing platform [FCB, June].

Contact: HTceramix SA, Yverdon-les-Bains,Switzerland. Tel: +41 24 426 1083, www.htceramix.ch

Or contact: Dantherm A/S, Skive, Denmark. Tel: +459614 3700, www.dantherm.com

Acta’s breakthrough catalyst technology wins Asian contract

Italian-based nanocatalyst developerActa SpA has signed its first commer-

cial sales and distribution contract,with Summit Medi-Chem Ltd, theChemicals Business Unit and subsidiaryof Sumitomo Corporation in Japan.Under the terms of the contract –which covers Japan, South Korea andTaiwan – Summit Medi-Chem will haveexclusive distribution rights to Acta’snew Hypermec™ catalyst technology,for which Acta has committed to deliv-ering commercial contracts in the next12 months.

The contract with Summit Medi-Chem is animportant first step into the critical Asian mar-ket for Acta, and the company will be buildingon this foundation by seeking to develop com-mercial relationships with leading Asian OEMsover the coming year.

‘We believe this contract with one of Japan’sleading industrial companies will enable Acta to

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