Fuel Cell

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced today that it has finalized its award with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the three-year first phase of its Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) program. Phase one is a $24 million Cooperative Agreement cost-shared by the DOE and the FuelCell Energy team, which includes Versa Power Systems, Materials and Systems Research Inc., Gas Technology Institute, University of Utah, Electric Power Research Institute, Dana Corporation and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Finalizing the award resolves open budget, scope and schedule issues. The goal of the SECA program is to accelerate the development...

IdaTech (IDA) has been selected by automobile manufacturer Volkswagen of Germany to design and manufacture an integrated fuel processor system operating on diesel fuel to be used in an automotive application: Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The agreement, part of a vehicle demonstration project at Volkswagen, marks a first for IdaTech to be working directly with a major European automotive company on vehicle fuel cell systems. IdaTech was selected for its technical performance in diesel fuel reforming. The fuel processing system will be a highly efficient, custom design for vehicular applications and will incorporate IdaTech's patented metal membrane hydrogen...

Stuart Energy Systems Corp (SRNYF) and Purification Equipment Research Institute of CSIC (PERIC), a Chinese-based developer of water electrolysers, have entered into a master supply and distribution agreement. Under the agreement, Stuart Energy is the exclusive global distributor for large-scale hydrogen generation plants based on water electrolysis technologies jointly developed by PERIC and Stuart Energy. In addition, Stuart Energy is the exclusive distributor in certain territories for PERIC's existing, commercial large-scale hydrogen generation plants.

ZAP (ZAPZ) announced that its automotive distribution subsidiary Voltage Vehicles has signed an exclusive agreement with Apollo Energy Systems of Pompano Beach, Florida for its fuel cell technology. Under the contract, ZAP's Voltage Vehicles subsidiary has agreed to purchase up to $100 million in Apollo's propulsion systems. Apollo has developed a patented Alkaline Fuel Cell and Tri-Polar Lead-Cobalt battery technology that is expected to revolutionize the auto industry. According to Apollo, the new fuel cell is ready for production, years before similar propulsion systems are expected to be available. ZAPZ was up over 15% today on...

Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation (SHEC) of Saskatoon, SK, Canada demonstrated a technology Monday in Tempe Arizona that can split hydrogen from water using solar energy input. The keys to the process are in a patent pending catalyst that facilitates the liberation of hydrogen from water in the presence of heat, and the patent pending solar collector collector that can hold the heat during brief intermittent sun situations often encountered by solar arrays.

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced today that its megawatt-class Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plant is now state-certified to meet the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) stringent distributed generation emissions standards for 2007. By meeting this standard, the Company's DFC1500 qualifies as an 'ultra-clean' technology, exempting it from air pollution control and air quality district permitting requirements by CARB (http://www.arb.ca.gov). In addition, this certification qualifies the Company's products for preferential rate treatment by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) including the elimination of 'exit fees' and 'standby charges' for customer electric generation.

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announced today that it has won a contract to supply a 65 kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell power module to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center (FCTec) operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC). The power module will be integrated into an Aircraft Tow Tractor by CTC and will be used in fuel cell demonstrations at select Air Force Bases and civil airports in the United States, in conjunction with the United States Air Force Advanced Alternate Power Technology Transformation Office, Warner-Robins AFB, Georgia. The fuel cell system will be delivered...

Maryland will lease a fuel cell-powered minivan from General Motors and will pursue plans for a hydrogen refueling station in the state. General Motors has partnered with Shell Hydrogen to open what will be the first hydrogen dispenser at a retail gas station in Washington this fall.

Privately held Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc., announced plans to establish a hydrogen test facility with RIVOIRA S.p.A., and the SIAD Group, both of which partner with Praxair, Inc. (PX), a leading U.S. multinational in the industrial gas sector. The plan calls for expanding SIAD's facility located in Osio Sopra, (Bergamo) Italy for the purpose of demonstrating hydrogen-based fuel cell systems. According to the agreement, the new facility will comprise approximately 180 m2 of space and will be dedicated to testing Nuvera's hydrogen products in the 5.5 kW to 25 kW power range, including its H2e(TM) fuel cell power...

Millennium Cell Inc (MCEL) announced that it is demonstrating a prototype hydrogen fuel cell system to power a notebook PC at the Intel Developer Forum from September 7th through September 9th at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The system is on display in the Intel Pavilion in the technical showcase. The system consists of a disposable Millennium Cell Hydrogen on Demand(TM) ("HOD(TM)") fuel system combined with a hydrogen fuel cell. In this initial demonstration, the battery pack has been removed from a Dell C400 notebook PC and the computer is directly powered by the HOD...

Privately held Kainos Energy Corporation, a developer of nanotechnology to reduce cost and improve performance of fuel cells, announced that it was awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Phase I award supports a project entitled "Innovative Laser-Based Process for Commercially Viable Nanostructured Solid Oxide Fuel Cells." "Significant cost and performance barriers continue to hinder fuel cell commercialization. Our technology will overcome these barriers, lead to advanced cell and stack designs, and enable mass commercialization of a variety of powerful fuel cell applications," noted Sami Mardini,...

Plug Power Inc (PLUG) announced today that the Company's GenCore®5T48, a 5-kilowatt backup fuel cell system, is providing backup power to the Oneida County Rural Telephone network. "This program is another example of our efforts to keep the communities we serve on the cutting edge of technology," stated James McCarthy, Vice President of Oneida County Rural Telephone. "We have considered using alternative backup power in support of our network infrastructure in the past, and fuel cells are an attractive alternative to batteries. Fuel cells offer a clean, cost-effective solution for our backup power needs."

Peugeot has unveiled a futuristic prototype open air, two-seater, four-wheel drive vehicle designed to showcase its fuel cell technology. The Quark comes with some interesting technologies most notably a removable interactive interface, which looks to be a PDA on steroids. The unit serves the same purpose as an ignition key and is used in conjunction with an instrument panel. Positioned in its housing, it provides information concerning the traction system and the fuel cell, vehicle speed, satellite navigation, etc... Protected by a small transparent and waterproof cover, it allows the vehicle to be started when in place and immobilises...

DaimlerChrysler AG (DCX) Just imagine filling up your car at the windmill down the road. That’s what Andreas Truckenbrodt dreams of, but DaimlerChrysler’s director of fuel cell and alternative powertrain vehicles knows there are still hurdles to clear before the zero-emission cars become kings of the road.

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) reported today that it has been awarded a contract by The Toro Company (TTC) to supply a HyPM fuel cell power module for integration into the company's development work in grounds maintenance equipment. This contract is part of Toro's ongoing strategic alternative energy research and development initiative for turf care equipment.

Rich Smith, writer for the Motley Fool, has written an article with a contrarian opinion about investing in alternative energy stocks. Specifically he refers to the Fuel Cell stocks. "The old test of a person's optimism is to show him a glass of water, filled to 50% of capacity, and ask whether it is half empty or half full. Shown such a glass, I have full confidence that investors in hydrogen fuel-cell pioneers such as Plug Power Inc (PLUG), Ballard Power (BLDP), or Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) would declare the glass half full." While he rails...