Hydrogen Hits the Roads

McPhy Energy signs contract with Enel Group for solid hydrogen storage

February 16, 2011

McPhy Energy has announced that the company has signed a contract with the Enel Group, Italy for the supply of a solid hydrogen storage solution. The system has a capacity of 2 kilograms of solid hydrogen, stored in the form of magnesium hydrides (which do not require compression), offering an innovative solution for safe, reversible hydrogen storage, with energy efficiency.

A prototype of the system design was validated through a series of tests at the CEA-LITEN (the French national Laboratory of Innovation for New Energy Technologies and Nanomaterials in Grenoble, France).

The test tank was coupled to an electrolyser and to a fuel cell, successfully demonstrating the storage of renewable energy.

Air Liquide in the U.S. to power Coca-Cola hydrogen forklift fleet at California facility

February 16, 2011

Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP (Air Liquide) will supply hydrogen to power a fleet of 37 forklift vehicles at Coca-Cola’s bottling and distribution center in San Leandro, California. Air Liquide will provide the liquid hydrogen, filling station and infrastructure to power the forklift fleet at Coca-Cola’s 250,000 square foot facility. Hydrogen fuel cell powered forklift trucks represent a segment of the hydrogen energy market. These types of vehicles are virtually greenhouse gas emissions free. Using these vehicles can help the Coca-Cola save 1.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually by removing the infrastructure associated with traditional lead-acid batteries. This agreement is Air Liquide’s second hydrogen fueling installation of this type in North America that combines the hydrogen supply and refilling of Air Liquide with Plug Power’s GenDrive® fuel cell solution. The first such agreement was Air Liquide’s forklift installation at Walmart Canada’s sustainable distribution center in Alberta, Canada. In 2010, Air Liquide has provided more than 40,000 hydrogen fills worldwide. The company has a number of other filling installations in North America, including those for buses and other vehicles. Air Liquide provided hydrogen and filling infrastructure for transit buses at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Other hydrogen partnerships are arising all over the world: Air Liquide [...]

Solvay will build a very large fuel cell at SolVin’s Antwerp plant

February 17, 2010

Solvay announces today it will invest over EUR 5 million in the construction of a test fuel cell with a total electric power of 1 megawatt (MW) at the SolVin plant in Lillo, Antwerp, Belgium. The investment is part of the Project Hydrogen Region Flanders – South Netherlands. The fuel cell will convert hydrogen produced by electrolysis at SolVin’s plant into electricity and by doing so increase the energy efficiency of the electrolysis.

This Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell will demonstrate fuel cell technology can be scaled-up to a peak output of 1.7 MW and a generation of 1 MW at steady rate, by using Solvay’s innovative special polymers and SolviCore’s membrane electrode assemblies. The test fuel cell will also be used by WaterstofNet vzw for research and test programs to support and promote the development of the use of hydrogen in the region.

Air Products receives Rushlight Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Award

February 11, 2010

Air Products has been awarded the prestigious Rushlight Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Industry Award for its innovative Series 100 Hydrogen Fueling Station technology. The technology, which is helping break down barriers to the development of the hydrogen economy, clearly fit the Award’s aims of promoting and celebrating leading environmental technologies in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland.
The Air Products Series 100 Hydrogen Fueling Station has been an important enabler in changing industry and consumer perception in the UK as to the validity and safety of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The Rushlight Award acknowledges the success of this fully integrated fueling station in meeting the needs of hydrogen fueling test and demonstration programs. The Series 100’s features include simple operation for hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing, a small footprint, quick installation and ease of relocation. Details on Air Products’ hydrogen fueling station technologies are provided at the Air Products website.