Fuel Cell Roundup February 2013
25 February 2013
Toyota Industries Builds Fuel-Cell Forklift
(08/02/13)
Toyota unveiled a next-generation fuel cell-powered forklift,
which is due to be commercially available from 2015.
A joint project carried out by Toyota Industries and the
company's car-making arm, the forklift requires just three minutes
to fill with enough hydrogen for it to run for eight hours.
Two of the units have been in trials at a Toyoda Gosei Co plant
since December of last year.
The forklift has been developed as part of a Japanese Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry scheme, the Kitakyushu Smart
Community Creation Project.
Fuel cell lighting tower launched by Youngman/TCP
(08/02/13)
Youngman Group and TCP have launched a new fuel cell-powered
lighting tower, the Ecolite-H2. It is powered by a BOC Hymera fuel
cell, which has been commercially available for more than a
year-and-a-half.
A single large cylinder of hydrogen would power the light for
50-60 hours, with a pallet of four containers enough for a month's
operation.
Mark Griffin, Hymera sales manager at BOC, said: "It is not
often that a new and practical alternative to conventional fuels
becomes available but the Hymera does just that - it brings
hydrogen power to today's marketplace.
"The portable power generator is ideal for high-tech, low energy
technologies like LED floodlighting."
Flemish Government Acquires Five Fuel Cell Buses under High
V.LO-City Project (12/02/13)
Five fuel cell buses are to hit the streets of Brussels after
the Flemish government announced it will replace 386 of the oldest
and most polluting buses with more cost-effective and
environmentally sound vehicles in a €93 million investment.
The fuel cell versions will be built by Van Hool and co-funded
by the High V.LO-City EU project.
This scheme involves three European regions - Flanders, Liguria,
and Scotland - each deploying five fuel cell hybrid buses into
daily service.
HySA Infrastructure Launches Solar-to-Hydrogen Pilot Plant
(12/02/13)
HySA Infrastructure Center of Competence (CoC) in South Africa
has received a 400 W state of the art solar-to-hydrogen
installation from Heliocentris.
The centre also owns a Proton OnSite HOGEN-series PEM
electrolyser that will be integrated into a 6 kW solar-to-hydrogen
pilot plant.
It is the first such plant in South Africa and will be used for
training and education purposes in a variety of hydrogen-related
technologies, including fuel cells, energy storage, energy
management and batteries.
The PEM system supports country's platinum group metals
beneficiation strategy by developing technologies linked to the use
of local resources.
Meanwhile, the project will also assist the Department of
Science and Technology (DST) goal of developing cost competitive,
local hydrogen generation solutions using renewable energy.
AC Transit Wins California's Highest Environmental Award for Fuel
Cell Buses and Solar Initiatives (19/02/13)
California's AC Transit has been awarded the Governor's
Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for building
the most comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell demonstration programme
in the country.
So far the fleet of buses has displaced more than 68,000 gallons
of diesel fuel.
AC Transit is also installing a 400 kW solid oxide fuel cell
system at its largest operating division.
"Projects like these take a lot of courage and intensity to do,
and we are really glad the governor chose to recognise us," said AC
Transit board president Greg Harper.