Fuel Cell

Toshiba begins marketing fuel cells aimed at mobile phones.

October 23rd

On 22 October, Toshiba announced that the DynarioTM, a fuel cell for mobile phones, will go on sale from the 29th of the month. Limited to a first run of 3,000 units, advanced sales are now available on the Toshiba direct sales site “Shop1048”. The units are priced at 29,800 yen each (USD $325). At the same time, Toshiba is also selling additional fuel cartridges, with a 5-unit set selling for 3,150 yen (USD $34).

Aussie FC Company Opens Plant in Germany

October 6th

Australian energy company Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd (CFC) has opened its large-scale fuel cell manufacturing plant in Germany. CFC is developing solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to provide energy efficient and low-emission electricity from natural gas and renewable fuels.

The company is currently making fuel cell "modules", which appliance companies can integrate into various products.

Toyota To Commercially Produce Fuel Cell Cars by 2015 says New President

August 9th

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said Wednesday the Japanese automaker plans to start commercial production of fuel-cell vehicles by 2015.

Toyota is "making great progress on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hopes to make this technology available and affordable for customers within the next half dozen years," Toyoda told an auto industry seminar held in Traverse City, Michigan.

Advances in chemistry hold promise for solar generation and hydrogen storage

August 5th

Recent work at MIT, in the Nocera Group headed by Daniel Nocera, have given a much needed boost to proponents of the solar and hydrogen energy economy by providing some breakthrough technology allowing the use of solar energy to electrolytically crack water into hydrogen and oxygen gases with low cost and low energy investment.

Fuel Cell Bikes Being Supplied to 50,000 India Villages

August 1st

EKOVEHICLES of Bangalore India is bringing renewable, green energy to thousands of villages in India. This innovative technology will use a combination of clean solar and wind power, fuel cells and batteries to replace the very polluting diesel generators that currently provide electricity for the more than 50,000 Indian villages located 200 miles or more off the grid.

Plug Power To Provide 200 FC Systems To Indian Wireless Concern

July 25th

New York based Plug Power will be providing 200 GenSys Fuel Cell systems to Indian Wireless Provider Tata Teleservices Ltd. A major telecom operator in India. All units will be shipped by March 2010. Plug has been told that Tata expects to add 50,000 telecom towers in the next 5 years.

GM Lays off 8 at New York Fuel Cell Facility

July 22nd

As part of a company wide workforce reduction at GM, management has fired 8 people at their New York Fuel Cell Facility.

Showa Denko Develops Cheap Platinum Alternative PEFC with High Efficiency

July 22nd

In what promises to be a significant advancement Showa Denko (SDK) and NEDO have announced the work of Professor Oota of Yokohama University who has apparently produced PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell) without using the precious metal Platinum. Using Niobium and Titanium in combination with nitrogen oxides and carbon.

The production costs of these new types of Fuel Cell are $5 / Kilowatt. Approximately 1/20th of Platinum based PEFC.

Fuel Cell Energy Efficiencies reach 63%

July 16th

In June 2009 Japan's Nagoya based NGK Insulators, LTD. announced they have now developed a SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) that has produced a lower heating value (LHV) of 63%, the best performance ever for fuel cells. PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) generally produce around 55-60% energy efficiencies.

Fuel Cell

Order-Made Fuel Cell Homes going on sale!

July 9th

Aqura Home Corp. announces the inauguration of fuel-cell equipped, order-made homes as part of their OPTIS “Eneform” (alternative energy) concept home series. Prices for homes in this series start at 14.6 million Yen ($150,000 USD). As the supervising company, Aqura Home Corp. brings its’ craftsmanship and business know-how to the support of JAHBnet, a 500 member group of builders and contractors.