NEWS

December 2013 Fuel Cells Bulletin5

Ceramic Fuel Cells has also sold 45 BlueGEN™ systems for a large Virtual Power Plant in the Netherlands, and is partnering with National Grid in the UK to deliver 10 BlueGEN micro-CHP appliances for social housing projects [see page 6].

Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9554 2300, www.cfcl.com.au or www.bluegen.info

European Sales Office: Ceramic Fuel Cells BV, Heerlen, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 88 5445 070.

Tameo MT, Estonia: www.tameo.ee/en

Synergy International: www.synergy.ee (under construction)

Acta Power integrated electrolyser-fuel cell system for lighthouse

Italian-based Acta SpA has sold an Acta Power hydrogen renewable

energy storage system to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. The integrated electrolyser-fuel cell system will operate at the famous Raffles Lighthouse on the island of Pulau Satuma. It will store renewable energy from solar and wind turbines at the lighthouse, providing power for its four permanent staff.

The system uses renewable power and filtered rainwater. It will generate 1 m3/h of hydrogen at 30 bar (435 psi), and produce 4 kW of electric power via its integrated PEM fuel cell module. Including ancillary systems, installation, training and support, this represents Acta’s largest single product sale so far. Shipment is expected by the end of 2013, with installation completed by spring 2014.

The Acta Power system will be installed by NTU for research and test-bedding purposes, to evaluate the feasibility of using renewable energy to support remote site power requirements.

‘In tandem with the progress we are making in the telecom backup power sector, we are pleased to receive this first order for the installation of an Acta Power for a renewable energy storage application for powering off-grid communities,’ says Paolo Bert, chief executive of Acta. ‘We are receiving significant levels of interest for this type of application, and we hope that this evaluation will open the door to large-scale installations in developing countries.’

The company launched the Acta Power system in the spring for backup power and renewable energy storage applications [FCB, May 2013, p4]. It converts energy from

renewable or grid power when it is available and stores it in the form of hydrogen, which is converted back to electric power when needed due to grid blackouts or lack of solar/wind.

The system has extensive application as a backup power unit for telecom base stations, where the use of rainwater and hydrogen onsite generation remove the cost and logistical barriers of fuel delivery. It is under evaluation with mobile telecom operators in Africa [FCB, October 2013, p3], Australia, and the Philippines [FCB, September 2013, p4].

Acta SpA, Crespina, Pisa, Italy. Tel: +39 050 644281, www.actaspa.com

Ceres Power awarded £1m UK government funding, tech progress

In the UK, Ceres Power has secured £1 million (US$1.6 million) of grant

funding under the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, for further development of its Ceres Technology Platform. The company also reported on significant technical progress with its intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell technology at the recent SOFC-XIII conference in Okinawa, Japan.

The DECC Energy Entrepreneurs Fund (EEF) supports strategic innovation to make the UK a world leader in new low-carbon technologies, and develop associated global-scale businesses. The award to Ceres will help the company accelerate development of its highly efficient power generation technology for homes or businesses as a lower-carbon alternative to grid power.

The combination of high efficiency, low cost, and the mass-manufacturable Steel Cell creates opportunities for a wide range of low-carbon applications in global markets. Ceres Power’s unique Steel Cell technology has demonstrated robustness and performance at an inherently lower cost to alternatives in the market. It also continues to drive significant commercial progress with global product manufacturing partners, particularly in Japan and South Korea [FCB, August 2013, p4].

‘Delivering high efficiency at low cost has been our key differentiator in attracting commercial partners to consider Ceres for their next generation of low-carbon power products,’ says chief executive Phil Caldwell.

Talking of Japan, Ceres Power recently talked about significant technical progress on its fuel

Fuel Cells 2014 Science & Technology

– A Grove Fuel Cell Event

3–4 April 2014, Amsterdam, NetherlandsThe Fuel Cells 2014 Science & Technology Conference will take place at the NH Grand Krasnapolsky Hotel in the Dutch capital, where this series of biannual research-oriented conferences kicked off in 2002. The event is organised by Elsevier in collaboration with the Grove Steering Committee.

Thousands of fuel cells are being produced annually and sold commercially in a wide range of applications, but continued research – both fundamental and applied – will be essential to help reduce production costs and increase durability. Fuel Cells 2014 Science & Technology will bring together leading researchers and technologists, working in critical areas such as new materials, degradation processes and systems engineering, to discuss the state-of-the-art, highlight new developments, and propose research priorities. Attendance at this established international conference will benefit all those interested – including end-users – in the key research and development issues facing fuel cell science and technology, as well as related fields such as hydrogen generation and storage.

The conference will feature oral presentations in the form of plenaries, keynotes and submitted papers, as well as an extensive poster programme.

Call for AbstractsAbstracts are invited for oral and poster presentations on the following conference topics:

Abstracts should be submitted by 7 January 2014, using the Online Submission Form according to the abstract preparation guidelines on the website.

Commercial opportunitiesExhibition and sponsorship opportunities are available for Fuel Cells 2014 Science & Technology – for more details see the website.

Supporting journalsThe conference is supported by the world-leading Journal of Power Sources and the Fuel Cells Bulletin.

Website: www.fuelcelladvances.com