Compiled by Enrique Mora
Information supplied in great part by
Breakthrough Technologies Institute / Fuel Cells 2000

We know that creativity has always been challenged. Fuel cells (also called Hydrogen Cells) are closer than ever and they will create a much better environment in the years to come. Some day you will be able to put the waste or trash in the methanol converter of your vehicle and keep going. The fuel cells do not burn the fuel, they use the hydrogen within to create an effect of reversed electrolysis generating electricity with very high efficiency.

No more high octane gasoline, no starting motor or ignition system, no radiator, no combustion, low temperature, no emissions whatsoever. Exhaust, oh yes, your vehicle’s emission will be pure water.

It has not been an easy journey for these miraculous devices though. The first fuel cell, (perhaps we should call them hydrogen cells to be more consistent with reality), was built in 1839 by Sir William Grove, a Welsh judge and gentleman scientist. As it always happens in such cases, people just laughed at him and did not take him serious. It would’ve certainly changed the course of humanity and perhaps accelerate technological development. Even political and economical issues related to petroleum would’ve been quite different.

It was until the 1960's, when the U.S. space program chose fuel cells over riskier nuclear power and more expensive solar energy. Fuel cells furnished power for the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, and still provide electricity and water for the space shuttle.

Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry has provided funding to NEDO, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, to establish a consortium to develop direct-methanol fuel cells. First year funding for the six-year project is $4.4 million. Companies involved in the consortium include Nissan, Suzuki, Mitsubishi.

Toyota Chairman Hiroshi Okuda told reporters that the company would commercialize in the short term a fuel cell vehicle that was experimental  in 2003, a similar effort is expected from Daimler-Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Honda has announced it has started to build 300 fuel cell vehicles per year beginning in 2003.  The car is based on the just discontinued EV Plus electric vehicle, and will utilize methanol as fuel. The existent infrastructure of gasoline distribution will ease the supply for these units.

Several residences in Bend, Oregon have been disconnected from the electric grid the last few years in order to participate in a test of these systems. Northwest Power Systems, Methanex Corporation and Statoil (a European methanol producer) are running a project to demonstrate the use of methanol in fuel cell systems for residential applications. 

A Spokane, WA based company (Avista) is developing this technology in mass production and it will soon be practical to have one of their devices at home for alternative electric supply. They have received important support from the government for the research and hands-on experiments. At this point they are already in the production stage.

Many experimental vehicles are being tested. These include a Mazda Van with hundreds of thousands of miles on the American highways. Many buses, some of them serving Chicago and a few more in Canada, are operating all over the world. The municipalities of London have ordered many vehicles as well.

A fuel cell powered forklift truck was introduced by JLG, a booming Pennsylvania-based company. The Concept 2000 boom lift uses a four kilowatt PEM fuel cell, developed by AlliedSignal Aerospace, as a battery charger while the batteries supply energy for the motors. Substantial evolution will be expected in electric motors, basic elements in these vehicles. Just as it has been with locomotive engines for about 50 years now.

Something important is the fact that fuel cells can promote energy diversity and a transition to renewable energy sources. Hydrogen -- the most abundant element on Earth -- will at some point be used directly. 

Fuel cells can utilize any fuel containing hydrogen, including methanol, ethanol, natural gas, and even gasoline or diesel fuel. Fuels containing hydrogen generally require a "fuel reformer" that extracts the hydrogen. Energy also could be supplied by bio-mass, wind, solar power or other renewable sources. Fuel cells today are
running on many different fuels, even gas from landfills and waste water treatment plants. It is not dream or fiction that our daily trash may become our fuel in the coming decades. There is high performance in these systems since they do not generate the enormous amounts of heat of today’s internal combustion engines.

An example of practical application

IdaTech, LLC, a global fuel cell solutions developer and manufacturer, recently announced its newest backup power product -- the ElectraGen(TM)3 fuel cell system. The ElectraGen(TM)3 is a hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell solution capable of producing up to three kilowatts of clean, reliable backup power. This announcement marks a significant addition to the IdaTech backup power fuel cell product offering and highlights IdaTech's position in the industry as the only company offering this wide range of backup power solutions.

Like its bigger brother, the ElectraGen(TM)5, the ElectraGen(TM)3 product is a CE certified fuel cell system designed for critical backup power needs ranging from 1.5 to 3 kilowatts. By offering improved system reliability and more predictable performance in a broad range of climates the ElectraGen(TM)3 system is a cost-effective replacement to valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries and other traditional electricity generating methods. Developed specifically to address the needs of telecommunications and uninterruptible power systems (UPS) backup power needs, units in the ElectraGen(TM) family are designed to provide 10 years of service.

"The release of the ElectraGen(TM)3, ahead of schedule and only months after the ElectraGen(TM)5 system launch, marks another significant commercial milestone for the company," said IdaTech President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Duss. "We believe that this addition, coupled with IdaTech's reforming capability, clearly places the company at the forefront of the fuel cell industry in the ability to deliver a full range of critical backup power solutions."

"With the release of the ElectraGen(TM)3 fuel cell system, the company is positioned to effectively serve telecommunications and UPS backup power market needs ranging from about 1.5kWe to 15kWe," added IdaTech Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Harol Koyama. "Telecommunication and UPS customers have a range of power requirements and are asking for a more complete set of solutions. Hence, we believe IdaTech's product portfolio approach is a key differentiating factor in the market."

About IdaTech

IdaTech's fuel cell solutions are based on a flexible modular design, supporting interchangeable components, which enables IdaTech to accelerate product development incorporating proven components and subsystems into customized configurations. Additionally, IdaTech's fuel cell solutions incorporate its patented fuel processing technology and operate on a variety of fuels.

IdaTech's portfolio of fuel cell solutions is based on its proprietary multi-fuel fuel processing technology, its own fuel cell stack and power module, and fuel cell system integration capabilities. With the support of strategic partners, the company's solutions are being deployed on a global scale for stationary and portable applications. IdaTech is a subsidiary of the Boise, Idaho-based energy and technology holding company IDACORP, Inc. (NYSE:IDA).

CONTACT: Amy Anderson, Marketing Communications Manager of IdaTech, +1-541-322-1022, or aanderson@idatech.com