NEWS
They will initially seek to facilitate public and
private sector projects focused on developing
a European hydrogen value chain. The
agreement includes evaluating Hyundai’s fuel
cell system – already proven in the NEXO –
for the recently announced Ineos Grenadier
4×4 vehicle, to diversify its powertrain options
at an early stage.
Ineos: www.ineos.com
Inovyn: www.inovyn.com
Ineos Grenadier: www.ineosgrenadier.com
Hyundai NEXO:
www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/eco/nexo
AFC adds facility for
H-Power assembly
U K-based AFC Energy has secured a
long-term lease for new premises
at its Surrey headquarters, for
large-scale H-Power™ assembly and
commissioning.
AFC has secured a 30 000 ft2 (2800 m2)
facility at Dunsfold Park to scale up assembly
and commissioning of its alkaline fuel cell
systems [see the AFC feature in FCB, December
2015]. Containerised balance-of-plant (BOP)
from BK Gulf [November 2020, p1] and
electrodes from De Nora [September 2019,
p13] will be received at the site for assembly
and system commissioning, with a logistics hub
to handle the dispatch of up to 100 hydrogen
generator systems per annum, with capacity
for further growth. The facility will also
accommodate an additional 40 manufacturing
and engineering staff.
The facility is expected to be retrofitted
and operational by the end of March 2021,
and will first be utilised for assembly and
commissioning of systems for Extreme E
[August 2020, p11], Acciona [July 2020, p8]
and Jülich [October 2020, p8].
The site has the potential to assemble up
to 200 MW per annum of H-Power systems,
when AFC releases its ‘S’ Series high energy
density fuel cell system from late 2022. The
site could also mass-produce the AlkaMem®
membrane [December 2019, p12].
AFC Energy: www.afcenergy.com
Nedstack, LAVO link to
produce in Australia
D utch PEM fuel cell technology
manufacturer Nedstack is
partnering with LAVO™, an Australian
December 2020 Fuel Cells Bulletin
hydrogen power technology company,
to localise production of Nedstack fuel
cells in Australia.
LAVO and Nedstack’s combined experience,
market leading positions and drive for
innovation will deliver an important boost
to Australian manufacturing capabilities,
and capitalise on consumer demand across
the Australasia region for secure, reliable
and sustainable energy solutions. The
manufacturing capabilities are expected to
be located on the east coast, perhaps close to
LAVO’s base in Sydney.
LAVO Hydrogen Technology was
established to commercialise technology
developed at the Hydrogen Energy Research
Centre co-founded by Providence Asset
Group and the University of New South
Wales [FCB, August 2020, p13]. The LAVO
System is a hydrogen energy storage system for
residential homes and businesses. The product
is scheduled to be ready for first installations by
mid-2021, and will employ Nedstack fuel cells.
LAVO has other applications in development,
such as a hydrogen-powered bicycle and
barbecue.
Nedstack is an established producer of
PEM fuel cells and power systems [see the
feature in August 2014], with its technology
installed worldwide in infrastructure assets [e.g.
March 2020, p13, and see the News Feature in
November 2016], commercial vehicles [e.g. July
2018, p4], and maritime solutions [e.g. January
2020, p5]. The company recently partnered
with China Chemical Technology Research
Institute to bring PEMFC power plant
technology to mass production and deployment
at economic cost levels [November 2020, p8].
Nedstack: www.nedstack.com
LAVO: www.lavo.com.au
RESEARCH
Advent wins ARPA-E
funding, AMCI merger
M
assachusetts-based Advent
Technologies has been awarded
funding under the OPEN Program
of the US Department of Energy’s
Advanced Research Projects Agency-
Energy (ARPA-E), to continue
development of its high-temperature
PEM fuel cell technology for
automotive applications, in particular
for heavy-duty trucks.
Advent – originally established in
Greece [FCB, February 2013, p9] – is
collaborating with Los Alamos National
Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin,
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University
of New Mexico and Toyota Motor North
America. The R&D programme aims to
use HT-PEMFC technology operating at
80–150°C to boost efficiency to 70%, with fast
startup, superior heat management, increased
tolerance to impurities, and allowing for
onboard direct reformation of hydrocarbon
fuels to low-grade hydrogen.
Meanwhile, Advent has agreed to merge with
AMCI Acquisition Corp, becoming a wholly
owned subsidiary of AMCI. The combined
company will operate as Advent Technologies
Holdings Inc, and its common stock will be
listed on the Nasdaq. The combined company
will continue to operate under the current
Advent management team, led by Dr Vasilis
Gregoriou as CEO.
Advent Technologies: www.advent.energy
AMCI Acquisition Corp: www.amciacquisition.com
ARPA-E, OPEN Program:
www.arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/open-programs
DOE issues Hydrogen
Program Plan for US
T he US Department of Energy
has released its latest Hydrogen
Program Plan, to provide a strategic
framework for its hydrogen research,
development, and demonstration
(RD&D) activities.
The DOE Hydrogen Program is a
coordinated effort to advance the affordable
production, transport, storage and use of
hydrogen across different sectors of the
economy. The Plan involves participation from
the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy (EERE), Fossil Energy, Nuclear Energy,
Electricity, Science, and the Advanced Research
Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
The Plan serves as the overarching
document to set the strategic direction of the
Hydrogen Program, and to complement the
technical and programmatic multi-year plans
from each DOE Office engaging in hydrogen
RD&D activities. It reinforces DOE’s
commitment to develop technologies that can
enable hydrogen expansion in the US, and
highlights the importance of collaboration
both within DOE and with stakeholders in
industry, academia, and the states to achieve
this goal.
DOE Hydrogen Program Plan:
www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/hydrogen-program-
plan-2020.pdf
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