Table of Contentsi
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German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Hydrogen Mirror 1/2020 Table of Contentsi General ZSW Establishes Research Factory in Ulm Bosch builds Fuel Cell Centre in China Mobile Applications Nexo is Fast Nexo goes Far Renault Enhances Battery Cars with Fuel Cells Fuel Cell Trains in Prignitz Infrastructure New Refilling Stations in Germany More and Bigger Refilling Stations Hydrogen for Battery Cars Stationary Applications Green Steel from Salzgitter Safe Energy for Security Portable Applications Wearable Fuel Cell Politics The Federal Government and its „Stakeholders“ Parliamentary Evening by DWV France and China Promote Hydrogen Mobility What Else Have We Found … Knowledge gaps German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Hydrogen Mirror 1/2020 GENERAL ZSW ESTABLISHES RESEARCH FACTORY IN ULM In the project „HyFab – Research Factory for Fuel Cells“ the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden‐Wuerttemberg (ZSW) together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg and other partners will develop and test automatic manufactory and quality assurance procedures for fuel cells. The ZSW research facilities in Ulm will be extended significantly for this purpose. The state ministry for environment of Baden‐Wuerttemberg supports the project in Ulm and Freiburg with 7.9 M€. (ZSW press release of 19. December 2019) BOSCH BUILDS FUEL CELL CENTRE IN CHINA Bosch builds a fuel cell centre in the Chinese city of Wuxi (Province Jiangsu, not far from Shanghai). It is the first such activity outside Germany. Fuel cell products are to be investigated, developed, and test produced there. Key components, stacks, and systems will be the objects. In late 2020 it will be ready, and in early 2021 the first small production will be available. The declarations during the ground breaking ceremony underlined the usefulness of fuel cells for heavy duty vehicles. At the same time and at the same place the building of an innovation and software centre started. It will be ready in mid‐2020. Both institutions are to cooperate closely. (China Daily of 6. December 2019) MOBILE APPLICATIONS NEXO IS FAST On the Bonneville Salt Flats, a part of the Great Salt Desert in the state of Utah (USA) a Hyundai Nexo achieved in October a speed of 171 km/h, a new record for its class. For safety reasons and because of the requirements of the motor sports world association FIA the serial vehicle had been modified slightly. The new record must still be recognized officially by FIA. (Hyundai press release of 22. October 2019) German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Hydrogen Mirror 1/2020 NEXO GOES FAR The French adventurer Bertrand Piccard, member of a famous family of scientists, recently achieved a new world record for the longest ride with a hydrogen vehicle. With a Hyundai Nexo he made 778 km with only one tank filling from the FaHyence hydrogen refilling station in Sarreguemines (Saargemünd) close to the German border to the Musée de l’Air et de l‘Espace in Le Bourget, north east of Paris. When he arrived the computer told him that he could still have gone 49 km. (Hyundai press release of 5. December 2019) RENAULT ENHANCES BATTERY CARS WITH FUEL CELLS Renault now offers fuel cells serially in its light utility vehicles. Additionally to the battery the vehicles have a range extender based on a fuel cell (Symbio). In the first half of 2020 the Renault MASTER Z.E. Hydrogen will be available with the triple range (350 km) in different versions. It has two hydrogen tanks, but the loading space will be the same. Already in late 2019 the Renault KANGOO Z.E. Hydrogen with a range of 370 km was planned to be available. It has 3.9 m³ loading space. The price in France was given as 48.300 € (before VAT), battery included but without the subtraction of possible funding. (Renault press release of 22. October 2019) FUEL CELL TRAINS IN PRIGNITZ In two years the first train with a hydrogen instead of a Diesel drive will run between the cities Neustadt/Dosse and Meyenburg in the Prignitz County (the NW tip of Brandenburg). Diesel locomotives of Desag (German railway operator) will be converted to hydrogen. Desag will use a first prototype in two years. After this all the four trains of the company running on this line could be converted. After this the technology could also be used on other lines served by Desag in Mecklenburg‐Western Pomerania and Thuringia. The Prignitz region is the third greatest wind power generator in Germany. The regional railway grid goes across the wild power area and is not electrified. A “Power‐to‐Gas” plant already exists and can deliver “green” hydrogen right to the track ‐ a situation which is until now unique in Germany. (Der Tagesspiegel of 6. December 2019) German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Hydrogen Mirror 1/2020 INFRASTRUCTURE NEW REFILLING STATIONS IN GERMANY Drivers of a fuel cell car in Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe (Hessen) can now fill up in their city. The new station is run by H2 MOBILITY Germany, the technology comes from Air Liquide. The city of Bad Homburg received the station in 2018 as part of the second location tender of H2 MOBILITY. (H2 Mobility press release of 29. October 2019) The first hydrogen refilling station of Lower Bavaria was opened on 22. November in Passau. Andreas Scheuer, federal transport minister, did the first symbolic refilling in his home city together with Mayor Jürgen Dupper. The site is part of a Shell station close to the highway A3. The refilling technology comes from Air Liquide. On 18. December H2 MOBILITY Germany and its shareholders Shell and Air Liquide opened the fourth hydrogen refilling station of Hamburg at the Shell station, district Harburg. The new site is in the south of Hamburg close to the highway junction Harburg of the A1. (Joint press release of 18. December 2019) MORE AND BIGGER REFILLING STATIONS On 5. November in Berlin federal transport minister Andreas Scheuer and Nikolas Iwan, head of H2 MOBILITY Germany GmbH & Co. KG, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the further extension of the hydrogen infrastructure. It means that by the end of 2021 more than 60 000 fuel cell cars and 500 utility vehicle could fill up in Germany. By mid‐2020 Germany will have 100 stations, which means that the public infrastructure makes hydrogen mobility possible almost without restrictions. The MoU means that until the end of 2021 the network will grow by 30 more stations. This makes it possible to serve also light and heavy utility vehicles at selected stations. (H2 Mobility press release of 19. November 2019) HYDROGEN FOR BATTERY CARS The British company AFC Energy has now started to sell its battery charging system based on a fuel cell. The grid independent system can be installed everywhere, and it can be served with hydrogen in different ways (including with green hydrogen, if desired). So a quick charging station can be installed in regions which do not have the power grid for it. But it is also possible to use it in cities to take load off the grid. The modular system is available in three sized and can serve between two and more than 100 charging points. (AFC press release of 6. December 2019) German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Hydrogen Mirror 1/2020 STATIONARY APPLICATIONS GREEN STEEL FROM SALZGITTER Last November Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH (SZFG) ordered a 2,2 MW PEM electrolyser from Siemens Gas and Power. This is an important step towards steel making based on hydrogen. The plant will start operation in the fourth quarter of 2020, and it will cover the whole hydrogen demand of SZFG. The power comes from wind turbines. The costs for the whole project – installing the wind turbines and the hydrogen plant plus their integration into the existing grids – amount to some 50 M€. In Salzgitter a containerized system will be built which can deliver up to 400 Nm³ of hydrogen. (Joint press release of 18. November 2019) SAFE ENERGY FOR SECURITY 505 radio towers in the states of Baden‐Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hessen and Saxony will be equipped with fuel cell technology. They are part of the digital radio network of security relevant authorities and organisations. This provides a modern and reliable communication tool to police, fire services, ambulances and other civil and disaster protection organisations. In detail 200 digital radio systems will be equipped with fuel cell technology in Baden‐Wuerttemberg, 180 in Bavaria, 60 in Hessen, 56 in Brandenburg and nine in Saxony. In a case of emergency the radio stations can operate for 72 hours without grid, and they can be maintained remotely. (CPN press release of 27. November 2019) PORTABLE APPLICATIONS WEARABLE FUEL CELL Scientists from Grenoble and San Diego have developed a fuel cell which can be worn on the skin. And it runs on sweat. More exact: on lactate, which is a component of sweat. This is the result of a cooperation between the Université Grenoble Alpes and the University of California (UC) San Diego. The current device is comprised of a flexible conductive material made from carbon nanotubes, crosslinked polymers and enzymes, and joined by flexible connectors that are screen‐printed directly onto the material. German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Hydrogen Mirror 1/2020 Researchers tested the device and found that once applied to someone’s arm, it can use a voltage booster to continuously power an LED. They envision that it can one day meet the need for a reliable and efficient energy sources for wearable devices, particularly those that provide fitness and health monitoring. However, the device currently has limitations in voltage, something the researchers aim to improve in the future.