New Energies, new possibilities

Company announces it has finalised £5m funding round in support of its hydrogen fuel cell plans

The manufacturer of a key decarbonisation technology has received a major funding boost, with hydrogen fuel cell firm Bramble Energy announcing yesterday that is has raised £5m to accelerate deployment of innovative fuel cell production technology.

The investment was led by BGF and joined by existing investors including IP Group, Parkwalk Advisors, and UCL Technology Fund

Bramble Energy has developed what it claims is the only technology in the world capable of producing gigawatts of hydrogen fuel cells using existing global manufacturing resources. It predicts the technology will reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate time to market, thereby cutting the level of investment necessary to build out manufacturing capacity compared to existing fuel cell designs.

The fuel cells can be manufactured in almost all printed circuit board (PCB) factories worldwide, the firm claims, enabling fast-tracked scalability for their production.

"Bramble has created a world-first in the production of hydrogen fuel cells, with the potential to transform a global and growing market," said George Mills at BGF.

"Critically, Bramble has inherent scale-up potential with fuel cells that can be made in PCB factories around the world. As the UK advances towards its greener future, the cleantech industry is one of increasing interest to BGF, with our capital and financial firepower designed to help accelerate growth and provide long-term partnerships."

Bramble Energy was founded in 2016 as a spinout from UCL and Imperial College London by Professor Dan Brett, Professor Anthony Kucernak and CEO Dr. Tom Mason.

The new funding will support the launch of the firm's portable power product range, starting with a low cost, flexible 20W unit, which should be followed by 60W and 100W versions, all of which provide zero-emissions replacements for diesel generator technologies.

"This is a hugely exciting time for Bramble Energy, with many eyes focused on the UK's leadership role in the transition to a greener economy," said Tom Mason.

"We are solving some of the greatest barriers to the adoption of fuel cells - through our ground-breaking manufacturing route, scale-up potential and low-cost production. BGF understands our mission, culture and technical capabilities. We are pleased to have them on board, backing our growth and expansion at a critical juncture for the business."

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electric power from an electrochemical reaction rather than combustion, eliminating carbon emissions from the power unit and producing only water and heat as by-products.

Hydrogen is set to play a significant role in global efforts to reach net-zero emissions, with the European Union adopting an ambitious Hydrogen Strategy in July, outlining ambitions to increase the bloc's renewable hydrogen capacity from 1GW today to 6GW by 2024 and 40GW by 2030.

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4018635/bramble-energy-funding-boost-innovative-hydrogen-fuel-cells-manufacturer

Dublin, Aug. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ResearchAndMarkets.com published a new article on the fuel cells industry "More Companies Look to Hydrogen Fuel Technology as Alternative to Fossil Fuels"

The cost of producing hydrogen fuel cells has fallen significantly in recent years and analysts predict that if this trend continues hydrogen fuel cells could become a viable alternative to diesel generators as well as having applications in the automotive, grid storage and logistics sectors.

Several companies such as Plug Power and Ballard Power Systems are developing hydrogen fuel cells for forklifts, buses and ships while Bloom Energy expects to make its new solid oxide electrolyzer available in 2021. Electrolyzers have the ability to split water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms and could provide a clean and plentiful source of hydrogen fuel.

Microsoft announced on Monday that it successfully used hydrogen fuel cells to power a row of data center servers for 48 hours. This could help to bring the company closer to its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2023. The BMW Group will pilot its second generation hydrogen fuel cells in the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT from 2022. While Pacar has recently announced that it will test 10 hydrogen fuel cell trucks with customers in the Port of Los Angeles early next year.

To see the full article and a list of related reports on the market, visit "More Companies Look to Hydrogen Fuel Technology as Alternative to Fossil Fuels"

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https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/08/05/2073060/0/en/Hydrogen-Fuel-Technology-Gaining-Momentum-2020-and-Beyond.html

After the all-electric Model S sedan paved the way for battery-powered SUVs and crossovers, it was only a matter of time before pickup trucks would come along to share the spotlight. Rivian’s R1T hit the ground running for a while, but Tesla’s Cybertruck unveil officially started the race for worksite hauling and adventure with zero emissions. Nikola Motors later followed up with its own truck – the Badger – powered with hydrogen fuel cells.

How all of these vehicles will do with consumers is the question on everyone’s mind now, and the team at PartCatalog.com has put together some Twitter data to help predict the answer.

Using Twitter’s geospatial metadata made available to developers and Google’s Trends software, PartCatalog created a color-coded map showing the most anticipated electric truck in the US in a state-by-state breakdown. Over 90,000 tweets were tracked for the project, using hashtags and models mentioned as data drivers. Specifically, tagged location, mentioned location, and profile location formed the basis of the state determinations.

The results were quite interesting.

Altogether, Rivian’s R1T was the top-mentioned zero-emissions pickup in 17 states, Tesla’s Cybertruck in 15 states, and Nikola’s Badger in 13 states. Bollinger’s B2 made a splash with 4 states, and Lordstown’s Endeavor picked off 1 state. The results look to be a bit regionalized with Rivian drawing chatter in the north-central and northeastern parts of the US, Nikola in the south and southwest, and Tesla making headway right through the middle on a diagonal course.

These results could be based on a variety of reasons aside from consumer preferences for vehicle styling and capabilities. Company location is another factor to consider. For instance, the Lordstown Endurance was most mentioned in Ohio only, which is also the state where the company is headquartered. Tesla’s popularity in California comes as no surprise given it’s the auto maker’s home state and has become a world leader in all-electric vehicles. However, it’s interesting that Nikola’s Badger is most discussed in Texas, given Tesla’s recent Cybertruck factory competition, which ended in a win for the Lone Star state.

(Credit: Trevor Milton/Twitter)

Credit: Rivian

(Credit: Tesla Cybertruck/Instagram, Ford)

Nikola’s home base is now in Arizona, likely playing a role in its data findings there, but its popularity has also reached upwards to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The oil industry in Pennsylvania could play a role here, being that Nikola’s primary customer focus is the trucking industry and converting its diesel-focused world to cleaner fuel cells. Massachusetts, though, doesn’t have the same expectation given its environmental efforts overall.

The conversation surrounding electric pickup trucks is likely to become even more diverse as more prominent players get into the game. As more details about Ford’s battery-powered F-150 are revealed, some, if not all, of the other truck makers may see their popularity have more competition. The connection between Rivian and Ford, namely the $500 million investment made into the nascent manufacturer that was recently semi-canceled, may also have some interesting playout.

Of course, having at least one electric truck delivered to customers will be the most relevant measure of their opinions, and next year looks to be the earliest we’ll see that happen.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-rivian-nikola-market-share-map/

DOE awards Cummins $7M for work on H2 fuel cell viability in transportation sector

On-site power giant Cummins received two federal awards totaling nearly $7 million for its research into the viability of hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain solutions.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy tabbed Cummins to help lead projects in the DOE’s H2@Scale initiative to develop affordable hydrogen production, storage, distribution and use. The company’s work with public and private partners focused on fuel-cell powertrains for heavy-study applications including on-highway tractor-trailers and buses.

“Programs like “H2@Scale” are essential to gain the scale and investment needed that will lead to faster adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technologies,” said Amy Davis, President New Power, Cummins Inc. “The work we are doing with the DOE and our partners will help improve cost and operational performance of hydrogen fuel cell technologies to achieve greater parity with other available power solutions. We are looking forward to moving this technology forward and bringing additional hydrogen products to our customers.”

The first award for approximately $3.5 million is for the development of an integrated fuel cell electric powertrain for heavy-duty trucks and transit buses with operational performance and total cost of ownership that supports near-term, rapid, and substantial penetration of the truck and bus market. This includes development of a solution that is highly manufacturable and scalable with a proven range of 300 miles or more and improved fuel economy over current heavy-duty trucks and transit buses.

Other objectives include achieving, meeting or exceeding conventional diesel powertrain performance requirements and reducing the upfront capital costs by 35 percent to make the adoption of zero-emission fuel cell technologies viable for commercial fleets.

See more PE’s coverage on hydrogen!

The second award for $3 million is to develop and validate a high pressure, modular, 100 kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack and system to power heavy-duty applications. The objective is to optimize the fuel cell stack for efficiency, power density, space and cost for operation at or above 100°C that can achieve a minimum operating time of 25,000 hours and achieve $80/kW in volume production, which is necessary to make the stacks economically viable in the U.S. The fuel cell stack components will be developed and prototyped in the U.S. to encourage continued investment in this technology and increase scalability.

Cummins’ New Power segment, which combines the company’s investments in electrified powertrains, fuel cells and hydrogen production technology, completed its first full year in 2019. Last year, Cummins acquired Canada-based Hydrogenics Corp., which provides fuel cell and hydrogen production technologies, for about $290 million.

Indiana-based Cummins is one of several traditional gas or diesel-fueled generation firms globally increasing their stake in a potential hydrogen future. The gas must be created from the electrolysis process, but hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide when burnt, unlike coal or natural gas.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, MAN Energy Solutions and Siemens are among those firms working on hydrogen powered solutions at both utility and distribution scale.

https://fuelcellsworks.com/news/cummins-adds-to-its-fuel-cell-leadership-receives-two-us-department-of-energy-awards-for-hydrogen-fuel-cell-powertrains/

Bosch's contribution to the energy transition: Decentralized and environmentally friendly power generation

• Future-oriented: electricity production at Wernau plant with three fuel cell units based on SOFC technology
• Flexible: operation with hydrogen, biogas or natural gas possible
• Tailor-made: reliable and scalable small power plants from Bosch production

Bosch is opening a new chapter in the energy transition: At the Bosch training center in Wernau, Germany, a fuel cell pilot installation based on SOFC technology, short for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, is launched. The system consists of three fuel cell devices for stationary applications, which supplement the existing power supply of Wernau plant in a CO2-saving manner and drive the further development of these decentralized energy system

Franz Untersteller, Baden-Württemberg's State Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Energy, Andreas Schwarz, Member of the Baden-Württemberg Parliament, and Armin Elbl, mayor of Wernau, were among those who accepted Bosch Thermotechnology’s invitation to attend the official inauguration ceremony.
"As you see, Bosch has recognized the enormous economic potential associated with hydrogen and fuel cell technology, both in the mobility sector and in the field of stationary energy supply. And that's not all: With hydrogen, the economic prospects complement the ecological benefits wonderfully. This technology is a key technology for climate protection," explained Franz Untersteller during the event.

Fuel cell devices from Bosch with a wide range of applications

The development of these novel fuel cell systems was only made possible by close cooperation between the Bosch Corporate Research, Powertrain Solutions, and Thermotechnology divisions. Further SOFC pilot installations for testing and validation are located at the Bosch sites in Bamberg, Homburg, Renningen, and Schwieberdingen. Demonstration facilities are also planned in Stuttgart-Feuerbach and Salzgitter.

From 2020, the Bosch Group locations worldwide will no longer leave a CO2 footprint. The further development of the solid oxide fuel cell as an efficient and sustainable energy system also plays an important role in this respect, reports Uwe Glock, chairman of the board of management of Bosch Thermotechnology: "The energy transition can only succeed if we invest in sustainable, renewable energies over the long term. For Bosch, the highly efficient fuel cell is therefore an important contribution to the reliability of supply and flexibility of the energy system of the future.”

Focus on CO2 reduction: Operation with hydrogen, eco/biogas or natural gas

With the recently adopted hydrogen strategy of the Federal Government, hydrogen will become an important energy carrier of the future.

The SOFC fuel cell can be operated flexibly with hydrogen, eco/biogas, or natural gas: "The gradual switch to hydrogen as an energy carrier over the next few years makes the stationary fuel cell particularly future-proof in terms of achieving climate targets," explains Dr. Wilfried Kölscheid, head of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell project at Bosch.

Compared to the electricity mix in Germany, a SOFC fuel cell system saves up to 40 percent in CO2 emissions, even when operated with natural gas. If the fuel cell is operated with hydrogen or ecogas, there are no direct CO2 emissions at all. A single SOFC unit with a power output of 10 kW can cover the annual electricity demand of more than 20 four-person households. At Wernau plant, this means that the energy requirements of an industrial building within the plant can be almost completely covered by the three fuel cell units.

"With the SOFC pilot installation in Wernau, Bosch is demonstrating that a reliable, environmentally friendly and flexible energy supply can be guaranteed decentrally by systems such as the fuel cell," reports Uwe Glock. "The installation underlines our efforts to drive forward the energy transition and the associated mitigation of climate change in all energy and heating solutions from Bosch," adds Wilfried Kölscheid.

SOFC devices with an overall efficiency of more than 85 percent

In a purely electrochemical process, oxygen ions pass through a thin ceramic electrolyte from an anode to the cathode in the SOFC fuel cell, where they react with hydrogen to form water. This produces electricity with an efficiency of more than 60 percent. The additional heat generated can be used to supply heating and hot water systems via a heat exchanger. With this dual use, an overall efficiency of more than 85 percent is achieved for SOFC devices.

Tags: fuel cell, climate action, Wasserstoff

More information

Technical Contact:
Dr. Markus Ohnmacht M/PJ-SOFC
Telefon: +49 711 811-30926

Journalist Contact:
Anne Kaletsch TT/COM
+49 6441 418 1797

https://www.bosch-presse.de/pressportal/de/en/bosch-eroeffnet-wasserstofffaehige-brennstoffzellen-pilotanlage-am-standort-wernau-214400.html