(The Woodlands, TX - April 22, 2003) With environmental quality and the U.S. dependence on foreign oil creating mounting concerns, members of both the public and private sectors are looking at fuel cells as a potential long-term solution. Long touted for their cleanliness and efficiency, fuel cells must also prove to be reliable and cost efficient.
A group of 14 corporations, regulatory agencies, and universities will work together in support of a program at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) to evaluate the performance of stationary fuel cell systems. BP, California Air Resources Board, California Power Authority, ChevronTexaco, Ecce Energy Corporation, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), Shell Hydrogen, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Southern California Gas Company, Southern Company, Texas A&M University, Texas State Energy Conservation Office, University of Houston, and Walt Disney Imagineering R&D are sponsors of HARC's Center for Fuel Cell Research and Applications for the 2003 program year. The Center's work will provide sponsors with engineering data regarding fuel cell operations and the commercial and industrial applications where they can be used.
"As fuel cell products come to market, potential users of the technology need detailed operational data," says Dan Bullock, HARC program manager. "The Center allows industry members to participate in and learn from system testing and demonstration projects, at a fraction of the cost of doing it themselves."
"We are excited about the possibilities that fuel cells offer for distributed power generation, which we believe will create future opportunities for us to sell the required fuel for these systems and the heat and power they produce to our customers. The HARC partnership offers us the opportunity to evaluate a broad range of systems in an unbiased manner," said Jeremy Bentham, CEO Shell Hydrogen.
The Center plans to evaluate a full range of performance metrics, including overall system efficiency, continuous power capability, power quality, performance degradation, fuel consumption, load following capability, failure modes, component wear, reformer and stack emissions, maintenance requirements, and technical support requirements. In addition, researchers will consider the impact of temperature, humidity, and salt air on the performance and cost of operating fuel cells in sub-tropical and coastal climates.
"HARC's program will build on the database of operational experience essential for the development of the Hydrogen Economy," said Carol Battershell, Alternative Fuels Director, BP. "We support the Center's aim to run live tests of fuel cells in stationary applications as, in our experience, such practical demonstrations are an ideal way to build customer assurance and to increase understanding of the elements that make up the hydrogen industry."
Corporations, universities, research organizations, and other potential users of the technology may still join the 2003 program. For information, contact Dan Bullock at (281)-364-6087.
Created in 1982, HARC is a nonprofit organization located in The Woodlands, Texas, dedicated to improving human and eco-system well being. In response to a growing demand for clean power, HARC created the Center for Fuel Cell Research and Applications in July of 1998 and has since operated a test laboratory to evaluate PEM fuel cell systems and related equipment. Visit HARC at www.harc.edu
BP p.l.c. is the holding company of one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemicals groups. BP is actively involved in developing the Hydrogen Economy through strategic partnerships and demonstration projects. BP's efforts are focused on the production, distribution and retailing of hydrogen. More information on BP can be found at www.bp.com
California Air Resources Board (ARB) is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.
California Power Authority is a financing agency established to ensure adequate electricity reserve levels in order to help keep rates stable and power flow reliable in California.
ChevronTexaco Corp., through ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures, is involved with identifying, developing and commercializing new and emerging technologies and energy systems that promise to play an increasingly important role in the world's energy mix. Such activities include fuel processing for fuel cells, hydrogen storage and infrastructure, advanced batteries and renewables. ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures is also a venture investor actively engaged in developing and commercializing innovative energy technologies through internal development, joint ventures and equity investments.
Ecce Energy Corporation is a Canadian company working to build hydrogen production and fueling infrastructure while providing automotive and energy companies with a profitable transition to tomorrow's fuel cell marketplace.
San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to three million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and 775,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. SDG&E and Southern California Gas Co. are part of Sempra Energy Utilities, the umbrella for Sempra Energy's regulated California utilities. Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company.
Shell Hydrogen is a global business of the Royal Dutch Shell Group of Companies with headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and regional bases in Houston and Tokyo. Shell Hydrogen was set up in 1999 to pursue and develop business opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cells. For further information, visit http://www.shell.com/hydrogen
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is world-renowned for its state-of-the-science efforts to advance a variety of clean fuel technologies. For over a decade, SCAQMD has been a leader in the research and development of mobile and stationary fuel cell demonstration projects as part of its Technology Advancement program. SCAQMD is the environmental regulatory agency responsible for the protection of public health from air pollution for the more that 15 million people who live and work in the South Coast Basin of Southern California. For more information, visit www.aqmd.gov
Southern California Gas Company is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing safe and reliable energy to 18 million consumers through 5.1 million meters. The company's service territory encompasses 23,000 square miles in most of central and Southern California. The company is part of Sempra Energy Utilities, the umbrella for Sempra Energy's regulated California utilities. With four million customers and nearly 37,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a fast-growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. The company has traditionally been a leader in the electric utility industry in research and development.
Texas A&M University is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields. Its mission of providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate programs is inseparable from its mission of developing new understandings through research and creativity. For more information, visit www.tamu.edu
The Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) seeks to promote and provide for the efficient use of energy, while protecting human health and safety, and the environment. SECO administers and delivers a variety of energy efficiency and renewable programs which significantly impact energy cost and consumption in the institutional, industrial, transportation and residential sectors.
University of Houston Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials (TCSAM) represents the largest multidisciplinary university superconductivity and related materials research effort in the United States, with more than 260 faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students.
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc. is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and is chartered to develop and apply technology to the entertainment field.
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