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Ecotricity may be partnering ITM for Green Power
I agree Conno
ITM may well be trialling with Ecotricity who installed the Ford Wind Turbines
If so I would not expect an explicitly Ford announcement until the trial has been demonstrated successfully
elsewhere
The contacts at senior level are there with the ex Ford UK Chairman now on ITMs Board
Wll have a look at your links and comment further
Very interesting indeed Gerry.
Followed up on your findings. Ecotricity are an interesting outfit and the people behind the Dagenham turbines. Under your senario could it be Ecotricity that are assesing the combined HEC Genset and Electrolyser systems and not Ford? Now that would be exciting considering their other customers Co-op Bank, Sainsbury's, B&Q
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/projects/Ford/plan_ford.html
Ford were obviously impressed and have expanded the project
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/04/04/ford-to-install-third-wind-turbine-at-uk-plant/
Thirdly check out the paragraph under the sub heading "Going Off Grid" in the below link.
Car giant Ford teamed up with Ecotricity to set up three wind turbines – visible from the motorway – at their manufacturing plant in Dagenham, London. “We set up an agreement whereby we buy the energy from them and pay a small oncost and they deal with the turbines,” says Ford’s Taylor. The contract has allowed them to make “significant” financial savings he added.
Meanwhile, Ford is looking at other ideas to source green energy for its plants, including using photovoltaics in SPAIN and buying energy abroad.
http://www.climatechangecorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5434
OK probably means nothing but we see the Spanish link once again?
Are ITM and HEC teaming with Ford UK ?
Todays announcement said Hydrogen Engine Center expects to receive an electrolyser from ITM on completion of the current ITM development program. Upon receipt of that unit, HEC will begin conducting trial testing on the combined generator-electrolyzer system. ITM will also be conducting trial testing on a similar system. Data collected from both trials will be gathered and analyzed to better determine potential commercialization avenues for the system.
This raises a few interesting questions
e.g.
An electrolyser makes hydrogen from water and electricity and puts it into a tank
And
The electrolyser can then be switched off
Likewise
A hydrogen engine generator draws hydrogen from a storage tank, burns it in an engine which rotates the generator and creates electricity
ie
It doesn’t matter to the gen set whether or not the hydrogen in the tank came from ITM`s electrolyser or was made from some other source
Therefore
ITM don’t need to trial their 10kw HRU in conjunction with an 8Kw HEC gen set in order to prove that it can work as part of a system containing both items
Similarly
HEC don’t need to trial their 8Kw gen set in conjunction with an ITM 10kw HRU in order to prove that it can work as part of a system containing both items
So what conclusions can we draw from this statement ?
Firstly the Statement was probably written by ITM and released by HEC as it reads like an ITM press release with its mixture of confusion and obfustcation
Secondly the Statement is really talking about trialling a system and not about trialling either an electrolyser or a gen set
And
The system contains much more than just an electrolyser and a gen set
It will be something you can see and touch and feel and operate
The system will need:
Solar panels or wind turbine generating say 25Kw minimum of green power, a storage tank ,some electrical equipment, control electronics and some civil works to fix and enclose the various items and protect them from the elements
A green power co will have to be part of the project as it will be necessary to interface the various components supplied by each party
Planning permission will be needed if it is to be installed as a brand new installation
Alternatively the system could be an enlargement of an existing green power installation possibly in a UK site possibly one which may be connected but is not dependent on the UK grid
And most importantly of all
ITM don’t need to prove to themselves that their electrolyser works
And
HEC don’t need to prove to themselves that their gen set works
Therefore someone else needs to be convinced that both ITM`s electrolyser and HEC`s gen set will work in THEIR green power system
Now who could that be ?
Who has their own green power supply at their english factory ?
Who previously employed people who are now Directors of both ITM and HEC ?
Who has an interest in electrolysers fuelling one of their HydrogenTransit Vans ?
mmmmmmmm…………….
should read post 192.
post 12 response - there was/is a big market for OB's in S. Korea as they legislated that all the OLD trucks needed to be cleaned-up. Has been the case for a year or so - more trucks than meets the eye. Some Canadian/US co has been making hay.
Hydrogen Engine Center Delivers Generator Set to ITM Power
Delivery Marks Milestone in Collaboration for Turn-key Hydrogen-Fueled System
ALGONA, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hydrogen Engine Center, Inc., (OTC BB: HYEG) (HEC) developer of systems and processes used in the design, manufacture and distribution of alternative fuel internal combustion engines, engine controls and generator systems, has announced the delivery of an 8kW hydrogen-fueled generator set to ITM Power Plc (ITM) for demonstration purposes in the United Kingdom. The delivery of the unit which has been developed and is sized to be suitable for use in conjunction with the ITM electrolyzer based ‘10kW Home refueling Unit’ marks a significant milestone in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between HEC and ITM.
According to the MOU, both parties intend to develop non-polluting grid-independent power systems utilizing HEC’s hydrogen-fueled electrical generator set and engine controller along with ITM’s low cost electrolyzer technology. This system could essentially provide the technology and equipment necessary to operate on renewable energies such as wind and/or solar power.
Ted Hollinger, President and CEO of Hydrogen Engine Center, said, “The delivery of the generator to ITM Power shows evident progress in our joint goal toward producing carbon-free turn-key systems. With the successful testing of our generator set with ITM’s electrolyzer technology, we intend to progress into further discussions with ITM regarding commercialization of the system.”
HEC expects to receive an electrolyzer from ITM on completion of the current ITM development program. Upon receipt of that unit, HEC will begin conducting trial testing on the combined generator-electrolyzer system. ITM will also be conducting trial testing on a similar system. Data collected from both trials will be gathered and analyzed to better determine potential commercialization avenues for the system. Potential markets for these systems may include cell phone towers along with small renewable energy systems (power range up to 30kW), such as wind and solar applications. In addition to those markets, consumers may also see these systems commercialized globally for small business applications and home use. The intent is to increase the system’s capabilities over time to include larger industrial applications (power range between 30kW and 100kW).
Jim Heathcote, CEO of ITM, said, “We have anticipated receiving this unit and we believe that this combination of technologies is highly complementary.”
About ITM Power Plc:
ITM Power Plc believes it has developed and patented the keys to revolutionise the hydrogen economy and is set to become one of the UK’s leading innovators within the alternative energy sources industry. www.itm-power.com
ITM Power is quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) under the ticker symbol “ITM”.
http://www.hydrogenenginecenter.com/userdocs/ITM_Shipment_FINAL_091108.pdf
To clarify basbas's previous post to any readers not aware of what he's referring to [6 Green Boxes] story posted below.
September 10, 2008
ITM Power Is Testing Home Refuelling Electrolyser Units And Hopes To Begin Shipments To Partners Soon
By Rue Swabey
Aim-traded fuel cell company ITM Power is struggling to convince investors that it can commercialise its hydrogen technology. In April the company announced an agreement with automotive engineering company Roush Technologies which involved trialling hydrogen-powered vehicles in the UK. Roush will modify existing vehicles to run on hydrogen and also research new types of hydrogen power units. Shortly after the announcement, in July, ITM Power gave a demonstration of its home refuelling system, and its hydrogen petrol bi-fuel vehicle, to journalists and trade customers.
ITM Power, which has developed a low-cost membrane for its fuel-cell stake and electrolyser that eliminates the need for expensive platinum, has attracted a big institutional following. While sentiment was high (the shares reached a high of 351p in 2006), the company was able to tap the market and it now has £26.9 million on the balance sheet, equivalent to four years cash burn. But sentiment turned in January when management revealed problems with the manufacturing of ITM’s 10kW home refuelling unit. That resulted in a further delay to the long-awaited demonstration which only took place six months later.
Although these problems have been addressed, the market is still nervous and ITM Power’s share price has slid from 114p in January to 47.5p today. ITM Power is not the only fuel cell company to have lost value, and other companies, such as Acta and Voller Energy Group are down sharply as investors grow impatient with the inevitable delays in commercialising fuel cell technology. ITM posted a £4 million loss for the year ended 30 April 2008, up from the £2.7 million loss booked a year ago. And management is guiding for an increase in operating costs in 2009, given recent hires and an increase in engineering development work.
In addition to the Roush partnership, ITM Power also has an agreement with the United States Naval Undersea Warfare Centre to help develop advanced power systems for unmanned undersea vehicle applications. While there are no revenues attached to the agreement, the interest of the US Navy underscores the technology’s potential.
ITM Power is currently constructing six home refuelling electrolyser units for internal testing at its production facility in Sheffield. It is a complex process as it involves components from numerous suppliers and safety requirements need to be met. Once the units have been tested internally, ITM will be in a position to book orders from partners for demonstration and testing.
Management expects to demonstrate a refuelling system for commercial vehicles, fork lift trucks and local public transport, in the coming months. In addition to the residential and commercial refuelling systems the company is working on other applications such as hydrogen homes. It is developing a 10kW system that could be used in the home to supply hydrogen to a gas boiler, to a cooker and a small fuel cell. ITM has an agreement with Renewable Energy International (REI) to work on solar hydrogen homes. REI has built the world’s first hydrogen home in the US, and is building a second home in the Cayman Islands.
ITM Power is also developing a small electrolyser which it calls “the chip”. This 1-3kW system has the potential to generate hydrogen on-site for industrial processes. Jim Heathcote, ITM Power’s chief executive, points out that the development is customer-led, and underscores the potential to generate cash flow for the company while more complex applications are being developed and commercialised. If ITM Power is able to move into the delivered bottled hydrogen market, which is worth US$2 billion annually, it would provide much comfort to shareholders and take some pressure of the share price. However in the short-term the market will be waiting for the results of the electrolyser tests.
ITM NEEDS ITS ASS KICKED BY USA MANAGEMENT to make the $$$$$'s
ITM is sitting on fabulous technological wealth. Long on IP and short on execution. Bring USA experienced industrial management and ITM would be worth Billions. So many basic products the market is crying for and they potter making 6 Green Boxes probably with everyone giving a hand. What a waste
Will ITM licence OB distribution in the US ?
Bi Fuel Ltd folowing their extensive tests have advised ITM that despite the real savings being made by adding trace hydrogen to older HGV diesel engines in North America.......
....the very latest common rail engine design does not significantly benefit in mpg terms by adding H2 to the air intake manifold...
This result does not disprove the fact that adding H2 via the air intake manifold is a proven and viable way of improving mpg in non common rail engines with mpg improvements of 10% to 15%
All it says is that it doesn’t produce a significant saving in common rail engines
So presumably from an ITM standpoint
This rules out retrofitting OBs to any engine which has the common rail design
thus ruling out a deal with an OEM
However it stll leaves a very lucrative retrofit market where ITM can undercut current OB suppliers by up to 80% There are millions of older vehicles on the road today that are not of the common rail design
ITM have the choice of either selling direct or licencing the sale of their OB through one or more of the following
an existing electrolyzer supplier like Proton Energy or Hydrogenics
or
one of the current OB suppliers like CHEC or Hy Drive
or
a major distributor of diesel engine spares
or
A major fleet servicing chain
etc
So what do ITM need to do to exploit this lucrative opportunity ?
Simply to finalise a prototype OB of around 350w and complete the necessary
permitting work needed to obtain approval to sell the product in North America
ITM ought to be able to make a very good margin wholesaling a 350w OB for around $500 - $1000
Leaving the Retailer with a very healthy margin at a selling price of say $1500 -$2000
Versus the $6000 to $10000 being charged at present for these devices
And
By slashing the selling price there ought to be an exponential increase in demand particularly with the high price of diesel
Are ITM making ammonia for Hydrogen Engine Center ?
Back in 1970 when pem electrolysers were limited to the space program a patent was filed to make ammonia by electrolysing water using the tried and tested potassium hydroxide wet electrolyser
The patent contained a design which enabled the electrolytic hydrogen to be created at pressures of 30bar to 200bar
See
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3652431.html
One of the claims under this patent was that it enabled the hydrogen to be passed into a vessel which already contained nitrogen and a suitable catalyst This permitted ammonia to be formed
Ammonia as a liquid under a modest pressure contains more hydrogen per litre than liquid hydrogen so it would be eminently suitable as a storage medium in a closed container
This patent has presumably now lapsed after 38 yrs
Along come ITM in 2008 with their self pressurising electrolyser capable of operating at 75 bar the minimum pressure now needed to make ammonia ( it is still 200 bar with the traditional catalysts )
So what does all this mean ?
Well
In theory anyway it suggests that ITM have the capacity to make ammonia in remote locations using green energy Because it is made in a closed container it need never see the light of day if the container is simply used to get over the issue of hydrogen storage
ie
The hydrogen is made using an electrolyser inside a large storage tank with the ammonia collected and stored separately
When the hydrogen is needed it can be easily obtained by electrolysing the ammonia
which breaks down using only 5% of the Kws needed to break down water
And interestingly
In 2007 the Sales Director of Hydrogen Engine Center Joe E Lewis was challenged about how HEC could claim their ammonia engine was truly green when the ammonia was made from natural gas
His response was
“
Of course, anhydrous ammonia has its negative aspects. It is currently made through the Haber-Bosch process, which uses natural gas and emits carbon into the atmosphere. That basically defeats the premise behind seeking an alternative fuel that doesn't increase greenhouse gases.
"When our big press release came out a week and a half ago, a lot of naysayers came out," said Lewis. "And for the most part they're right about anhydrous ammonia. The Haber-Bosch process, the primary method of making anhydrous ammonia, works by re-forming natural gas. Natural gas is made up primarily of hydrogen, and when you add nitrogen to it, you have anhydrous ammonia. But one of the negative aspects of the Haber-Bosch process is the fact that it creates a lot of CO2."
Lewis said that the solution to that problem is being developed right now. "Hydrogen Engine Center is working with a group that has a new method of producing anhydrous ammonia through a synthesis process, where they can take renewable power, like from a wind-generator, and use the electricity to run an electrolyzer to make hydrogen. Then take the nitrogen out of the air to mix with it, and you have anhydrous ammonia. That's right around the corner."
ITM and Boeing`s Unmanned Air Vehicles
On 20 Nov 2007 ITM released the Boeing announcement which said
Preliminary Design Agreement
“ITM Power plc (AIM:ITM), the technology and research company focused on the commercialisation of the hydrogen economy, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Boeing Research & Technology Europe S.L. to prepare a Preliminary Design of an Environmentally Friendly Refuelling Station for Fuel Cell Powered Unmanned Air Vehicles. “
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Then in the Interim Results Statement on 31 Jan 2008 Peter Hargreaves said
“Elsewhere our superior fuel cell construction methods are also being sought as far afield as Boeing in Madrid and the United States Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport. Our labs, which are working in close conjunction with our new
production facility, should enhance the Company’s reputation.’’,
When you read the first statement it rather suggests that the ITM have been asked by Boeing to design an electrolyser which would make hydrogen from green energy to be stored for use in refuelling Boeing`s Fuel Cell Powered Unmanned Air Vehicle.
However the second comment clearly implies that ITM`s Boeing contract also relates to fuel cells as well as electrolyzers
So perhaps a second contract has been placed by Boeing covering fuel cell design
Couple this with the announcement in July 2008 that Intelligent Energy who currently supply the Boeing UAV fuel cell were forced to raise another $13.6m to keep going and you might conclude that ITM are poised to join or replace IE on this project
No nafion or platinum in ITM`s electrolyzer
If you ever needed an insight into the problems of nafion and the enormous world wide effort to try to solve its deficiencies you need look no further than this update
http://arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0310/0310029.pdf
which reviews completed and ongoing R&D work of trying to solve the deficiencies of nafion the world standard membrane in fuel cells and electrolyzers
A quck skim down the page will demonstrate just how dramatic the patented ITM membrane really is……and the problems solved at a stroke
These are just some of the technical benefits of the ITM membrane over nafion
…ability to operate at room temperature while nafion needs to be heated up
….water loving not water hating
…no need for complex bop to prevent platinum poisoning
…25% greater conductivity therefore more output per cm2
... Control at individual cell level versus stack level for nafion
..And with the electrolyser /storage tank/fuel cell combination, the need to cater for impure hydrogen is eliminated
Not forgetting
The ITM membrane is 1% of the cost of the nafion membrane
worth a read as a reminder - patents mentioned again - http://www.moneywhatmoney.co.uk/index.php/Company-Analysis/ITM-Power-ITM.html
Hang and wait it is.
JMAT downgraded to neutral by Merrill L yesterday - bus and truck market turning down is the reason, would like it to be because of new materials removing need for Platinum.
There might be some subtle moving going on by analysts etc - emphasis off previous recommendations.
Time To Move On to the Next Bubble:
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/recolumnists/story?id=51203
Makes for interesting reading I'd say...
Excellent point Gerry. When the sp shows strain, emotions take over and one begins to question "Am I doing the right thing being invested in this company" I'm as guilty of this as anyone recently.
However, as you say logic without emotion says nothing negative has occurred. In fact all things being equal, logic says development of the technology will have progressed even further since the last announcement and moved us ever nearer to potential cash generation.
It's so difficult in markets like these to detach and not be emotionally involved. It's easy to become convinced the market knows more than we do personally. In ITM's case I believe you're correct in that the opposite is nearer the truth. ITM is still an unknown or unbelieved or a combination of both.
TT - I feel your pain with your recent loss and I understand how you don't want to repeat the experience. I've been thinking about my .com losses once again this week. Fear breeds fear. I'm trying to keep the faith even though at times that little emotional voice gets the upper hand. Going on holiday the end of this week so will try to relax. What a roller coaster this game is.
How much are ITM patents worth ?
TT
Consider this
How much is any patent worth before the invention is known ?
Answer
zero
or even less when you include the the cost of maintaining a patent that has no value
This is how the market currently values ITMs patent portfolio
ie less than zero
However
If you read the patents and believe the ITM technical releases you will conclude that these patents have considerable value providing they can be turned into marketable products
You need faith in your own judgement and confidence that the bop that remains to be done contains no insurmountable challenges,costs or delays which would jeopardise bring them to market before the cash runs outs
If you do you have an opportunity to exploit something the rest of the PIs and funds dont know or believe
ie
The potential value of the patents and some idea of how long it will take to bring the products to market
You can take comfort from this
All the fuel cell cos that have come and gone in the past 15 yrs didnt do so because they had a first class product that was technically proven in laboratory trials and found to be reliable in subsequent field trials
They failed or are currently failing because the products have intrinsic defects These defects caused them to be unreliable in laboratory trials Despite this, for financial reasons, these cos went ahead and sought subsidised projects Inevitably these products proved unreliable in public trials thus hindering their ability to secure further subsidised projects This in turn forced repeated fund raising until eventually the business model was deemed a failure
ITM have a simple product which does not have the design features which caused competitive products to fail
They have deliberately sought to debug their product in the laboratory setting before embarking on external trials
They have set themselves the goal of moving from a production prototype to a saleable product after relatively short field trials They can only do this if they have confidence in their internal testing processes
However few people outside the knowledgeable investors on the BB really understand all of this and hence look for reassurance in traditional commercial and financial yardsticks
The knowledgeable investors reckon the patents themselves more than justify an sp many multiples of the current level
But the vast majority of PIs and funds dont agree
if the sp is any yardstick
So where does that leave us ?
In a place which says
"We believe that even incompetent mgt will be able to exploit ITM`s Intellectual Property sufficiently to underwrite survival of the business and its eventual profitability"
We also believe that the market will eventually recognise the
intrinsic worth of the ITM product portfolio and value the business appropriately"
And thats where I am
Irrespective of what non invested PIs and fund mgrs think
I've had a bad experience elsewhere in the past month. 99% down. Don't want any repeats but a fortune to management performance or sell and sit on cash. Prefer to be in than out but would be happier to see some fruit of ITM's labour in the form of even a very small revenue in exchange for a product or IP. There is no substitute for sales revenue, well only profit is the substitute of any real worth.
ITM 2008 shipments
TT
The 28 July Results Statement said
"Certification and permitting work for the installation of electrolysers is also currently underway. We now expect first production units available for demonstration and testing with
customers in the fourth quarter of 2008."
I interpret this as meaning
1 The Grand Cayman Home of Mr Knapp being fitted out by Mike Strizki by end 2008 will be a trial venue for the domestic generation of H2 either as a stand alone HRU or one sited inside a storage tank The relevant approvals from the local government are being processed probably by MS on behalf of ITM So I expect an announcement once it has actually been installed and tested earliest date would be end Oct, latest date who knows
2 There could be a trial of the 25 Kw electrolyser somewhere in the UK possibly funded by Yorkshire Forward in connection with a carbon capture project maybe Bately
3 There could be a trial of the 1 to 3Kw lab size electrolyser again in the UK
4 The Ford Transit hydrogen hybrid trial will surely be announced during Sept
5 We await progress updates on the dual fuel cell which on published news has been available now for at least 12m If a military trial has been commissioned it may be kept secret after the ABRO event
ITM 2008 shipments
The 28 July Results Statement said
"Certification and permitting work for the installation of electrolysers is also currently underway. We now expect first production units available for demonstration and testing with
customers in the fourth quarter of 2008."
I interpret this as meaning
1 The Grand Cayman Home of Mr Knapp being fitted out by Mike Strizki by end 2008 will be a trial venue for the domestic generation of H2 either as a stand alone HRU or one sited inside a storage tank The relevant approvals from the local government are being processed probably by MS on behalf of ITM So I expect an announcement once it has actually been installed and tested earliest date would be end Oct, latest date who knows
2 There could be a trial of the 25 Kw electrolyser somewhere in the UK possibly funded by Yorkshire Forward in connection with a carbon capture project maybe Bately
3 There could be a trial of the 1 to 3Kw lab size electrolyser again in the UK
4 The Ford Transit hydrogen hybrid trial will surely be announced during Sept
5 We await progress updates on the dual fuel cell which on published news has been available now for at least 12m If a military trial has been commissioned it may be kept secret after the ABRO event
Do we have any idea when news/shipments or anything of a revenue generating nature is due?
WIDE VISION USA EXECUTION WAY TO DELIVER RESULTS
ITM has technology that tames the sun's energy for benefit of mankind and western economies. It could free western culture from the shackles of Big Oil and those Funding terror will be strangled by the purse strings. To realise the mega growth potential ITM could attain within a short time, the current corporate management needs to be beefed with USA style BIG CORPORATION experienced management or ITM will only drift to a comfortable, not brilliant success it can attain; stressed messianic managers do their best which is sadly not good enough to realise the full ITM potential and to operate like a Microsoft or a Google.
WHAT A RESULT ITM SQUARES THE CIRCLE
Gerry this way to effectively work on contolled synthesis of Sun energy via Sun/Solar, Sun/Wind, producing anh3 for local fertiliser, fuel for HEC generators and even fuel for H-Ice
engines,when a.nh3 releases H2 to burn ..
ITM can help farmers make their own ammonia
Hydrogen Engine Center of Iowa signed a MOU with ITM in Nov 2006
The aim was to explore ways in which HEC`s development of hydrogen and ammonia fuelled engines for transportation and fixed installations could be teamed with ITM`e electrolyzer technology which can make green hydrogen at a much lower cost than any other electrolyzer co in the world
We still await an update on this MOU between HEC and ITM
Hoewever one small leak did give us a hint of future news on this relationship
It was made by an HEC Sales Mgr to an Iowa website and lead to an article about HEC entitled
Could Anhydrous Ammonia Be the Fuel of the Future?
The interesting comment from an ITM standpoint was the following
"Of course, anhydrous ammonia has its negative aspects. It is currently made through the Haber-Bosch process, which uses natural gas and emits carbon into the atmosphere. That basically defeats the premise behind seeking an alternative fuel that doesn't increase greenhouse gases.
"When our big press release came out a week and a half ago, a lot of naysayers came out," said Lewis. "And for the most part they're right about anhydrous ammonia. The Haber-Bosch process, the primary method of making anhydrous ammonia, works by re-forming natural gas. Natural gas is made up primarily of hydrogen, and when you add nitrogen to it, you have anhydrous ammonia. But one of the negative aspects of the Haber-Bosch process is the fact that it creates a lot of CO2."
Lewis said that the solution to that problem is being developed right now. "Hydrogen Engine Center is working with a group that has a new method of producing anhydrous ammonia through a synthesis process, where they can take renewable power, like from a wind-generator, and use the electricity to run an electrolyzer to make hydrogen. Then take the nitrogen out of the air to mix with it, and you have anhydrous ammonia. That's right around the corner."
Interesting eh ?
Now we know that HEC gensets are used alongside Proton Energy electrolyzers on the Wind turbine project at Boulder Colorado
So we could be forgiven for thinking that Mr Lewis is referring to PE as the company developing a green method of synthesising ammonia
But there`s just one problem
PE don’t have the expertise to do research into this field. They spend most of their research trying to find ways of improving the reliability of their high cost fuel cells and electrolysers.Given their shaky financial situation you can be assured that if they were working on ammonia synthesis then Wall St would be getting regular updates
But
Not only do ITM have the expertise, they have an ongoing 3 yr project with Heriot WattUniversity in Edinburgh to look at ways of sequestering hydrogen in heavy hydrocarbons using “atmospheric CO2” They quoted some progress in the July annual report
Quote
“Secondly, we have begun to test ways of combining gaseous carbon dioxide with electrolytic hydrogen to create liquid fuels. Our initial small scale laboratory tests have been encouraging and we have successfully achieved gas to liquid production in an electrochemical cell based on our membrane technology. These are very early days and much further work will be needed to confirm the commercial value of such a development.”
So
It`s but a further small step to explore ways of making synthetic anhydrous ammonia using green electrolytic hydrogen and “atmospheric nitrogen” This would be an enormous benefit to farmers who in theory could use any excess solar or wind energy to make and store anhydrous ammonia and save a fortune on fertiliser
And if we wanted further confirmation, the ITM CEO Jim Heathcote referred to ammonia as a future energy source in a interview last year
He said
"If ammonia could be synthesised on a local basis it would give a massive kick start to the wind turbine and electrolyser industries particularly in rural areas Intermittent wind power cannot be fully utilised because there is insufficient demand for power round the clock However using an electrolyser the excess power would be used to make hydrogen for conversion into ammonia The farmers would be able to sell ammonia and hydrogen as by products of their green energy production"
So
Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the harassed US Farmer
Have ITM solved the problem of stranded energy?
Heres a thought
To date ITM have invented a low cost electrolyser and now plan to place the stack inside a high pressure storage tank for use in hydrogen powered vehicles
They have also indicated that they are developing a combination electrolyser and fuel cell for production and sale in the second half of 2009
We know that ITM have patented a novel design of storage tank where two different gases can be stored in a cylinder within a cylinder
We know that approx 15% of the cost of proprietary fuel cells goes towards separating the oxygen from the nitrogen in the air intake system for the fuel cell The efficincy of the fuel cell is also affected to some degree by not having absolutely pure oxygen
So
If we put all this together we get the following product
Power is taken from a green or offpeak source and converted into high pressure hydrogen and oxygen These gases are stored inside a specially designed “cylinder within a cylinder” high pressure storage tank
When the green power source is unable to provide power or alternatively when the cost of grid power is too expensive the fuel cell is switched on and power is produced from the stored hydrogen and oxygen
The real attraction is that the size of the system ought to be able to be tailored to suit the needs of the application
For Example ….the 2009 product launch
A domestic or small industrial installation to store solar or wind energy in an outdoor tank and reduce or eliminate their reliance on the grid i.e. Micro generation at its most efficient
Bigger versions would enable solar or wind powered industrial and commercial units to largely dispense with high cost daytime peak electricity
But
The biggie is this
Every Wind Farm and Solar Farm in the world would be able to level out the peaks in their power production using power that is stranded under their present system
i.e.
At present any off peak wind power is simply added into the grid where it joins up with power from other base load sources like nuclear and fossil fuels
However once wind power gets to the point where the amount of wind energy available can only be used if a nuclear plant is switched off then the wind turbine has to be shut down since nuclear plants have to be kept running
With the arrival of hydrogen storage and the reconversion system this problem is not only solved it is solved at zero cost or indeed at a profit This is because the income generated by not switching off wind turbines will more than offset the capital costs involved
So potentially
The combination electrolyser/storage/fuel cell system could be the biggest money spinner of all
AND
The market is sitting there waiting for it !
TT
You can research past websites by going to the website archive at
http://www.archive.org/index.php
so if a change is made today you can compare it to the previous one but only after the 6m update is done to the archive
He's into Wood Flooring at the moment - not to say it couldn't be a by-product. I'm sure I've read of ethanol from Cellulose via tree before. His existing company will probably be having a hard time with the building dowturn in the US - or will soon. UK has had at least one relatively large flooring bankruptcy in the past 2 months - listed Floors2go.
I agree, ITM and PE have mutual synergies
ITM have the simple low cost design and proven reliability
as well as a massive cost advantage
PE have the marketing knowledge and contacts in the US market to challenge Hydrogenics
The demerger enables PE to think the unthinkable and team with
ITM for the US electrolyzer market
.................
I need to have a think about your other comment......will repsond in due course
Gerry - post 170. ITM need that sort of assistance to get to market quickly with the 1000 off they are looking to build out and sell. Waiting for the market to find ITM will take an age and the cost of getting the word out will be mega. It would also give ITM an good feel for the competitor economics and give them every chance to pitch just below existing electrolyser pricing with the added advantgae of higher reliability thrown in for free.
It makes sense.
Lumber Liquidations - would that be anything to do with use of cellulose for Ethanol too or just Lumber clearance? May be a market in fuel too??
LOL... I can see why you thought that was what I was getting at. No I was referring to the facial expression I make when you speculate on the potential size of the markets that ITM's technologies could address. I like Pear drops but the first suck is sometimes a little too much to handle
Are ITM about to team with Proton Energy ?
Heres the logic
Tom Sullivan is the chairman and founder of Lumber Liquidations Inc
He promotes his business through Roush Inc by sponsoring a racing car in the Roush Fenway Racing Stable
So what you might ask?
Well
Like all business activities there are often wheels within wheels
For example
Roush Fenway Racing are linked to Roush Inc
Roush Inc are linked to Roush Technologies in England
Roush Technologies are linked to ITM Power
ITM Power have developed a low cost Electrolyzer and are seeking market opportunities in the US
Proton Energy have a series of high cost unreliable Electrolyzers which cant be made profitable so PE are losing money hand over fist
In June 2008 the ITM Power CEO was quoted in Design News as saying
"The membrane is the most expensive component in an electrolyser,” says Heathcote. Now that ITM has built an electrolyser to demonstrate its membrane technology, it’s ready to license its patented membrane technology to electrolyser makers such as Proton Energy Systems or GE here or Norsk Hydro in Norway.
mmmmm..
Then
In Aug 2008
Distributed Energy Systems who own Proton Energy sold PE to Tom Sullivan of Lumber Liquidations Inc
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
what does all this mean ?
Could it be that..
mmm….. Tom Sullivan with his Roush connections spotted an opportunity to exploit PE`s marketing strength by adding an ITM Power Electrolyzer to the PE product range ?
……..then
Agreed a secret deal with ITM having been introduced by Roush
……..then
Bought PE and their US distribution network for high cost unreliable electrolyzers
With a view to
Selling ITM`s low cost reliable electrolyzers
At a much higher margin of course
mmm………..hope so
Conno does my previous post mean ITM sucks ?
Wish you wouldn't do posts like your last one Gerry. It makes my mouth go the same as when sucking a pear drop and my eyes turn into Xs
Are ITM making synthetic petrol from green hydrogen ?
BBC July 2008 interview
Extract
“According to ITM CEO Jim Heathcote, the Home Refueller Unit - which is currently only a prototype - could be commercially available as soon as the end of this year. If they were mass produced he estimates they would initially cost around £2000.
He see the first market for the product as being large companies which use a lot of vehicles such as the Post Office.
But eventually it will become common in homes, he thinks. He said that the next stage of the firm's work would be to produce a liquid fuel. “
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
mmm.........
Why would ITM be focussing on a liquid fuel when they have a large number of potential markets already identified for their electrolysers and fuel cells ?
Whats so significant about liquid fuel that it has jumped up the ITM priority list ?
Could it be anything to do with the ITM patent US20060058402 entitled "Sequestration of carbon dioxide "......?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Well
Here`s a view from the US about the significance of using green hydrogen to make synthetic petrol
see
http://bioage.typepad.com/greencarcongress/docs/HydrogenSynfuel.pdf
Extract
The production rate of CO2 from coal power plants in the US is 1875 million
metric tons/year. If this CO2 were captured using proven absorption processes
and used with hydrogen produced by solar, wind or nuclear energy to make
synfuel, it would provide all the hydrocarbon fuel needed for our transportation economy.
Since that transportation economy produces 1850 million metric tons
of CO2 per year, this synfuel process would cut our CO2 production in half. We
could shift from a petroleum-based transportation economy to a synfuel
transportation economy. This would reduce our petroleum use by 75%, and
reduce our CO2 production by 50% with no increase in coal use.
It would require significant quantities of hydrogen (255 million metric tons/year, or 25 times our current production) that would be produced from water using solar, wind or nuclear energy.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
It would also require a lot of low cost water electrolysers
And
If the US took 20yrs to build up to 255m metric tonnes pa of green hydrogen then
To produce 225m metric tonnes pa of green H2 pa from wind and solar power using electrolysers running 24/7 for 8 hrs per day would require the manufacturing output of electrolysers to increase year on year for 20 yrs by a staggering 154 million Kws pa equivalent to opening 15400 new factories the size of Sheffield every year for 20 yrs
and
We then need to add on the secret process being developed by ITM to mix Co2 and H2 to get a synthetic fuel ........times 225m tonnes of hydrogen
Rather a tall order for JH to take on .....and thats simply to save the US from peak oil never mind the UK and the rest of the world
But
Its an indication that ITM could be on the verge of a major trial in the carbon capture business
Ford are backing ITM Power`s Hydrogen Home Refueller
Conno /Basbas
Thanks for feedback
One wonders what is needed to convince analysts that ITM are are great investment
With Ford behind them on their home refueller for the hydrogen hybrid Transit the road is wide open for Ford to exploit the wider potential of the home refueller for their own hydrogen vehicles
I did not go there,sorry. It has to be a practical certainty though that they continue to work for their senior client.
In answer to your question to basbas, if you cast your mind back to this news story I'd say the answer is a firm yes.
'There's a general acceptance that in the early stages of the technology it will be attractive for logistical and support reasons on fleets of vehicles which return to the same depot every night,' said Roush's Adrian Graves
Graves confirmed they are also working with an unnamed global manufacturer of commercial vehicles that has a facility in Essex (Ford's Dagenham plant would seem to fit the bill]
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/305707/Top+marques.htm
basbas
Re Roush conversation
did you get any inference that Roush have ANY ongoing projects for FMC
FMC, Roush Technologies, Roush inc & ITM
Few weeks back, I spoke to a director of Roush tech in UK re UPS fleet requirement. It was made clear that each leave the other's territory alone, and so no surprise if there is need to demonstrate chinese walls. It may follow that FMC uk adopt a similar culture vis a vis FMC inc., and then the left does not tell the right what it is doing..
Are solar panels on large vehicles viable ?
TT
Heres a thought
I read somewhere in the solar panel world that the most you could expect to get from a roof mounted solar panel on a car is about 5Kwh/day ..enough to power the air conditioning
If this is the case then a vehicle the size of a bus or large van ought to be able to generate at least 25 Kwh/day from solar energy on the roof
The ITM electrolyzer at 80% efficiency can make about 25gms of H2 per Kwh so for 25 kwhr/day you would get about 625 gms of hydrogen or the mileage equivalent of 1.7 gals of diesel
On a large van or bus doing say 100 mls per day at 25mpg this is a saving of almost 50% of the fuel cost
With any surplus H2 stored inside a 75 bar or indeally a 350 bar storage tank for use at a more appropriate later time
mmmmmm......
Colleague of mine has a Merc with a solar panel on the roof. Can't remember the model number but these things do already exist. One thing that does sound OTT.
ITM ought to go have a chat with Branson wrt his Necker place.
Do Ford UK speak to Ford USA ?
It doesnt look like it
The 22 Aug USA announcement
"Ford Fuel Cell Fleet Exceeds Performance Expectations; Test Program Extended" See
http://www.fleetfinancials.com/News/Story/2008/08/Ford-Fuel-Cell-Fleet-Exceeds-Performance-Expectations-Test-Program-Extended.aspx
includes the comment
"The biggest challenge according to Rob Riley, Ford fleet manager in California, is building a viable H2 infrastructure with fueling stations across the country. Currently, there are 70 hydrogen fueling stations and most of them are not accessible to the public. California is leading the way having recently opened its 24th station."
Well
if Rod Riley chose to speak to his Ford UK counterpart he would discover that their trusted supplier Roush Technologies are about to embark on a trial which includes a low cost means of rapidly solving the hydrogen infrastructure
Make your yacht green with an ITM electrolyzer
TT
I reckon you`ve hit on one of the two markets ITM are quietly targetting
ie
The rich and wealthy who are famous and publicity seeking
ie
People who are advised by their PR agents to get into green things and forget the cost
Plus
The unfortunates who arent on either the gas or the electricity grid There are 2.8m people (1m homes?) in the UK who are not connected to the gas grid and 2M homes in the US who are not coneected to either gas or electricity
The people with big yachts will be inclined to snap up anything that makes there life easier and if its green they will be even more inclined
suggesting
solar powered small onboard electrolyzers to provide cooking gas as you say........this size of electrolyzer is available now
I read somewhere that the most you could expect from a roof mounted solar panel on a car was enough to power the air conditioning around 5Kw which seemed rather high to me
However this suggests that a sizeable yacht could easily run a 10Kw solar energy driven electrolyzer making 1kg of H2 every 4 hrs so its a market waiting on the product and offering free publicity
Liekwise villages and islands not on the energy grids are a captive market for ITM and many of them already have the storage infrastructure with their propane installations
I concluded a few weeks ago that ITMs strategy is prioritised on green energy users hence the deal with Mike Strizki who is a master in capturing free PR and wowing the rich and famous
So maybe the yacht market is on the radar for ITM...if so its more likely to be driven as much by the free PR as by the 400% margin
A few thoughts:
Yacht market is large for power and water. Should see some of the power house yachts I've just seen - money no object. Kudos a big selling point, to be the first to have the latest "gadget". Smaller yachts too as they spend days unused and H2 via solar/small turbine could remove the need for propane for cooking. The duty-cycle of use on some smaller yachts is very attractive to using H2 via renewables as storage.
The wealthy "island dwellers" are geting heavily into Renewables. I've just seen more solar water heaters, solar panels and turbines than I can believe (whilst on vacation). What is apparent is that system integration partners are critical. These build outs have to be defined at architectural level to be done properly. In future this may be different and as easy as replacing a combi boiler, but not yet.
The Electrolyser/FC married to each other for the domestic market - again really neat and a water saver if also married to a simple condenser to recycle the water.
On the island point - big power drag is the air conditioning !!
Are ITM developing a 350 bar pem electrolyzer ?
Enrique Troncoso of ITM gave a presentation to the Project Eden International Seminar in Porto in May 2008
His presentation covered 4 aspects of the hydrogen economy
INTRODUCTION – THE ENERGY CHALLENGE
ELECTROLYSERS IN THE ENERGY SYSTEM
ELECTROLYSERS FOR LOAD MANAGEMENT
ITM POWER
In one of his slides he explained what was needed from electrolyser technology to support the hydrogen economy
He said
H2O + (renewable) power → H2 + O2
Needs catalysts + electrolyte (KOH, PEM)
Needs operating temp Top = 50 ºC - 80 ºC
Needs operating pressure Pop = 1 - 350 bar
He then went on to explain the main challenges facing the electrolyser industry
Which are
Material costs (precious metals + PEM)
and
Manufacturing costs
And then outlined ITM `s remarkable developments including the 75 bar electrolyser and bi fuel car
So what you might say
…nothing new here
What`s so interesting about that ?
Well whats interesting is this
We all know that hydrogen for vehicles needs to be contained at 350bar for a decent mileage between refuelling
So a requiremnt of the transport industry in the hydrogen economy is STORAGE at 350 bar
but when describing the needs of electrolysers in the hydrogen economy
Enrique Troncoso emphasised that electrolysers need to OPERATE at between 1 and 350 bar
He made no reference in his slide to hydrogen compression
and rightly so since this is a second stage process which is independent of the electrolyser process
So when he talks about electrolyser OPERATION he is really talking about an electrolyser which self pressurises to 350 bar
Later on he indicates that ITM are targetting the launch of their self pressurising 75 bar electrolyser and bi fuel car
Meaning ITM already have a product in the 1 to 350 bar operating pressure range he says is needed by the hydrogen economy
Which rather begs the question
Why emphasise 350 bar as an operating requirement of an electrolyser when it isnt ?
Heres one explanation
ITM have an internal target of self pressurising to 350 bar
And
although for commercial reasons they cant declare it until it is cut and dried
The Boffins don’t really want the technical community to think they can`t do 350 bar
So they fudge fudge, nudge nudge and wink wink there way through a presentation without mentioning hydrogen compressors
HEC Iowa, REI, and ITM teaming in 2008 ?
ITM and Hydrogen Engine Center ll have an MOU going back to Nov 2006 MOU
There is a hint in HEC`s latest update that this MOU shpuld be bearing fruit in 2008 aand it may well include Mike Strizki of Renewable Energy International
Heres the story
From HEC Press Release 14 Aug 2008
“We believe that our third quarter results will improve on those of the comparable periods last year, and that 2008 will be our strongest performance since inception. We plan to be more involved in the distributed generation market as governmentally imposed emission standards tighten and the clean-energy solutions offered by our intellectual property develop and become accepted in the market place. We also plan to aggressively market our carbon-reduced and carbon-free products during the remainder of 2008.
The key comments here impacting ITM and REI are
“ distributed generation market” and " We also plan to aggressively market our carbon-reduced and carbon-free products during the remainder of 2008.”
These commnets all include market sectors where HEC are partnering ITM
Let me explain
“ distributed generation market”
ITM provide the electrolyzer to rescue stranded green energy and HEC provide a low cost hydrogen fuelled engine and generator to provide power when the sun isn`t shining and the wind isn’t blowing
Given that the market is huge it hardly matters that ITM are partnering a relatively inefficient genset method of converting stored energy to power
Indeed the HEC gen set will be cheaper to buy and a lot more reliable than say the fuel cells supplied by Plug Power, Hydrogenics and Proton Energy
It could well be that HEC are going to be involved in Hydrogen Homes across the US and Caribbean as a partner to both ITM and Mike Strizki at REI
The second reference is to
“carbon reduced”
ITM can provide a low cost electrolyzer driven off the vehicle alternator to provide hydrogen on demandThis enables combustion of otherwise unburnt diesel thus both reducing amissions and increasing mpg at a stroke
HEC have trialled an ITM OB to provide the 5% hydrogen needed in an ammonia burning engine They also overhaul old diesel engines originally supplied by Ford who got out of the refurbishment engine business a few years ago
Most of these engines are older designs that do not have a common rail system. Hence they would benefit from an OB supplied by ITM and included as a reduced carbon /higher mpg option in the overhaul
We also know from the Bi Fuel trials that hydrogen can be substituted for 20% to 30% diesel thus reducing emissions in common rail engines
So HEC can call on the ITM “OB in a tank” concept to provide this 20% to 30% reduced emission option for otherwise
Indeed the OB in a tank concept would be a distinct advantage to HEC in selling their hydrogen engines both in road transport and especially in static situations where the engine could be replenished with hydrogen from stranded
green energy
“carbon free”
HEC have two carbon free products both of which involve ITM
Hydrogen fuelled engines require a means of providing hydrogen so the ITM electrolyzer would be an essential part of any fleet wishing to convert to hydrogen power. This is especially beneficial in areas where solar and wind energy is abundant and includes HEC`s home state of Iowa
Heres a thought
The Grand Cayman Islands are a captive market for the Caribbean Utility Co who had a peak demand of 92.7 Mw in the past year
All of their power comes from diesel generators so they are completely dependent on the price of imported diesel
They are committed to invest $100m over the next 5 yrs and have invited tenders for 10Mw of wind power
They charge 31cents per kwh which is well over double the US rate
Conclusion
The Grand Cayman Islands is a British Dependency with a serious energy problem They would benefit from using hydrogen to help make renewable solar/wind energy more cost effective
Most of their citizens are well off with some of them very rich indeed
This includes a Mr Knapp who has just installed a hydrogen home provided by Mike Strizki
Mike could not have done this project without having several discussions with CUC
Through Renewable Energy International Mike has the capability to undertake further projects in Grand Cayman Islands He is currently working on a hydrogen home for Johnny Depp
However theres another project Mike Strizki might find even more lucrative than hydrogen homes
He could be helping CUC to improve the efficiency of their generation business by introducing them to some low cost technology from ITM
Like
Using electrolytic hydrogen to cool the generators and thus add between 2% and 3% of electrical output by reducing electrical losses due to overheating
Like
Using an onboard electrolyser to supply trace hydrogen to the non common rail diesel engines operated by CUC There must be lots of these old engines if the overall generating capacity is around 130Mw
Adding hydrogen will achieve a fuel saving of at least 14%
Like
Capturing stranded green energy
ie
When CUC run their gen sets during period of low demand simply to maintain the grid supply they could get a return from this wasted energy by making hydrogen which they could then sell as a transport fuel
Perhaps ITM have already appointed Mike Strizki as one of their overseas agents with a brief to exploit the technology in every area possible at this stage of ITM`s development
I certainly hope so
Mike has already demonstrated how to maximise the media impact of the work he have done already in solar powered hydrogen homes
So
It ought not to be too difficult to exploit ITM`s other products with the contacts he has already established
UK's ITM Power plc smash DOE's 2015 Targets
< $165/KW [ $70/KW now versus $125/KW 2015 DOE target ]
Official
ITM opens up unassailable lead over Big Oil
Well that is hard financial news Gerry by DOE's latest benchmark. ITM now with definite clear lead at forefront of H2 technology, yet underestimated by UK scientific and investment community.
ITM under $164/Kw versus US DOE of $987/Kw
Its official
The current DOE achievement cost for a water electrolyzer is $987/Kw
See
http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/review08/pdp_5_hamden.pdf
ITMs latest published cost
with two platinum catalyst was $283/Kw
with one platinum catalyst was $164/Kw
with no platinum catalyst was no figure given but was "under $164/Kw"
I hope someone in ITM have been in touch with the US DOE to tell them not to waste any more money on projects to reduce the cost of electrolyzers
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ITM Power are an English Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Co listed on the London AIM Market They have around £25m in cash and a cash burn of under £5m pa
Website http://www.itm-power.com/
ITM make the astonishing claim that they hold the keys to the hydrogen economy
This claim is based on new patented membrane materials for use in fuel cells , electrolyzers photo voltaic cells (solar cells) and photo electrolysis cells ( which produce hydrogen direct from sunlight).
This material is 1% of the cost of the world industry standard Nafion made by Dupont
It is 25% more conductive than Nafion and does not suffer from many of the features which cause nafion fuel s cells and electrolyzers to be so expensive
These advantages over Nafion are:
The material is hydrophilic ( water tolerant ) unlike Nafion which must be kept dry
The material can be acid or alkaline unlike Nafion which can only be acidic
The material is not dependent on platinum catalysts and works well with low cost catalysts
The material can operate at either high current density or high voltage
The material water flow can be controlled ultrasonically
In addition
Individual cells in a stack can be switched on or off or varied unlike Nafion cells which can only be controlled at the stack level This means for example that the output of a 100Kw stack can be controlled in steps of 200w or 0.2%
The material is cheap to buy
The cell stack can be moulded in multiples of around 25Kw at a volume of 1m3 simply by pouring the liquid membrane material into a fuel cell or electrolyzer frame inside a box. When irradiated with gamma rays the unit becomes solid
The overall impact of these advantages is that ITM fuel cells and electrolyzers can be made for under 10% % of the selling price of the current best in class and will deliver a higher and more reliable performance
The membrane material has been successfully operated as an electrolyzer on a test rig on a 30min/off 30min on cycle for over 10000hrs
ITM fuel cells will be suitable for deployment in a wide range of products including, portable power requirements (e.g. laptops, mobile phones), domestic power plants, UPS systems, distributed (non-grid) power, motor cars and other forms of transport.
ITM electrolyzers have a wide range of applications including the production of hydrogen from off peak or green power
for use as
A fuel in domestic low carbon housing to produce peak power or use in cooking or heating
An additive to diesel where a saving of 14% in mpg is obtained together with reduced emissions (road transport, locomotives, ships and planes)
A fuel for hydrogen powered cars either manufactured at gas stations or in a home Refuelling Unit
Standbye engines
Improving combustion performance of power station boilers
Cooling power station generators
Low cost / high performance replacement for catalytic converters
Business Model
ITM intends to build income streams from a variety of sources as the advantages of ITM systems are recognised. ITM does not intend to become a large scale manufacturer but will seek to join industry partners and OEMs to deliver low cost solutions, although there may be occasions where low volume high margin production would be undertaken.
It is therefore envisaged that revenues will primarily be generated by commercialisation of both technologies
via four main avenues:
. joint ventures;
. licensing;
. grant funding; and
. niche manufacturing opportunities.
ITM claim their electrolyzer can be made for under $164/Kw
The true cost is probably around $60/Kw in high volume production
Current electrolyzers on the market today sell for over $2000/Kw
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
On 9 July 2008 unveiled a a 10Kw Home Electrolyser Unit at a media event in England The volume cost of this Home Refueler is approx $4000 with a projected life cycle of at least 10000 running hrs (last real time test was over 11500hrs)
The Home Refueller is capable of making H2 at 75 bar from offpeak power for around $1.83 per gal of gasolene equivalent Approx 3hrs of electrolysis are needed to make the H2 for one gal of gas
ITM will also be offering a 75 bar retrofit H2 tank and system which will comfortably give 25mls per day in a Ford Focus Greater mileages are possible with vehicles capable of taking larger 75 bar tanks
A collaboration agreement with Roush Technologies UK was announced on 28 March 2008 to jointly market ITM`s Home Electrolyser and a Roush hydrogen/gas Ford Transit
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) has been signed with United States Naval Undersea Warfare Center to investigate unmanned submarine applications for ITM`s dual liquid fuel cells
An MOU has been signed with HEC of Iowa to develop non polluting green energy systems
An agreement has been signed with Mike Strizki of Renewable Energy International to provide electrolysers for hydrogen homes in the Caribbean
A productionised version of a dual liquid non inflammable micro fuel cell has been demonstated to military agencies
A project to make liquid fuel from atmospheric carbon dioxide and hydrogen from an electrolyser has produced encouraging results
A 2004 project to use low cost patented materials to replace silicon in a solar cell and therebye increase conversion efficiency is showing promising results
Hydrogen/diesel combustion trials have demonstrated that a hydrogen / diesel mixture of 20% to 30% in common rail engines will provide the same performance at greatly reduced pollution
The addition of 7% hydrogen enables engines running on natural gas to half their already low emissions and improve their mpg This hydrogen can be sourced for free using buses and similar vehicles via a low cost ITM electrolyzer powered by roof mounted solar panels
A site worth visiting is Greg Blencoe of Hydrogen Discoveries. Greg has been tireless in promoting the cause of the role of hydrogen in the global green economy His impartial assessment of ITM technology vindicates the belief of all LTHs
ie
If ITM can deliver what they claim, then they are in the forefront of opening up the hydrogen economy
see
http://www.hydrogendiscoveries.com/
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