NewNergy

NewNergy discusses the latest inventions, innovations and breakthroughs in the energy & environmental sciences.

“Hydrofill” - A Portable Fuel Cell System

Horizon fuel cell technologies, a Singapore based company recently unveiled “Hydrofill,” their latest innovations in electronic gadget technologies during the Consumer Electronic Show 2010 (CES) which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada.“Hydrofill” is a portable fuel cell system designed towards charging electronic gadgets through a process extracting hydrogen through water. The entire process is clean and quick as the process of extracting hydrogen through water only results in production of water vapour.

The hydrogen which is obtained from water is then stored in special cartridges which fits in a pocket sized minipak. A range of devices like Ipods, mobile phones, GPS systems to camera rechargeable batteries can be charged through these minipak which houses a USB port. This device can be used on the go or away from electric sockets thus providing great convenience towards the consumers.

The only drawback which arises out of this invention is the non-refillable nature of the cartridges. This is the only area which needs to be worked at if the company needs to make a mark in off-grid power driven green industry. Priced at around $150, the MiniPak will be made available by April this year.

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Breakthrough in Biomimic Photosynthesis to Tap Solar Power

Daniel Nocera’s Sun Catalytix was one of the 37 ARPA-E awardees last month with a $4.1 million vote of confidence from the Nobel prizewinner-driven Department of Energy. Now Polaris Venture Partners has just added $1 million to its earlier $2 million investment in the MIT spin-off to bring their total investment to $3 million.Nocera’s work first burst on the world in 2007 with his work in figuring out how to ape the process of photosynthesis to create cheap solar energy stored as fuel.

According to MIT, the catalyst consists of an electrode placed in water containing cobalt and phosphate. MIT explains that when electricity from any source enters the electrode, the cobalt and phosphate create a film over the electrode, forming a catalyst that separates oxygen gas from the water and leaves behind hydrogen molecules. Then a platinum catalyst is used to convert the hydrogen molecules into hydrogen gas, which could power fuel cells and further efforts to lower global dependence on petroleum-based fuels. The vision is to use sunlight to enable these chemical reactions, creating a new way to tap solar power for energy.

Ultimately the plan is to integrate the technology with solar panels or wind turbines to store energy in liquid or gas fuels which are more energy-dense than the batteries traditionally used for energy storage.The Sun Catalytix electrolyzer breakthrough is that it is being designed to be made with cheap materials. Much work lies ahead, including finding a metal cheaper than the platinum to convert hydrogen molecules into hydrogen gas.

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New Resin Systems for Advanced Graphite Composite Fuel Cell

Two new resin systems from Huntsman Advanced Materials have been developed to meet the stringent requirements for graphite composite fuel cells.since the conversion of fuel to energy takes place via an electrochemical process, the process is much cleaner, quieter and up to three times more efficient than burning fuel. The fuel cell’s bipolar plates are said to have superior corrosion resistance, lower contact resistance, higher thermal conductivity and a longer operating life at higher temperatures.

For the automotive sector Huntsman Advanced Materials has developed a benzoxazine resin suitable for high temperature PEM fuel cells. The resin which operates at a continuous temperature of 120degC has a phenolic-like backbone which gives it very good flame retardant properties together with excellent glass transition temperatures and mechanical properties. In particular Huntsman say that there is a very high modulus, low water absorption and near zero shrinkage as well as good electrical properties.

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Nanotechnology Catalysts for Commercially Viable Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

Canadian research team has now demonstrated that it is possible to significantly increase the catalytic site density of iron-based non-precious metal catalysts (NPMCs) to levels that were not thought possible before. The problem that this work resolves is that of the low activity of NPMCs compared to platinum-based catalysts. The best of these new NPMCs is more than 30 times more active compared to the previous best reported activity for NPMCs, and about 100 times more active than the majority of other NPMCs. Furthermore, their activity has reached about 1/10th the volumetric activity of state-of-the-art platinum-based catalysts (about 50 wt % platinum on carbon), which is the 2010 NPMC activity target set by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Solar Powered, Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Airship

The Pentagon intends to spend $400 million to develop a giant blimp which will reach an altitude of 65,000 feet and remain airborne for 10 years. The dirigible will be filled with helium and powered by an innovative system that uses solar panels to recharge hydrogen fuel cells. Werner J.A. Dahm, chief scientist for the Air Force describing the proposed unmanned airship as a cross between a satellite and a spy plane. The aircraft will provide intricate radar surveillance of the vehicles, planes and even people below.The project is supposed to reflect a shift in Pentagon planning that is more about the intelligence and surveillance operations, and less about expensive high-tech weapons.

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Hybrid Fuel Cells From Sony

In FC EXPO 2009,Tokyo, Sony will be showing off the latest revision of its hybrid fuel cell technology. The system contains both a methanol fuel cell and a Li-on battery, enabling it to intelligently switch between power from the battery, fuel, or even both under high-draw circumstances. Sony will have two sizes on display: a portable model (above, with real leatherette lanyard) that could keep you talking on your celly for a week, and a heftier "interior" model that could do the same for a month.

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SOFC: Mini-Fuel Cell Could Power Fuel Cell Vehicle?

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) recently developed a surprisingly attractive solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The sugar cube-sized SOFC, which is made up of 25 needle-like modules measuring 0.8 mm, packs a serious punch due to a high ratio of electrode area to volume. And since small size means a small heat capacity, the module also has a low operating temperature.The new SOFC will likely be used by automotive CPUs, but could one day provide power to fuel cell vehicles. AIST’s mini-fuel cell is currently on display at the 2009 International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference in Tokyo, Japan.

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A New Catalyst For Efficient Hydrogen Fuel

A novel catalyst developed at MIT laboratory, one that takes inspiration from the photosynthetic pathways within plant cells to split water into H2 and O2, allowing the H2 to be used as fuel.Artificial oxygen evolving complexes (OECs) tend to be highly unstable, so labs concentrate on making them last longer with exotic and costly materials. This not only pushes up the financial costs, it also makes it harder to push electrons into them, lowering efficiency.

Nature, on the other hand, uses a simple inorganic redox core that self-assembles from water. It's unstable, so plants repair and replace their OECs every 30 minutes or so, and that's what Nocera's artificial OEC does too. Instead of Mn and Ca, it uses Co and Pi, works in sea water, dirty water, or a glass of water, and repairs itself spontaneously!When coupled with more widespread solar panels and more efficient fuel cells, Nocera believes that this CoPi catalyst would provide a household's daily fuel needs from 8 liters of water.

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World's Smallest Fuel Cell

Chemical engineers from the University of Illinois at Urbane-Champaign have developed the world’s smallest fuel cell, measuring only about 3x3x1 mm.The record-setting hydrogen-fueled microfuel cell is capable of generating power without consuming it and according to its inventors, could be conveniently used in place of batteries in portable gadgets. According to the scientists, due to the small size of the cell the flow of water in it is controlled by surface tension, not gravity – what makes the device operate in a stable way even when moved or rotated.

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Fuel-cell Waste-to-Energy Plant Could Raise Energy Efficiency?

Two UK companies announced plans to use fuel cells to increase the efficiency of energy conversion at waste-to-energy plants by as much as 60 percent.In a typical waste-to-energy plant, waste is converted to hydrogen syngas using plasma gasification, a process using extremely high temperatures and controlled oxygen. Syngas is then converted to electricity using internal combustion engine incinerator.

Waste2Tricity plans to improve the efficiency of energy conversion by using an alkaline fuel cell to convert syngas into electricity. Although the proposed plant initially is expected to use an internal combustion engine incinerator, Waste2Tricity plans to incorporate fuel cell technology within four to five years.

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World’s First NH2 Fuel Cell Tractor Launched in Italy

New Holland's NH2 fuel cell tractor – the first to be shown by any tractor maker – finally broke cover in Turin, Italy. Based on a T6000 tractor, it runs on hydrogen and oxygen and produces no emissions at all.

Essentially, a fuel cell works a bit like a giant battery, with a pair of electrodes surrounded by an electricity-conducting solution. Hydrogen (stored at 350bar pressure in a tank) is passed over one electrode, while oxygen (from the air) is passed over the other. The electric current generated then passes to a pair of electric motors, one to drive the tractor and the other to run the pto and auxiliary services.The NH2's fuel cell generates 106hp and sends the power via a splitter to the four wheels. There's no gearbox or clutch increasing or decreasing speed and power simply involve putting more or less power into the motor. Going into reverse is easy - you simply reverse the fuel cell terminals.

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Natural Gas Fuel Cells Could Power Homes?

National Wind Solutions, Inc has announced a breakthrough new fuel cell technology developed by one of America's major research universities. The acquisition of this technology is expected to be completed in about 30 days, and will be the cornerstone of NWND's recently formed subsidiary, Zero Emissions Fuel Cell, Inc.

NWND's technology will be aimed at delivering power to homes and businesses. The technology will allow users to meet their complete electrical needs using natural gas to drive the fuel cell. Natural gas is a readily available, environmentally friendly domestic fuel source which will be an integral part of weaning the United States from our addiction to foreign oil. More than 65 million residences and businesses in the United States already have natural gas service. These factors will allow for rapid adoption of this breakthrough green energy technology.

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Smallest Fuel Cell Could Replace batteries?

US chemical engineers have built the world’s smallest fuel cell, clocking in at only 9 cubic millimeters. While the hydrogen-fueled cell is currently a prototype, it could one day replace batteries in portable electronics.

Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created the cell using 4 components: a water reservoir, a chamber containing metal-hydride, a thin membrane separating the two, and an assembly of electrodes. The device’s water flow is conducted by surface tension— so it will work even if moved and rotated.Small holes in the membrane let the water molecules reach the chamber as vapor. The vapor then reacts with the metal hydride to form hydrogen, which fills the chamber, pushes the membrane up, and blocks the flow of water.

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UMass Team Promotes Microbial Fuel cell to Clean Up Waste

A group of physicists and engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst propose a portable water closet that uses bacteria to clean up waste, eliminate odor and generate its own electricity.

The essence of the company is a particular strain of bacteria and an associated microbial fuel cell. According to Malvankar, a recipient of the Eugene M. Isenberg Award at UMass, the bacteria’s ability to generate small amounts of current made it useful, but only for certain applications.“It doesn’t generate enough energy to compete with wind or solar, and it isn’t really cost effective for waste water treatment,” he said. “But it works well in portable toilets, which are traditionally very unpleasing places.”

The system can produce enough power for the unit’s fan and light, according to Malvankar.Bug Power’s bacteria doesn’t break down all the waste, but Malvankar said that when dealing with porta potties, any reduction is an improvement.“If we can even reduce the servicing by half, it will be a huge savings for distributors,” he said.

While Bug Power’s application may be novel, the potential of microbial fuel cells is being looked at in several other local companies. Fall River’s Hy-SyEnce Inc. and Cambridge’s IntAct Labs LLC are applying the technology to generating large-scale power from waste water and industrial waste products. At Harvard University, a group led by researcher Peter Girguis is hoping the technology can help provide power for lighting and other systems in developing nations.

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Low temperature fuel cells: Energy Efficient Technology To power Cars and Mobiles

A new version of an environmentally friendly, energy efficient technology that could replace combustion engines in cars and batteries in mobile devices such as phones and laptops is being researched by Aberdeen experts.

Academics from the University of Aberdeen are investigating the possibility of a new type of low temperature fuel cell.Fuel cells convert fuels into electricity directly without the need for combustion.Low temperature fuel cells could be used to provide power for vehicles, portable devices and small stationary power in a way that is less damaging to the environment than current powering methods.However making fuel cells as common and widely available as the conventional battery or engine is proving difficult because there are several significant challenges that still need to be overcome - including the high cost of the components and the low tolerance of the fuel cell to carbon.

The innovative electrode design will enable the fuel cell to use either carbon-contaminated hydrogen or hydrocarbon fuels such as methanol, biofuels or natural gas without the need for upstream reforming - a costly and cumbersome process whereby hydrogen fuels are "cleaned" prior to use. This makes it a more cost effective option than the low temperature fuel cell systems that are currently on the market. The new low temperature fuel cell will be able to use carbon-containing fuels directly and is expected to drastically accelerate fuel cell technology breakthrough into the current market.

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Renewable hydrogen from the fermentation of energy crops

Researchers in Aberdeen have claimed a break-through in producing hydrogen from ethanol that can be produced from the fermentation of energy crops.They said the process uses a catalyst system that produces hydrogen that is clean enough for use in fuel cells.

The scientists from the University of Aberdeen suggested their new process could lead to energy crops being used to generate electricity via fuel cell systems - rather than through relatively inefficient combustion systems.

The catalyst is made of very small nanoparticles of metals deposited on larger nanoparticles of a support called cerium oxide which is also used in catalytic converters in cars.At present the generation of hydrogen needed to power a mid-size fuel cell can be achieved using 1 Kg of this catalyst.

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Ethanol from yeast fermentation:A Breakthrough for hydrogen power

A team of scientists, led by a professor from the University of Aberdeen, have achieved a leap forward in the process of using hydrogen to provide clean electricity.Using a catalyst, they have converted ethanol fermented from biofuels into hydrogen.

The process developed by scientists in Aberdeen to produce hydrogen for fuel cells from biofuels starts with fermentation.Crops are fermented using yeast, producing ethanol and water.Then a catalyst made using the metals rhodium and palladium is added to the ethanol and water, at temperatures of about 500C.This converts the ethanol and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Although this has been done before, it had never been effective as it had never been achieved without producing waste products, such as carbon monoxide, which is poisonous. It took the team of scientists from across the world, led by Prof Idriss, more than ten years to hone the technique.The hydrogen could be used to power fuel cells, which can provide clean electricity for vehicles, homes and even large buildings.

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Hydrogen Producing Bacteria: A New Source of Hydrogen for Fuel Cell Technology to Create Electricity

Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and North Carolina State University are in process of identifying hydrogen producing bacterial strains. The hydrogen gas produced from these strains can be used in fuel cell technology to create electricity. The electricity produced from fuel cells are used in automobiles as a clean alternative to gasoline.

Source:
http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/energy-hydrogen-producing-bacteria/

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Toyota’s Fuel Cell Breakthrough in FCHV-Adv Doubles Range

Toyota has announced what it claims is a major breakthrough in fuel cell technology, with a new prototype that is capable of more than doubling the range of previous fuel cell vehicles.

The Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (or FCHV-Adv) has a range of 510miles on a single 156-litre tank of Hydrogen – the company’s previous-generation FCHV could only extract 205miles from its 148-litre tank. More important, from the point of view of corporate honour, the FCHV-Adv has double the claim range of the Honda FCX Clarity.

The dramatic extension in range has been achieved by improving the performance of the fuel cell, improving regenerative braking which feeds a battery-hybrid system and reducing the amount of power consumed by auxiliary systems.

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Toyota to Provide Home-use Fuel Cell Cogeneration Units

Toyota Motor Corp plans to provide, for the third year in a row, home-use fuel cell cogeneration units as part of a government project to verify the practical use of CO2-reducing stationary fuel cells.

The municipal-gas-fueled 1-kW home-use fuel cell cogeneration units—which generate electricity and capture waste heat for household heating—are to play a role in the continuing Large-Scale Stationary Fuel Cell Demonstration Project of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Twenty-four of the units will be provided to project participant Toho Gas Co., Ltd. (Toho), which will install them in homes in three central-Japan prefectures (Aichi, Gifu and Mie) to collect data toward commercialization. The government project, which was originally scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2008, is now expected to run until the end of March 2009.

More from here - Home-Use Fuel Cell Cogeneration Project

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Fuel Cell Technology Funding from US Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $130 million over three years, subject to Congressional appropriations, to advance the development and use of fuel cells for automotive, stationary, and portable power applications.

The DOE is also seeking proposals to demonstrate fuel cells in distributed energy systems and to support market transformation that provide real-world operation data. The Department anticipates making up to 50 awards through this competitive funding opportunity, which is open to industry, universities, and national laboratories.

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New Type of Membrane for Fuel Cells from MIT Team Paula Hammond

A group of engineers at MIT has developed a new type of membrane for one type of fuel cell which they claim could improve power output by more than 50 per cent.

The new material is considerably less expensive than its conventional industrial counterpart, and could help fuel cells to find a much broader market, particularly in portable electronics.

"Our goal is to replace traditional fuel-cell membranes with these cost-effective, highly tuneable and better-performing materials," said Paula T. Hammond, Bayer Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, and leader of the research team.

More from here: MIT boffins claim fuel cell breakthrough

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China’s Automakers, With Beijing’s Prodding, Show Alternative-Fuel Cars

China’s Automakers, With Beijing’s Prodding, Show Alternative-Fuel Cars

By Keith Bradsher, April 21, 2007

SHANGHAI, April 20 — Chinese automakers, under pressure from the government to produce more fuel-efficient cars, unveiled an unexpectedly broad array of prototypes for fuel-cell cars, gasoline-electric hybrid cars and electric battery cars at the Shanghai auto show recently.

The variety and sophistication of the cars showed a striking improvement not just since the last Shanghai auto show two years ago

Read the full report from here @ NY Times

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£4.2 Million Research Programme into Hydrogen as an Alternative Energy Source

£4.2 Million Research Programme into Hydrogen as an Alternative Energy Source
20 April 2007


Provider: Fuel Cell Today

It has been announced that Imperial College, London has received £4.2 million in grant money to look at using solar energy to produce cost effective hydrogen.

The programme will develop biological and chemical solar driven processes to develop renewable and cost effective methods of producing hydrogen to operate fuel cells.

The College’s Energy Futures Lab receives the funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Read the full report from here @ Fuel Cell Today

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Millennium Cell and Jadoo Power to Develop Mobile Medical Power Source for U.S. Air Force

Millennium Cell and Jadoo Power Awarded Program to Develop Mobile Medical Power Source for U.S. Air Force

March 29, 2007, Press release

~ Fuel cell based power source to demonstrate extended military medical airlift capabilities ~

EATONTOWN, N.J. - Millennium Cell Inc. (NASDAQ: MCEL), a leading developer of hydrogen battery technology, today announced that it has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (“AFRL”) to develop with its partner Jadoo Power a 300 watt power system that provides 12 hours of runtime for use as a long endurance power supply for U.S. Air Force aeromedical evacuation flights. The combination of Jadoo Power’s fuel cells and N-Stor interface technology with Millennium Cell’s Hydrogen on Demand® fuel technology creates a power system which can address critical power source needs that cannot be achieved with traditional battery technologies. The program will culminate in the fourth quarter of 2007 with a demonstration of a fuel cell system capable of powering the Air Force’s Patient Support Pallet, which is designed to improve the survivability of soldiers being evacuated from the battlefield to advanced medical facilities.

Jadoo Power has been a licensee of Millennium Cell’s technology since February 2006. The two companies are actively developing Hydrogen on Demand® fuel canisters for use with Jadoo Power’s N-Gen Fuel Cell Power units and XRT Extended Runtime accessories for emergency response and other industrial and military uses. The XRT uses six metal hydride canisters for hydrogen fuel storage today, which weigh approximately 30 total pounds. With the new chemical hydride-based fuel canister jointly developed by Millennium Cell, the XRT is expected to deliver the same runtime with approximately half the fuel canister weight.

Millennium Cell is currently engaged on multiple programs with AFRL focused on the development of products which utilize Millennium Cell’s technology for a wide range of applications including soldier power and unmanned aerial vehicles.

“We are very pleased to get the opportunity to work on a system that has the potential to save lives by extending the mobile medical capabilities of the U.S. military,” said Adam Briggs, President. “This mission critical requirement effectively illustrates an application for which fuel cell systems deliver a significant value.”

About Millennium Cell

Millennium Cell develops hydrogen battery technology through a patented chemical process that safely stores and delivers hydrogen energy to power portable devices. The borohydride-based technology can be scaled to fit any application requiring high energy density for a long run time in a compact space. The Company is working with market partners to meet demand for its patented process in four areas: military, medical, industrial and consumer electronics. For more information, visit http://millenniumcell.com.

About Jadoo Power

www.jadoopower.com

Jadoo Power is a market-focused company that develops and sells next-generation, portable energy storage and power generation products. Jadoo Power is a leading commercial supplier of fuel cell products to the portable power space. Jadoo Power is financed by MDV, Venrock Associates and Sinclair Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:

This press release may include statements that are not historical facts and are considered ``forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect Millennium Cell’s current views about future events and financial performance and are subject to risks. Forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “on target” and similar expressions identifying forward-looking statements. Investors should not rely on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from Millennium Cell’s expectations, and Millennium Cell expressly does not undertake any duty to update forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) the cost and timing of development and market acceptance of Millennium Cell’s hydrogen fuel storage and delivery system; (ii) the cost and commercial availability of the quantities of raw materials required by the hydrogen fuel storage and delivery systems; (iii) competition from current, improving and alternative power technologies; (iv) Millennium Cell’s ability to raise capital at the times, in the amounts and at the costs and terms that are acceptable to fund the development and commercialization of its hydrogen fuel storage and delivery system and its business plan; (v) Millennium Cell’s ability to protect its intellectual property; (vi) Millennium Cell’s ability to achieve budgeted revenue and expense amounts; (vii) Millennium Cell’s ability to generate revenues from the sale or license of, or provision of services related to, its technology; (viii) Millennium Cell’s ability to form strategic alliances or partnerships to help promote our technology and achieve market acceptance; (ix) Millennium Cell’s ability to generate design, engineering or management services revenue opportunities in the hydrogen generation or fuel cell markets; (x) Millennium Cell’s ability to secure government funding of its research and development and technology demonstration projects; and (xi) other factors discussed under the caption “Investment Considerations” in Millennium Cell’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005.

Contacts
MBS Value Partners
Betsy Brod, 212-750-5800

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Singapore to spend $230 mln on clean energy research

Singapore to spend $230 mln on clean energy research

26 Mar 2007, Source: Reuters

By Koh Gui Qing

SINGAPORE - Singapore will spend S$350 million ($230 million) on research into clean forms of energy over the next five years to meet soaring energy demand in the region, the government said on Monday.

Singapore will focus on solar power and fuel cell technologies research, the Economic Development Board (EDB) said, adding that the sector could create some 7,000 jobs and make up 0.6 percent of gross domestic product by 2015

Read the full report from here @ Reuters AlertNet

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