"I am pleased to see this collaboration develop," said Associate Director for Strategic Research Terry Wallace, who signed the Memorandum on behalf of Los Alamos. "If we are to lessen humankind's dependence on fossil fuels, particularly in the area of transportation, it is critical that we team up with some of the best researchers in the field. The scientists from NEDO and AIST certainly merit this description and we look forward to working with them."
According to William Tumas, leader of the Laboratory's Institute for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research, "The strength of this partnership lies in both shared interests and existing relations. Japan is a member, along with the United States, of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy and has been especially active in metal hydride storage and in improving polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. For more than two decades, Los Alamos has been a leader in the development of PEM fuel cell technologies and currently leads DOE's Chemical Hydrogen Storage Center of Excellence."
Tumas notes that Los Alamos has already hosted several visits by Japanese research groups and that several Los Alamos staff members had given invited talks in Japan this past winter. Researchers from both countries are planning a workshop on fuel cell durability and hydrogen storage issues this coming summer.
The Institute for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research was formed in 2004 as a partnership between the Laboratory's Chemistry and Materials Science and Technology divisions. The Institute was created to coordinate hydrogen and fuel cell research projects across the Laboratory, to improve access to Los Alamos' unique fuel cell capabilities and facilities, and to enhance the Laboratory's ability to attract high quality entry level and senior staff in the field of hydrogen energy research.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.