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DOE-funded projects from as far back as 15 years ago are now making an impact for gas generation and purification company Air Products, as the fuel cell industry takes off. Starting with a project with Air Products Hydrogen Energy Systems group, the City of Las Vegas constructed and now operates the world’s first integrated hydrogen energy station: on-site production of hydrogen to both fuel vehicles and produce electricity.  A critical element of this station was the hydrogen generator developed by Air Products, with hydrogen is produced using steam methane reforming.

Doosan Fuel Cell, a  Connecticut company which designs, engineers and manufactures clean energy fuel cell systems that produce combined heat and power systems, began operations in July 2014 at its corporate headquarters outside Hartford.

Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the BMW manufacturing plant in Greer, South Carolina demonstrated the use of unique source to power some of its operations: bio-methane gas from garbage at a nearby landfill.  This BMW factory is also home to the largest fuel cell powered forklift fleet in the world, with more than 300 units. 

Thanks to R&D funding from the Energy Department’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO), the Federal Express Hub at the Memphis International Airport in Tennessee has a new 15-vehicle fleet of hydrogen fuel cell powered ground support equipment. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on April 9 to mark the kickoff of the two-year demonstration of the vehicles, which are part of the world’s first zero-emissions ground support fleet in the world.

EERE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office launched a national emergency response training resource in February. The new resource is the brainchild of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the California Fuel Cell Partnership. This free resource will serve as a first responder-training repository filled with the most current and accurate information on hydrogen and fuel cells.

H2USA, a public-private partnership, was co-launched by DOE and industry partners to promote advancing hydrogen infrastructure to support more transportation energy options for consumers. Through H2USA, industry and government partners will focus on identifying actions to encourage early adopters of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) by conducting coordinated technical and market analysis, and evaluating alternative fueling infrastructure that can enable cost reductions and economies of scale. 

Dynalene has been working with several automotive and fuel cell manufacturers on using the coolants in their PEM fuel cells, hybrid electric, electric vehicles and back-up power systems.

In 2012, Element One was named as a runner-up in the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” challenge—a competition among 36 companies that optioned to license patents from DOE national laboratories.

Research funded by EERE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office has dramatically increased the efficiency of biofuel production by changing certain genes in algae to make them pale green.

EERE-funding directly resulted in a cost-effective commercial electrocatalyst product for fuel cells that is now being manufactured with plans to be used in hybrid vehicles.

ORNL is working to combat the high costs of hydrogen storage tanks with two new strategies.

EERE funding directly resulted in a commercial product now being manufactured with plans to be used in Toyota vehicles.

Nebraska company more than doubled its workforce since developing carbon fiber composite tanks.

In an EERE-supported study with the Federal Transit Administration, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found the fuel economy of fuel cell powered buses to be up to 2.4 times higher than conventional buses.

New facility uses low-cost fuel cell manufacturing methods.

EERE-funded LANL projects are helping to protect the environment by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Highly efficient hydrogen production technology with minimal water requirements.

EERE-funded PNNL projects are improving performance and decreasing production costs of hydrogen fuel and fuel cell technologies.

New model simulates market potential of fuel cell electric vehicles over time.

EERE supported the development of the world's first tri-generation station combined heat and power system that produces hydrogen in addition to heat and electricity.

Auto manufacturers demonstrate that switching from a gasoline to a hydrogen fuel cell engine could reduce emissions by more than 90%.

Research increases understanding of membranes that can
operate at high temperatures.

New aqueous phase reforming process uses liquid feedstocks to produce energy from hydrogen with reduced costs.

Bloom Energy is testing the potential to produce low-cost hydrogen and electricity simultaneously from natural gas.