Nuvera Fuel Cells

CeMAT this year is very well attended despite the higher than normal temperatures in Hannover, Germany. At the last CeMAT event there was only one fuel cell forklift on display. This year there are three fuel cell forklifts on display and one hydrogen powered ICE forklift. Also available for public viewing is a mobile hydrogen refueling truck.

Nuvera Fuel Cells can be found in two of the three locations at CeMAT displaying fuel cells. The PowerFlow PF5 can be found in the Still FMX-20 reach truck.

Hoppecke Batterien developed the hybrid fuel cell power pack used in the Still truck and displayed a cutaway of that technology in the front of the Hoppecke pavilion. Using nickel metal hydride batteries with the PowerFlow, Hoppecke has been able to realize a full two shifts of operation before refueling with hydrogen is required.

There was tremendous interest at all locations showing fuel cells. This crowd at one display is an example of that interest.

When fuel cell or hydrogen ICE trucks needed hydrogen, they just drove around the building to be refueled at this mobile refueler. Refueling there was quick and easy to give each truck a full tank of 350 bar hydrogen.

Over the past week, a couple of events occurred that show the growth in importance of the Cleantech industry to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. First, on May 16, the Boston Business Journal (BBJ) distributed a special publication entitled “Sustainable Boston” where among other articles, a ranking of the area’s largest Cleantech employers was compiled.

I am happy to report that according to the BBJ, Nuvera Fuel cells ranks as the ninth largest employer in the clean technology industry in the Commonwealth, and the only fuel cell company to make the list of the Top 25.

A few days later on May 20th, the Speaker of the House of Representatives for Massachusetts, Sal DiMasi, filed a bill that would invest $13 million a year for the next five years in the new Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center to help fund research at clean energy companies, invest in startups, and train high school and college students for the next generation of “green collar” jobs.

According to the Lowell Sun newspaper, the speaker’s bill would invest $5 million a year into research at clean energy companies throughout the state and provide $500,000 in grants to entrepreneurs in other business sectors to create a broader expertise of available clean energy technology.

Massachusetts is second only to California in its investment in clean technology companies, and with this new bill and focus on the Cleantech sector, the Commonwealth is signaling that it intends to compete for the title of the Cleantech capital of the United States.

In addition to our fuel cell forklift proving ground in Topton, Pennsylvania, Nuvera has recently begun testing of its ReadyPower power pack here in our Billerica facility. The focus is on acceleration and braking, with special attention being paid to the regenerative braking system in place on most forklift trucks today. These tests will allow optimization of the hardware that Deka and Nuvera use to absorb the braking energy created (ReadyPower doesn’t have the large battery presence that traditional lead acid batteries do, as it stores its electricity in the form of hydrogen).

Pictured on the forklift is Aaron Harris, our Environmental, Health and Safety Coordinator.

Representative Niki Tsongas organized an event on Monday titled “Green, Clean and Sustainable – Economic Development for the 21st Century. 

At the meeting, which attracted about 75 people, she spoke about her desire to partner with green energy companies in the fifth districtof Massachusetts, to do what she can to help companies like ours grow both in market share and in employees.  An interesting bon mot that she offered to the audience: the green sector in Massachusetts employs over 14,000 people!  She also offered “As we seek solutions to our nation’s energy crisis, there are several innovative employers right in our backyard that are producing the alternative energy technologies which will help limit our foreign oil dependence and the harmful effects of climate change, while simultaneously creating outstanding green collar jobs for residents of the Fifth District.  The Merrimack Valley is fertile ground for the further growth and development of these jobs and this economic development conference that I am hosting will bring together job creation and environmental experts with leaders in our communities to discuss the steps that should be taken in order to encourage the further growth of this industry in our region.”

Bill Mitchell, our vice president of sales and marketing, participated in a panel titled “Green in the 5th – what did it take?” discussing Nuvera’s move last June from Cambridge to Billerica. On the panel with Bill were other area leaders in the solar, power electronics, and filtration industries.  The general consensus was that Massachusetts is a great place to live, and to attract and find talented people due to the numeraous universities inthe area.

The keynote speaker was Secretary Ian A. Bowles, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affiars who among other points of discussion, hinted at an upcoming clean energy bill that would be announced in the Commonwealth - more to come on this issue soon!.

The in-flight magazine of German airline Lufthansa features the Pininfarina Sintesi prominently on its May cover, as the lead-in for it’s featured article aptly titled: “Bella Macchina,” or roughly translated from Italian to mean “Attractive Car.” The Sintesi is a revolutionary concept car that features Nuvera’s Quadrivium fuel cell drive. The article showcases the cutting edge automotive designers coming out of Italy today, one of which is, and has been for over 70 years, Pininfarina. Check out the magazine scans below to see the section on the Sintesi.

To check out a video of the Sintesi, click here.