Partners Will Now Turn Efforts Toward Building Phase

Milan / Cambridge, Mass., June 7, 2002 – Progress on the first commercial ethanol fueled fuel cell demonstration project is well underway as the project partners announced they have recently completed the design phase. Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc., Caterpillar, Inc., and Williams Bio-Energy have teamed up to design, build, and demonstrate a 15 kilowatt stationary fuel cell power system that will be operated on hydrogen derived from ethanol.

"This project is an important first-step in demonstrating the advantages of ethanol for fuel cells," said Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association. "Nuvera, Caterpillar, and Williams Bio-Energy are to be commended for undertaking this important project. Ethanol is a great source of hydrogen for fuel cells – either for stationary electricity generation or vehicles. Ethanol is easily reformed into hydrogen. It's renewable and clean. And it can utilize the existing fueling infrastructure throughout the country."

With the building phase set to begin, the fuel cell system will be delivered to Williams Bio-Energy by next January. Once installed, a six-month testing project will follow with the fuel cell powering Williams' visitors' center in Pekin, Illinois. Nuvera is responsible designing and building the fuel cell and fuel reformer. Caterpillar is the project manager and will provide the power converter. Williams will provide the site preparation, electric grid integration, and ethanol.

In addition to the project partners, funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.

About Nuvera
Nuvera Fuel Cells is a leading designer and developer of fuel cell power systems, fuel processors, and fuel cell stacks for the automotive, distributed generation, commercial, and industrial markets. Since 1992, its fuel processors and PEM fuel cell stacks have been successfully tested and evaluated by major automobile and appliance manufacturers, research institutions, telecommunications organizations, and industrial and energy companies. Nuvera's fuel processors have demonstrated the ability to extract hydrogen from a number of liquid and gaseous fuels, including gasoline, ethanol, methanol, natural gas, kerosene, propane, butane, home heating oil, and diesel.

Contact
Robert Derby
Director, Marketing Communications
Nuvera Fuel Cells

Tel: +1-617-245-7571
Fax: +1-617-245-7571
Cell: +1-508-254-9668
Email: derby.r@nuvera.com