Electrolyzer

Diesel Progress North American Edition - Engine Control Systems acquired … Cummins in SCAQMD aftertreatment test … hydrogenics in hydrogen wind power project

Engine Control Systems (ECS), the Newmarket, Ontario, Canada-based manufacturer of emissions control systems and components, has been acquired by CapitalWorks LLC. CapitalWorks, a Cleveland, Ohio-based private equity firm, purchased ECS from The Lubrizol Corp. Financial details were not disclosed.

ECS has three North American locations--the Newmarket headquarters and sites in London, Ontario, and Reno, Nev. It also operates Engine Control Systems Europe AB, Malmo, Sweden. CapitalWorks is reportedly investing significant equity capital and ECS said it does not anticipate any material changes to its relationships with customers, suppliers or regulatory agencies.

Cummins will participate in a public-private partnership led by the California South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to demonstrate advanced diesel engine emissions control systems meeting the EPA 2010 on-highway standard. Next-generation Cummins aftertreatment research and technology will be utilized on the ISL 9 L engine to verify the emissions reduction capability of a combined system incorporating both a diesel particulate filter and nitrogen oxides adsorber. The project is focused on demonstrating very low emissions reduction for waste collection vehicles operating in urban areas.

Westport Innovations has signed a new joint partnership and funding agreement with Isuzu Motors Limited of Japan for the application of Westport's Compressed Natural Gas Direct Injection (CNG-DI) technologies on Isuzu engines and commercial vehicles. Isuzu will provide Westport with more than $1 million of new funding through the calendar year 2006 to demonstrate up to 25% improved fuel economy over current spark-ignited CNG engines. Westport's CNG-DI system on a 5 L four-cylinder Isuzu diesel engine will meet Japan's Post New Long Term Exhaust Emissions standard for 2009. Work will be performed in Isuzu and Westport engine laboratories in Japan and Canada.

Cummins Westport (CWI) the joint venture of Cummins Inc. and Westport Innovations, and Cummins India Limited (CIL) announced the limited production launch of CWI's B Gas International (BGI) natural gas engine in India. Manufacturing of the engines, available in ratings from 150 to 230 hp, takes place at CIL's Daman facility in western India. The locally manufactured BGI natural gas engine will be supplied to OEMs in India such as Tata Motors. "The successful production launch is a key milestone for CWI," said Guan Saw, president of Cummins Westport Inc. "The availability of a low-cost locally manufactured BGI engine will enable CIL to leverage its long-term relationships with India's largest OEMs, both in the domestic Indian market and the target export markets of these OEMs."

UQM Technologies has been awarded a $1.08 million contract supplement to an existing U.S. Air Force contract to convert a conventional half-ton pickup truck to all-electric operation using an optimized configuration of currently available advanced technologies. The contract supplement expands the scope of work to add the development of an electronic motor/generator controller that utilizes high operating temperature silicon carbide power switching modules. The controller is being developed for the USAF Advanced Power Technology Office of the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing at Robins Air Force Base in cooperation with the U.S. Army National Automotive Center and Mississippi State University. The USAF expects to field test the controller in at least one of the Air Force's hybrid electric vans, buses and/or in the all-electric pickup truck powered by lithium ion batteries currently being built by the company.

Hydrogenics Corp. said it has been awarded a contract by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Bismarck, N.D., to supply an electrolyzer-based hydrogen refueling station for installation in Minot, N.D. In addition to the core electrolyzer module, Hydrogenics is supplying compression, storage and dispenser equipment as part of the contract. The station is one of the first United States-based hydrogen fueling stations to use electricity from a wind power resource to produce hydrogen from water, in this case using electricity generated by wind resources either owned or contracted by Basin Electric. The hydrogen produced will be used to refuel hydrogen-powered vehicles, demonstrating a linkage between wind power and vehicle refueling.

Hydrogenics also announced that it has supplied an on-site electrolysis-based HySTAT-A hydrogen plant to Oao Nschk, a state-owned utility in Novorsibirsk, Russia. The high-purity hydrogen produced will be used in this nuclear power plant's chemical processes. Installation and commissioning is scheduled for later this spring.

Plug Power Inc. said that IST Holdings Ltd., a Plug Power distributor headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, has issued a purchase order for 80 of the Company's GenCore backup fuel cell systems. This represents the largest purchase order for the company from one of its international distributors to date.