The much awaited Think Hydrogen Vehicle converted by H2 Logic A/S will be presented in Jutland, Denmark on 24th of September 2008 during an event where the Danish Minister of Climate and Energy will be present.
Until now there have been few details about the converted Think Electric vehicle. The purely battery driven vehicle has a driving range of 204 km per recharge. However, some details and specifications about the converted vehicle have emerged during a recent dispute over emissions and costs between H2 Logic A/S and the so-called Hydrogen Link Association on one side and Danish Electric Vehicle Society the other side. In statements issued by the Hydrogen Link Association, it appears that a planned so-called second generation of the vehicle is expected to drive some 160-180 km on batteries and some 60-80 km on hydrogen in a standard hybrid configuration.
H2 Hub West Jutland
In 2007, H2 Logic A/S and other public private partners obtained Public and State funding for this project that was formally initiated in 2006. The opening should have been in June 2008, but the project partners wanted a high ranging politician to participate and the official opening of the project was postponed until 24th of September 2009, where the Danish Minister of Climate and Energy, Ms Connie Hedegaard (C) will be present.
The current project includes electrolytic production of hydrogen at energy utility company Vestforsyning A/S in Holstebro followed by road transport of compressed hydrogen gas at 200-250 bars to Ringkøbing, where locally hydrogen dispensers are to be placed.
The project includes three dispensers for fuel cell power modules between 2-4 kW aimed for installation in two golf carts, and one small utility vehicle. The project also includes three dispensers for power modules at 8-15 kW to be installed in one Think Electric vehicle and two fork lifts. All fuel cells in the power modules are provided by Ballard Power Systems Inc.
The total cost of the project is estimated to 13 mill DKK. The Danish Energy Authorities has contributed with 3.8 mill DKK, another 2 mill DKK are provided by EU Regional Funds along with some 2 mill DKK from the Municipality of Ringkøbing. Hence public funding contributed with about 7.8 mill DKK and private funding with about 5.2 mill DKK (including H2 Logic A/S so-called own research contribution of 3.0 mill DKK) added to the realization of the project.
According to public records the so-called research part of the project, i.e. the development of the prototypes of the hydrogen dispenser and the fuel cell and balance of plant part, is estimated to be 6.8 mill DKK.
In this project, the converted Think Electric Vehicle is priced at 1.1 mill DKK, but currently, the project does not give information about the vehicle’s performance or emissions characteristics.
Hub West Jutland Upgrade in the Link 2009 Project
In an recent application - the so-called “Link 2009”; named so to promote Danish Technology during the UN Climate Summit to be hosted in Denmark in 2009 -H2 Logic A/S on behalf of Public-Private-Partners, includingvarious municipalities,applied to receive State funding through the National EUDP (Energy Development and Demonstration Programme).
The Link 2009 project is basically a 74 mill DKK continuation of the Hub West Jutland project in the sense that the hydrogen dispensers, the Think and utility vehicles essentially are to be upgraded. Currently, different stakeholders, including the City of Copenhagen, who considers its 14 mill share of the project, are on hold after the National EUDP only granted 5 mill DKK of an expected 30 mill DKK of State-funding.
From public records it is appears that the 200-250 bar hydrogen fuelling dispenser to be revealed in the Hub West Jutland is to be upgraded to a 350 bar dispenser in 2009 with a view to be able to demonstrate 700 bar hydrogen dispensing by the end of 2011 in a laboratory.
The “Link 2009” application leaves no details about performance of the so-called second generation of the Think Hydrogen vehicle. Although several municipalities have given conditional consent to purchase the vehicles priced at about 750.000 DKK per vehicle, none of the municipalities have been able to disclose information about their expectations about the vehicle’s performance.
The Danish EUDP Secretariat, placed under the Ministry of Climate and Energy, has not been able to reveal its internal working procedures in connection with the decision to grant the 5 mill DKK (out of the requested 30 mill DKK) to the continued development activities. The EUDP Secretariat refers to specifications in the public records already disclosed. However, it is clear from the records that the decision process of the EUDP neither includes an IPR screening nor a market benchmark evaluation, and therefore is not able to classify the suggested work as research, development or deployment.
