AFC Energy

Last updated
AFC Energy
Type Public
LSE:  AFC
Industry Alternative energy
Founded2006 (2006)
Headquarters
Cranleigh, Surrey
,
United Kingdom
Number of locations
United Kingdom
Germany
Australia
Key people
Gary Bullard. (Chairman)
Adam Bond (CEO)
Products Fuel cells
Number of employees
120+
Website www.afcenergy.com

AFC Energy PLC is a developer of hydrogen fuel cell technologies which focus on the displacement of diesel generators in stationary and maritime applications. The technology utilises hydrogen fuel for zero emission electricity generation. [1] The company is based in Cranleigh, Surrey, United Kingdom. [2] It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Contents

AFC Energy has fuel cell generator deployments with several of the UK and Europe's largest construction groups and in July 2023, announced its intention to form the UK's first dedicated, scaled hydrogen power generator hire business in collaboration with Speedy Hire. The Company is also working closely with ABB e-Mobility in supporting the electrification of high power EV charging across grid constrained charging environments. ABB invested into AFC Energy in 2021.

History

The company was established in 2006 by the acquisition of certain intellectual property rights and assets from Eneco. In 2010, it commissioned a hydrogen fuel cell named Alpha System at the Chinchilla underground coal gasification facility, operated by Linc Energy. Combining these technologies allowed usage of hydrogen, produced by the underground coal gasification process, as a feedstock for the fuel cell. [3]

In August 2011, the company commissioned hydrogen fuel cell named Beta System at its facility in the United Kingdom. [4] [5] In October 2011, AFC Energy commissioned two Beta Systems at the AkzoNobel chlor-alkali plant in Bitterfeld, in Germany. [4]

In June 2012, AFC Energy and Industrial Chemicals Limited announced a plan to install the largest fuel cell facility in the United Kingdom with an electrical output of 1  MW. [6] This was subsequently abandoned in 2013 in favour of deploying a large system at an Air Products facility at Stade, Germany. </ref>

In March 2015, AFC committed to build a 50 MW fuel cell park in South Korea, as part of a joint venture with two local companies, Samyoung and Changsing Chemical. [7] [8] In April 2015, AFC Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai Carbon for a 300 MW fuel cell park in Dubai. [9] However, no progress of these projects has been reported.

In August 2015, AFC Energy commenced operation of its first KORE fuel cell system in Stade, Germany. [10] In January 2016, the system reached capacity of 200 kW. [11]

In July 2018, the company agreed to install a 200–400 kW fuel cell unit at the Southern Oil's biorefinery at Gladstone, Australia. [12]

In April 2019, AFC Energy confirmed details of a new high-power density fuel cell technology, ideal where space and weight are relevant production considerations. Adam Bond, CEO at AFC Energy, said it was "a fuel cell platform capable of delivering performance only previously seen in other membrane-based fuel cell technologies, and at lower operating temperatures."[ citation needed ]

Through 2020 AFC Energy added to its addressable markets with a new focus on EV charging and partnered with global EV charging infrastructure OEM, ABB. Perceived advantages of the AFC Energy system are the ability to operate in remote off-grid areas, the ability to neutralise the constraints of grid capacity in any situation, and carbon-free power generation. Of particular interest are the solid electrolyte fuel cell scheduled for release in 2022, and the Alkamem membrane, a high density anion exchange membrane with possible applications in electrolysis.[ citation needed ]. The AEM product line development has been put on hold with the Company's immediate focus on fuel cell generator deployments into the fast growing zero emission offgrid power market. In June 2020 AFC Energy entered into an agreement with Acciona, a large Spanish construction company with a multi-national presence, to demonstrate the AFC Energy fuel cell on site.[ citation needed ] In July 2020 AFC Energy announced a collaboration with Extreme E to use its hydrogen fuel cell technology to enable its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy. The by-product of utilizing these hydrogen fuel cell power generators for charging, water, will be used elsewhere on-site. [13]

In March 2023, AFC Energy announced the launch of its new ammonia cracking technology platform capable of generating on site hydrogen from ammonia, which acts as a higher energy dense carrier fuel. The cracker technology was announced as a scalable, modular cracker initially designed for high efficiency maritime utilisation (supporting the decarbonisation of vessels and port infrastructure) but is increasingly being seen as a potential stationary hydrogen generator for distributed hydrogen production.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuel cell</span> Device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity

A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidizing agent into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requiring a continuous source of fuel and oxygen to sustain the chemical reaction, whereas in a battery the chemical energy usually comes from substances that are already present in the battery. Fuel cells can produce electricity continuously for as long as fuel and oxygen are supplied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrogen vehicle</span> Vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel for motive power

A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel for motive power. Hydrogen vehicles include hydrogen-fueled space rockets, as well as ships and aircraft. Motive power is generated by converting the chemical energy of hydrogen to mechanical energy, either by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to power electric motors or, less commonly, by burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasification</span> Form of energy conversion

Gasification is a process that converts biomass- or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into gases, including as the largest fractions: nitrogen (N2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and carbon dioxide (CO2). This is achieved by reacting the feedstock material at high temperatures (typically >700 °C), without combustion, via controlling the amount of oxygen and/or steam present in the reaction. The resulting gas mixture is called syngas (from synthesis gas) or producer gas and is itself a fuel due to the flammability of the H2 and CO of which the gas is largely composed. Power can be derived from the subsequent combustion of the resultant gas, and is considered to be a source of renewable energy if the gasified compounds were obtained from biomass feedstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric vehicle</span> Vehicle propelled by one or more electric motors

An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery. EVs include but are not limited to road and rail vehicles, and broadly can also include electric boat and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zero-emissions vehicle</span> Class of motor vehicle

A zero-emission vehicle, or ZEV, is a vehicle that does not emit exhaust gas or other pollutants from the onboard source of power. The California definition also adds that this includes under any and all possible operational modes and conditions. This is because under cold-start conditions for example, internal combustion engines tend to produce the maximum amount of pollutants. In a number of countries and states, transport is cited as the main source of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants. The desire to reduce this is thus politically strong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuel cell vehicle</span> Vehicle that uses a fuel cell to power its electric motor

A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is an electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell, sometimes in combination with a small battery or supercapacitor, to power its onboard electric motor. Fuel cells in vehicles generate electricity generally using oxygen from the air and compressed hydrogen. Most fuel cell vehicles are classified as zero-emissions vehicles that emit only water and heat. As compared with internal combustion vehicles, hydrogen vehicles centralize pollutants at the site of the hydrogen production, where hydrogen is typically derived from reformed natural gas. Transporting and storing hydrogen may also create pollutants. Fuel cells have been used in various kinds of vehicles including forklifts, especially in indoor applications where their clean emissions are important to air quality, and in space applications. Fuel cells are being developed and tested in trucks, buses, boats, ships, motorcycles and bicycles, among other kinds of vehicles.

Micro combined heat and power, micro-CHP, µCHP or mCHP is an extension of the idea of cogeneration to the single/multi family home or small office building in the range of up to 50 kW. Usual technologies for the production of heat and power in one common process are e.g. internal combustion engines, micro gas turbines, stirling engines or fuel cells.

An integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is a technology using a high pressure gasifier to turn coal and other carbon based fuels into pressurized gas—synthesis gas (syngas). It can then remove impurities from the syngas prior to the electricity generation cycle. Some of these pollutants, such as sulfur, can be turned into re-usable byproducts through the Claus process. This results in lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulates, mercury, and in some cases carbon dioxide. With additional process equipment, a water-gas shift reaction can increase gasification efficiency and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by converting it to carbon dioxide. The resulting carbon dioxide from the shift reaction can be separated, compressed, and stored through sequestration. Excess heat from the primary combustion and syngas fired generation is then passed to a steam cycle, similar to a combined cycle gas turbine. This process results in improved thermodynamic efficiency, compared to conventional pulverized coal combustion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste-to-energy</span> Process of generating energy from the primary treatment of waste

Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Most WtE processes generate electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels, often derived from the product syngas.

Hydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen gas. There are four main sources for the commercial production of hydrogen: natural gas, oil, coal, and electrolysis of water; which account for 48%, 30%, 18% and 4% of the world's hydrogen production respectively. Fossil fuels are the dominant source of industrial hydrogen. As of 2020, the majority of hydrogen (~95%) is produced by steam reforming of natural gas and other light hydrocarbons, partial oxidation of heavier hydrocarbons, and coal gasification. Other methods of hydrogen production include biomass gasification and methane pyrolysis. Methane pyrolysis and water electrolysis can use any source of electricity including renewable energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed methanol fuel cell</span> Fuel Cell Type

Reformed Methanol Fuel Cell (RMFC) or Indirect Methanol Fuel Cell (IMFC) systems are a subcategory of proton-exchange fuel cells where, the fuel, methanol (CH3OH), is reformed, before being fed into the fuel cell.

A hydrogen ship is a hydrogen fueled ship, using an electric motor that gets its electricity from a fuel cell, or hydrogen fuel in an internal combustion engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linc Energy</span>

Linc Energy was an Australian energy company that specialised in coal-based synthetic fuel production, as well as conventional oil and gas production. It was engaged in development and commercialisation of proprietary underground coal gasification technology. Produced gas was used for production of synthetic fuel through gas-to-liquid technology, and was also used for power generation. The company had its headquarters in Brisbane, Queensland.

ECOtality, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, was an electric transportation and storage technologies company. ECOtality was the parent company of ECOtality North America, Innergy Power Corporation, Fuel Cell Store and ECOtality Australia Pty Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hi-Gen Power</span>

Hi-Gen Power was a London-based developer of projects combining underground coal gasification with carbon capture and storage and alkaline fuel cells. It was established in 2009 to commercialize alkaline fuel cells developed by the fuel cell manufacturer AFC Energy. It is affiliated with B9 Gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITM Power</span>

ITM Power plc is an energy storage and clean fuel company founded in the UK in 2001. It designs, manufactures, and integrates electrolysers based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology to produce green hydrogen using renewable electricity and tap water. Hydrogen produced via electrolysis is used for mobility, Power-to-X, and industry.

Power-to-gas is a technology that uses electric power to produce a gaseous fuel. When using surplus power from wind generation, the concept is sometimes called windgas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies</span> Fuel cell manufacturers

\Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies is a manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells based in Singapore. Founded in 2003, the company manufactures micro-size to multi-kilowatt scale (PEM) proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Additionally, it uses hydrogen storage and production methods including hydrolysis, electrolysis and steam reforming.

Lower-temperature fuel cell types such as the proton exchange membrane fuel cell, phosphoric acid fuel cell, and alkaline fuel cell require pure hydrogen as fuel, typically produced from external reforming of natural gas. However, fuels cells operating at high temperature such as the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) are not poisoned by carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and in fact can accept hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam, and methane mixtures as fuel directly, because of their internal shift and reforming capabilities. This opens up the possibility of efficient fuel cell-based power cycles consuming solid fuels such as coal and biomass, the gasification of which results in syngas containing mostly hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane which can be cleaned and fed directly to the SOFCs without the added cost and complexity of methane reforming, water gas shifting and hydrogen separation operations which would otherwise be needed to isolate pure hydrogen as fuel. A power cycle based on gasification of solid fuel and SOFCs is called an Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell (IGFC) cycle; the IGFC power plant is analogous to an integrated gasification combined cycle power plant, but with the gas turbine power generation unit replaced with a fuel cell power generation unit. By taking advantage of intrinsically high energy efficiency of SOFCs and process integration, exceptionally high power plant efficiencies are possible. Furthermore, SOFCs in the IGFC cycle can be operated so as to isolate a carbon dioxide-rich anodic exhaust stream, allowing efficient carbon capture to address greenhouse gas emissions concerns of coal-based power generation.

Hyzon Motors Inc. is an American automotive company based in Rochester, New York. Hyzon develops and manufactures hydrogen fuel cell systems and supplies zero-emission heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles. It has offices in Chicago, Detroit, Groningen, Melbourne (Australia), and Shanghai. With 87 fuel cell electric vehicles delivered in 2021, Hyzon leads OEMs in fuel cell heavy truck deployments.

References

  1. ↑ "AFC Energy PLC (AFEN.L)". Reuters . Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "AFC Energy". Fuel Cell Today. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "AFC deploys operational alkaline fuel cell with Linc Energy in Australia". Renewable Energy Focus. Elsevier. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 "AFC Energy commissions two fuel cell Beta Systems at AkzoNobel plant in Germany". Renewable Energy Focus. Elsevier. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "AFC Energy hails fuel cell milestone". BusinessGreen. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "AFC Energy and Industrial Chemicals to instal the UK's largest fuel cell energy facility". New Statesman . 25 June 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "AFC agrees $1 Billion Korean Fuel Cell Venture" . Bloomberg. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Fuel cell deal marks transition for AFC Power". The Engineer . 10 March 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "AFC Energy signs MOU for 300MW of AFC Fuel Cells in Dubai". The Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association. 23 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "AFC's Fuel Cell System Starts Operation in Stade, Germany". Waste Management World. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "AFC'S Fuel Cell System 200kW in Stade, Germany". energyvoice.com. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Whiterow, Philip (12 July 2018). "AFC Energy picks up first fuel cell order from Australian partner". Proactive Investor. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  13. ↑ "Extreme E partners with AFC Energy to pioneer zero emission vehicle charging". RACER. 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.