The October/November 2018 issue of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) newsletter includes stories in these categories:

In the News

Celebrating Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day on October 8

Photo of numerous people standing in front of a fuel cells sign.

The fourth Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day took place on October 8, 2018. Scientists, researchers, and stakeholders across the country joined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in raising awareness and celebrating advances in fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. Aptly chosen to represent hydrogen's atomic weight of 1.008, DOE, industry organizations, national laboratories, and state and federal government agencies commemorated Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day with a variety of communications activities and outreach events throughout the week. The FCTO activities included a display at DOE headquarters in D.C. showcasing hydrogen generation and its conversion to electricity by a fuel cell. Additional activities included an educational 1.008 mile walk through the Smithsonian gardens as well as a ride and drive for DOE staff and a hydrogen station tour at DOE offices in D.C. and Golden, Colorado.

Under Secretary of Energy Drives a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car

As part of the weeklong activities to celebrate Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes drove one of the world's first commercial fuel cell cars on loan from the automakers to collect data and guide early stage R&D. Read his Driving to a Hydrogen Future blog where he talks about his experience driving a hydrogen fuel cell car.

Energy Department Deputy Secretary Speaks at Hydrogen Energy Ministerial in Tokyo

Deputy Secretary Dan Brouillette spoke at the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial in Tokyo earlier this month. He joined Ministers and dignitaries from more than 20 countries, followed by an industry conference with 300 industry leaders investing in hydrogen and fuel cells. At the meeting, the Deputy Secretary reiterated that hydrogen is one part of an all-of-the-above energy portfolio. The countries agreed on specific areas of collaboration that were detailed in a follow-up memo called the Tokyo Statement.

This was the first ministerial level meeting on hydrogen since the United States launched the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) in 2003, an intergovernmental partnership to accelerate progress in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. IPHE now has 19 members (18 countries and the European Commission). The United States was elected Chair in May 2018, with Japan serving as Vice Chair, and has strong support from other members, including the European Commission, Germany, and France. IPHE will meet in South Africa in December to develop concrete actions that support the Tokyo Statement.

Energy Department and Army TARDEC to Collaborate on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells for Military Use

In celebration of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, the Energy Department announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Army to collaborate in the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for military and civilian use. Signed by the Director of the U.S. Department of Army's Tank & Automotive Research Development and Engineering Command (TARDEC), Dr. Paul Rogers, and the Director of the Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Dr. Sunita Satyapal, the MOU will enable the two research organizations to work more closely on technologies that can meet both organizations' goals. See TARDEC's Facebook post highlighting the MOU.

Energy Department Launches Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Career Map

In October 2018, the Energy Department launched an interactive Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Career Map. This tool will allow users of all ages to discover traditional and non-traditional career opportunities in the hydrogen and fuel cells industry. Similar to the career maps for other DOE technologies such as solar, this effort supports priorities to develop a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) workforce.

Energy Secretary Fulfills Promise to Visit All 17 National Laboratories

When Energy Secretary Perry took office, he made a commitment to personally visit each of the DOE's 17 national laboratories. He recently completed this journey and had the opportunity to see and learn more about the incredible R&D and cutting edge energy technologies that researchers at the labs are working on, like hydrogen and fuel cells. See his journey in this video.

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Funding Opportunities and Requests for Information

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells included in Recent SBIR/STTR FY 2019 Topics Announcement

As part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development proposals, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced 12 topics to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million. Some of the hydrogen and fuel cell topics include membranes and ionomers, smart sensors for hydrogen vessels, and hydrogen conversion to hydrocarbon fuels.

High Performing Computing for Energy Innovation Joint Solicitation Is Now Open

The Energy Department High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) Initiative issued its first joint solicitation for two of its pillar initiatives, High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) and High Performance Computing for Materials (HPC4Mtls) programs, announced by Secretary Perry in 2017. The solicitation seeks industry partners to work on one-year collaborative projects with DOE's national laboratories, applying high performance computing (HPC) modeling, simulation, and data analysis to key challenges in U.S. manufacturing and material development for various technologies including hydrogen and fuel cells.

Updates and future RFI and funding opportunity announcements will be posted on FCTO's funding opportunities website.

Webinars and Workshops

Webinar: November 27—The Science Behind Liquid Hydrogen Fueling Station Footprint Reduction

DOE's FCTO will hold a public webinar titled "The Science Behind Liquid Hydrogen Fueling Station Footprint Reduction" on Tuesday, November 27, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. Researchers at DOE's Sandia National Laboratories will discuss research that can help enable reductions in the footprint of liquid hydrogen fueling stations. The webinar will also include a review of efforts to characterize large-scale hydrogen dispersion and inform the Hydrogen Technologies Code. Register for the webinar.

Webinar: December 5—Hydrogen Carriers for Bulk Storage and Transport of Hydrogen

DOE's FCTO will hold a public webinar titled "Hydrogen Carriers for Bulk Storage and Transport of Hydrogen" on Wednesday, December 5, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory will discuss the potential of hydrogen carriers to address the challenges associated with the bulk storage and transport of hydrogen. Register for the webinar.

Visit our website to see webinar archives or workshop presentations.

Studies, Reports, and Publications

Energy Department Releases the 2018 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

The report summarizes the comments of expert peer reviewers at the 2018 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), which was held June 13–15, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Read the report to learn more about the projects reviewed at the 2018 AMR.

2018 November Fact of the Month Posted

There are now more than 20,000 hydrogen fuel cell forklifts in use across the United States. Read more Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Facts of the Month on the website.