Ceramic Fuel Cells signs BlueGen sales and service agreement for the UK with the RES Group

RNS Number : 0584H

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

23 May 2011

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited(1) , a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation units for homes and other buildings, has signed a distribution agreement with RES On-Site Limited, part of the RES Group(2) , to market, sell, install and service Ceramic Fuel Cells' BlueGen gas-to-electricity units in the United Kingdom.

Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement RES On-Site will distribute BlueGen, targeting the commercial microgeneration energy market throughout the UK. RES On-Site holds MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) installer accreditations in a wide range of technologies and is adding the microCHP accreditation to this and so will provide installation and after-sales service for BlueGen products. It will also support Ceramic Fuel Cells in developing the market for BlueGen.

The RES Group is a leading international renewable energy company with operations across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. To date the RES Group has delivered more than 5GW of renewable energy projects worldwide. RES On-Site sells and installs a range of low emission power and heating products for commercial, industrial and public sector customers, including wind, biomass, solar PV and solar hot water.

BlueGen uses ceramic fuel cells to turn natural gas into electricity and heat for hot water, with each unit capable of producing more than three times the electricity needed to power the average home. The UK average domestic power consumption is estimated at 3,300 kWh per annum(3) .

Surplus electricity can be sold back to the grid or used in supplementary applications such as charging an electric car, as well as having the additional benefit of providing heat for domestic hot water use. BlueGen units generate electricity at up to double the efficiency of the current power grid, reducing energy bills as well as making significant carbon savings.

Most recently, BlueGen has been successfully chosen to participate in CE Electric UK's GBP54 million low-carbon Smart Grid project.

Commenting on the announcement, Brendan Dow, Managing Director of Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited said:

"To be working with the RES Group, one of the world's leading renewable energy development companies, is exciting news for CFCL and is yet another endorsement of BlueGen.

"The reputation, expertise and market penetration that the RES Group offers means that we are now even better placed to capitalise on the significant market opportunities that the UK offers."

Mike Atkinson - Managing Director, RES On-Site Limited added:

"RES are delighted to add the world leading BlueGen microCHP product from CFCL to our portfolio of class leading renewable and low carbon energy technologies. This diverse portfolio allows RES On-site to offer our customers the most suitable solution for their specific carbon reduction application.

"The UK Government's tariff structures supporting the deployment of exciting new products such as BlueGen makes the UK a hugely dynamic developing market for renewable technologies and RES On-site is committed to being at the forefront of that market."

Paddy Thompson, General Manager Business Development at Ceramic Fuel Cells added:

"RES On-Site Limited is highly experienced and MCS accredited, and together we are ready to enable BlueGen customers to take full advantage of the microCHP feed in tariff as well as the considerable energy cost and carbon savings made available by BlueGen.

"This is the first UK distributor agreement signed by CFCL and we look forward to working closely with RES On-Site as awareness of the many benefits offered by fuel cell cogeneration grows."

The agreement is in line with Ceramic Fuel Cells' strategy to sell BlueGen units worldwide through a network of distributors and to outsource the sale, installation and service of BlueGen units. The agreement with RES On-Site Limited in the UK follows similar BlueGen distribution agreements with partners in Australia.

- ends -

Notes for Editors

1 - About Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited:

-- Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited is a world leader in developing fuel cell technology to provide highly efficient and low-emission electricity from widely available natural gas.

-- Ceramic Fuel Cells is developing fully integrated power and heating products with leading energy companies E.ON UK in the United Kingdom, GdF Suez in France and EWE in Germany.

-- Ceramic Fuel Cells has also sold 70 BlueGen gas-to-electricity generators to major utilities and other foundation customers in Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Australia and the USA.

-- Ceramic Fuel Cells is listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market and the Australian Securities Exchange (code CFU).

-- For further information: www.cfcl.com.au

2 - About the RES Group

-- RES On-site is part of the RES Group. RES is one of the world's leading independent renewable energy project developers with operations across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. At the forefront of wind energy development for over 25 years, RES has developed and/or built more than 5GW of renewable energy projects worldwide.

-- The RES Group is active in a range of renewable energy technologies including large-scale biomass, solar, wave and tidal and on-site renewable installations.

-- For more information, visit www.res-group.com

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited Appoints Germany-based Dr Roman Dudenhausen as Non-Executive Director

RNS Number : 8941G: Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

19 May 2011 Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited Appoints Germany-based Dr Roman Dudenhausen as Non-Executive Director

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited [AIM/ASX: CFU], a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission power products for homes, has appointed German-based Dr Roman Dudenhausen as a non-executive director.

Dr Dudenhausen, 42, attended university in Germany and Canada, and has extensive experience in strategic advice, marketing and innovation in the German energy industry.

Based in Essen, north of Bonn, Dr Dudenhausen is CEO and co-founder of conenergy ag, a leading independent service provider to the German energy Industry.

Since its establishment in 1996, conenergy ag has advised and built up long term partnerships with more than 500 energy utilities and other customers in the energy sector. Services provided by conenergy include strategic and management consulting, mergers & acquisitions, marketing and training courses. These activities are bundled in five specialized companies.

The conenergy group includes energate, the leading energy information company in the German energy market. conenergy is also co-host of E-World, the largest energy fair in Europe. In addition conenergy is co-founder of electric car manufacturer mia electric Gmbh. Mia electric starts series production of its electric city car in June 2011.

Ceramic Fuel Cells' Chairman, Mr Jeff Harding, said: "We are delighted to welcome Roman to the board of Ceramic Fuel Cells. He is very well respected in the energy industry in Germany, one of Ceramic Fuel Cells' most important markets. His network and experience will be a tremendous asset to the company as we continue to sell our world-leading products in the German market."

Dr Dudenhausen said: "I am delighted to be joining the board of Ceramic Fuel Cells during this very exciting time in the world energy industry. I have no doubt that small-scale power generation technology - in which Ceramic Fuel Cells is a leading player - represents an important way of the future for the world's energy industry. Notably, Germany is a leading market for low emissions technologies. Ceramic Fuel Cells' technology has the highest electric efficiency of any technology in its class, which will continue to give it a significant competitive advantage."

There are no further disclosures required under schedule 2(g) of the AIM rules.

For further information please contact:

  Ceramic Fuel Cells  Andrew Neilson                   Tel: +613 9554 2300 

Foreign manufacturers of electric cars in China can own only minority shares and they must surrender intellectual property

Foreign manufacturers of electric cars in China can own only minority shares and they must surrender intellectual property on at least one of what the government considers to be the three key enabling technologies for e-mobility. These are batteries, motors and control electronics. In exchange, foreigners gain access to a market they hope will be large enough to create cash flow that can be repatriated if the dominant partner approves. Unfortunately for them, electric bikes, and, at the other extreme, electric buses and trains consume one fifth of the energy per passenger kilometer of electric cars. Add to this the fact that China can never build enough roads, charging or parking places for cars and it is clear that the domestic car market in China must be treated with caution. That formidable country is actually creating, on the cheap, a huge export business in electromobility.

For those outside China, there is better news, however. Most countries have plenty of space for cars and there is reason to predict a robust business in all forms of electric vehicle, whether or not they are made in China. This is partially because the technology is changing very rapidly, giving an advantage to those doing major research and development. AC motors are often taking over from DC ones. The AC motor's electronic circuitry - a very different skill - is often replacing DC commutator metalwork. Electronic circuitry, including control electronics for EVs, is becoming laminated and even printed to save space, weight and cost and improve reliability. Batteries are going partly from inorganic to organic chemistry and back again in a very different form and here liquid handling giving way to printing and other deposition of solids. That addresses challenges such as improving safety and energy density (range) at the same time. Sion Energy and Planar Energy of the USA, Oxis Energy of the UK, and for key materials, Dow Chemical of the USA are among the ones to watch here, as the West seeks to leapfrog the dominant East Asian Li-ion battery manufacturing.

There is more. A fourth key enabling technology has appeared. It is energy harvesting, converting ambient energy to electricity to charge the traction battery or at least run wireless sensors, lighting and actuators. This reduces weight to increase vehicle range and it increases space and improves safety. Previously, a photovoltaic roof on a car only provided 50 watts or so - certainly of no use in charging batteries. However, the small Asola Automotive Solar Deutschland GmbH silicon roof panel on the Fisker Karma hybrid sports car generates over 100 watts peak. The new bendable and sometimes flexible and conformal Dye Sensitised Solar Cells DSSC work well with low levels and angles of light and with polarised light off windows and water and even with infrared. Put them on the sides, undersides and even insides of electric vehicles and kilowatts are in prospect. New flexible copper indium gallium diselenide CIGS photovoltaics is already seen around complex shapes of aircraft and surface boats, such as those by Grove Boats and Kopf Solarschiff of Germany. The University of Michigan and the ENFICA-FC project in Italy funded by the European Commission are among those shaping solar panels onto unmanned electric aircraft.

Meanwhile, large and small electric vehicles on land and sea are showing the feasibility of electrodynamic energy harvesting generating up to a massive ten kilowatts or more. From the old bicycle dynamo we went to the now well understood technology of regenerative braking - motors of on-road vehicles working in reverse to grab back electricity during braking. Valence Technology of the USA with family yacht maker Beneteau of France has now moved on to do the equivalent thing with ocean going yachts. The propeller is dragged in reverse when the vessel is under sail, thus charging powerful lithium-ion batteries so they operate electrics silently when the craft is moored. Callender Designs of the UK has something similar in its superyachts combined with rigid solar sails.

Further, we now have superyachts scooping water into a hydro turbine when under sail to charge second generation, safer lithium-ion batteries. Indeed, the largest design of Paracas Yachts in Miami is a 48 meter superyacht that can produce enough stored electricity for its refrigeration, air conditioning and other "hotel facilities" for one week just by sailing for an afternoon. Hydro-Kinetic Designs in the USA is now moving such technology into working vessels. These and other craft innovate in many other ways thanks to electric drive systems. For example, the propellers are far more efficient because they are suspended in pods with their electric motors, there being no propeller shaft. Some ships and boats use electrodynamic harvesting in the form of computer controlled kites sweeping an optimal figure of eight to charge the traction batteries.

You can now buy an electric aircraft that soars as a glider to charge the batteries by reversing the propeller and a similar thing seems to be feasible with underwater electric vehicles. Some vehicles erect a wind turbine to charge the battery when they are stationary. However, the most widely applicable powerful energy harvesting is yet another electrodynamic option - the energy harvesting damper or shock absorber. A set on a bus or truck generates a very useful ten kilowatts. Leader here is Levant Power Corporation of the USA which also targets pure electric Autonomous Underwater Vehicles UAVs to benefit from their devices. Some AUVs already combine photovoltaics and wave harvesting. On the other hand, in its owner's 78 meter superyacht, Sauter Carbon Offset Design in Bali has a motion damping system that generates an incredible 100 kW. Here the lithium-ion battery is part of the damping pendulum employed. The humble bike dynamo has come a long way.

The closely linked energy storage is also rapidly evolving beyond batteries. While some concentrate on making third generation highest energy density batteries a safe reality, Elon Musk founder of Tesla Motors has expressed the opinion that supercapacitors (ultracapacitors) are key to future energy storage in electric vehicles, even replacing batteries. Indeed, it is already clear that, with them incorporated in electric bikes and buses to boost battery performance, there is more to come. Developers such as Nanotecture of the UK and OptiXtal of the USA are widening the repertoire to so- called asymmetric electrochemical supercapacitors (supercabatteries) combining the best of batteries and supercapacitors and OptiXtal describes wide area flexible ones that can form part of the skin of an electric vehicle and tiny microdot ones to incorporate in the plethora of wireless sensors and actuators in modern e-mobility. OptiXtal has pioneered the creation of low ESR, ultrathin, and flexible supercapacitors to optimally fill available space.

Multiple energy harvesting is now a key enabling technology for electric vehicles whether they travel on or off-road by land, on or under water or in the air. Just don't tell the Chinese.

All this and more will be aired at the unique electromobility event Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air Europe 2011 in Stuttgart, Germany 28-29 June covering the whole subject for the first time. Most of the above companies will be presenting alongside a large number of other vehicle manufacturers, including Daimler, Tesla, Opel and Tata the largest automotive company in India, and organisations leading the next wave of radically different electric vehicle technology, including start up CHE-EVC of the UK on a very different intelligent Li battery system and Mitsubishi of Japan and Siemens of Germany on a totally new approach to charging systems.

Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air Europe 2011 will include two full days of conference proceedings and an exhibition floor. In addition, there will be technical masterclasses, an awards dinner, and plenty of opportunities for networking. For full details on the event, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/evEurope.

Ceramic Fuel Cells wins 2010-11 CEO's Award and Dupont Innovation Award

16 May 2011

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited [AIM/ASX:CFU], a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation units for homes and other buildings, today announced its BlueGen gas-to-electricity generator has won the 2010-11 'CEO Award' - DuPont Australia and New Zealand's most prestigious innovation award.

BlueGen also won the 'Design for a Sustainable Future' award, one of seven categories at the biennial DuPont Australia & New Zealand Innovation Awards. The announcement was made at a dinner on Friday night at Melbourne's Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The 'Design for a Sustainable Future' category - included in the awards for the first time -

attracted entries from throughout Australia and New Zealand.

First held in 2003-04, the DuPont Australia & New Zealand Innovation Awards recognise the commercialisation of outstanding science and technology. Categories include Building Innovation, Agriculture and Food Production and Marketing, Performance Materials, Design for a Sustainable Future, and Medical and Healthcare.

The 'Design for a Sustainable Future' category is a broad-ranging category for innovations adopted for commercial use between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2010 in Australia and/or New Zealand.

Entries were judged on degree of innovation, scope of application (current and potential), commercial significance and benefit (current and potential), degree of collaboration, and environmental sustainability.

Announcing the award from the United States, DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman said Ceramic Fuel Cells "is helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by providing a source of cleaner, more efficient, low cost energy. Currently collaborating with multiple partners across the globe to help bring cleaner electricity to markets in Europe, the United States and Japan, as well as Australia, tonight's winner is a great example of the important innovation happening in Australia and New Zealand that can benefit people everywhere."

Ms Kullman said: "Since 2004 these awards have recognised the commercialisation of outstanding science and technology solutions that are meeting the big challenges - in Australia and around the globe. Global population will pass the seven billion mark in 2011, and exceed nine billion people by 2050 - or about 150,000 more people on the planet every day. This translates into critical needs in the areas of feeding the world, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and keeping people and the environment safe.

"These megatrends are driving our science and innovation. But providing for the food, energy and protection needs of a growing population will require more than DuPont science. So we are building alliances with people, companies, governments and organizations around the world in an effort to improve the lives of people everywhere."

Brendan Dow, Managing Director of Ceramic Fuel Cells, said: "We are thrilled to accept two such prestigious awards, and are delighted that our ground-breaking technology has been recognised by a company such as DuPont, which has been creating sustainable solutions for a better, safer and healthier world for more than 200 years."

Ceramic Fuel Cells' BlueGen gas-to-electricity units connect to a building's existing natural gas pipeline and mains water. BlueGen units operate constantly, generating 1.5 kilowatts of electricity plus heat for hot water, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of weather.

Over the course of a year each BlueGen unit can produce about 13,000 kilowatt hours of electricity - more than twice the power needed for an average Australian home. The heat by-product is enough to produce 200 litres of hot water each day.

BlueGen has a peak electrical efficiency of 60%, and a total efficiency, including the heat, of 85%. The BlueGen unit has the highest electrical efficiency of any small-scale power generation system in the world

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited Director Shareholding 09 May 2011

RNS Number : 1785G

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

09 May 2011

9 May 2011

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

Director Shareholding

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (AIM / ASX: CFU) announces that on 6 May 2011, Mr Jeff Harding, non-executive Chairman of the Company, purchased 150,000 ordinary shares in Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of AUD 0.115, representing 0.00% of the issued share capital.

Following this announcement Mr Harding is interested, directly or indirectly, in a total of 12,225,000 Ordinary Shares representing 1.01% of the issued share capital.

BlueGen to participate in the UK's largest Smart Grid project 06 May 2011

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

06 May 2011

03 May 2011

BlueGen to participate in the UK's largest Smart Grid project

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) today announced that BlueGen is to participate in CE Electric UK's GBP54 million low-carbon Smart Grid project. Durham University is one of the four partners involved with the project.

CFCL's BlueGen microgeneration heat and power unit will be housed in the Durham Energy Institute research laboratory. BlueGen will run alongside other low-carbon electricity generating technologies and will, via the project, help shape the future for a low-emission, more efficient power grid across the UK.

It is estimated that improvements to the power grid that result from the project could potentially save homes and businesses across the UK around GBP8 billion* in energy costs and 43 million tonnes* of CO(2) emissions. * Source Durham University, 10 October 2010.

The Smart Grid project involves 14,000 homes and businesses and will assess the impact of technologies such as micro combined heat and power units on the electricity grid and lay the foundations for helping electricity consumers to reduce their carbon footprint, cut energy use and save money.

BlueGen converts natural gas into electricity far more efficiently and with lower emissions than the current power grid, providing significant cost and carbon savings.

BlueGen generates electricity that can be used within the home, with the surplus fed back into the National Grid or used in supplementary applications such as charging an electric car, and has the additional benefit of providing heat for domestic hot water use.

The installation of BlueGen will not only prove the benefits of micro cogeneration but will also help Durham University highlight its leading position in the move towards a low carbon economy.

Commenting on the announcement, Paddy Thompson, General Manager Business Development, CFCL said:

"The integration of BlueGen into the Smart Grid project will prove that the technology needed to create a low-emission, highly efficient power grid for the future exists today, and its use is a significant step towards achieving far-reaching cost and environmental benefits for the UK.

"BlueGen has the potential to play a significant role in the low-carbon Smart Grid, and we are delighted that its installation at the Durham Energy Institute is recognition of this potential."

Professor Phil Taylor, Durham Energy Institute, Durham University added:

"We are excited about the opportunity of researching how BlueGen can work alongside other technologies and are grateful to One North East for their support. We fully intend to use BlueGen as part of our low carbon network project."

For further information:

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

Paddy Thompson

General Manager Business Development +44 7968 356 439

Mark Way +44 7786 116991

Corporate Communications

Yellow AT91 Magnetic Cartridge and Stylus

Yellow AT91 Magnetic Cartridge and Stylus

REAN NSB1AP-12 4 8 In Female Send and 4 Out Male Return Stage Box For PP Series Plastic XLR s

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Ceramic Fuel Cells' fuel cell technology a "clean technology option for the future" - RMIT University study

Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited

03 May 2011

Monday 2 May 2011

Ceramic Fuel Cells' solid oxide fuel cells can deliver significant benefits in electricity production and carbon reduction to thousands of Australian buildings, a team at RMIT University's Centre for Design has found.

The high quality of power and reliability of electricity generated from fuel cells - which can deliver electricity without large surges, spikes and outages - mean they have great potential in industries like banking, data centres, grocery chains and storage facilities. Fuel cells are also cost-efficient alternatives to batteries in serving as back-up power systems.

Deepak Sivaraman, Simon Lockrey and Andrew Carre - authors of Potential Opportunities for Increased Fuel Cell Deployment in Australia: A Ceramic Fuel Cell Case Study - determined that Ceramic Fuel Cells' technology could be utilized in many ways to either aid buildings earn energy and low carbon accreditation or comply with new, green building codes.

Over the past decade in Australia electricity demand increased at an annual average rate of 2.7%. Each year in Australia around 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere from electricity and heat production from non-renewable resources.

According to the RMIT report, the transition to a low carbon electricity sector in the future is "very necessary", and can be achieved using both renewable and low carbon technologies.

"The solid oxide fuel cell technology manufactured by Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) is a clean technology option for the ... future," the report says. "Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL) is a global pioneer in manufacturing solid oxide fuel cell technology. It is a co-generation system: it has the flexibility to generate different amounts of electricity and heat from natural gas inputs."

The paper explores the following federal and state regulatory structures, which cover a variety of buildings including homes, offices, hotels, retail outlets, schools, libraries and hospitals.

-- National Australia Built Environment Rating System (NABERS)

-- Green Building Council of Australia; Green Star Rating Tool

-- Australian Building Codes Board: Alternate Energy Supply for Hot Water

-- New South Wales Energy Efficiency Scheme

-- Green Star Public Building Pilot Tool

-- NSW BASIX Program

The RMIT paper explains that the NABERS and Green Star Rating system (Green Building Council of Australia) awards higher ratings to the buildings based on the difference in carbon intensity between onsite fuel cell generation and grid electricity generation.

The authors recommend that states with more carbon-intensive electricity grids such as Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria be targeted for fuel cell deployment. Under the NABERS scheme a typical commercial building using high efficiency fuel cells to produce 100% of its electricity needs will obtain a five-star rating - the highest possible (the study example uses a 100 m(2) 'market average performing' commercial building, or 2.5 stars on grid electricity, in NSW).

The report also concludes that solid oxide fuel cells can also be used under the New South Wales Energy Efficiency Scheme and NSW BASIX Program to create greenhouse gas abatement certificates. In the case of the New South Wales Energy Efficiency Scheme these certificates can be sold for a market price. Under the NSW BASIX Program the fuel cell technology can be utilized to comply with state regulations - in both new and existing buildings.

Similarly, the technology can also be used to supply hot water to different types of buildings under the Australian building code framework. The latest Green Star Public Buildings Tool makes a provision for low carbon technologies to be utilized, enabling buildings to earn credit points through reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The RMIT report is available at www.cfcl.com.au