Plug Power, 3M team on fuel cell tech in India

Latham, N.Y.-based hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer Plug Power (Nasdaq:PLUG) has entered into an exclusive supply agreement to use membrane electrode assemblies from 3M (NYSE:3M) in its GenSys fuel cell devices to be sold in rural India. 

The proprietary GenSys fuel cell units are expected to replace diesel generators at remote telecommunication sites. The GenSys technology modifies liquefied petroleum gas into a hydrogen-rich reformate that is converted into electricity in the fuel cell stack.

The companies said the new reformate stack offers costs savings and environmental benefits because it prevents pure hydrogen from needing to be transported to remote sites. Plug Power said with some minor adjustments the system could process a variety of hydrocarbon-based fuel stocks such as natural gas.

In May 2009, the cell tower arm of Tata Teleservices, Wireless TT Info Services, ordered 200 units to provide power at cell towers with no or extremely unreliable electric grid service.

Plug Power plans to initially supply 200 GenSys systems to be installed in March 2010 and 1,000 systems by the end of 2010 (see Indian orders push Plug Power closer to profitability). 

Tata Teleservices is part of the Tata Group, India's largest conglomerate. Tata Teleservices, which does business under the brand name Tata Indicom in India, has a subscriber base of 24.3 million, more than 9 percent of the Indian market.

Plug Power completed a field test in rural India with Tata Teleservices and Hindustan Petroleum last year (see Plug Power tests fuel cells in India).

Hindustan Petroleum is expected to provide the liquefied petroleum gas for the 200 installations, under a five-year supply contract with Plug Power.

The 3M and Plug Power collaboration has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The DOE has backed St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M in developing membrane electrode assemblies for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, as well as its development of a polymer barrier film at lower cost and higher transparency than current films (see DOE sets aside $300M for autos, solar, carbon capture).

Earlier this year, 3M said it was developing other new product lines from its renewable energy division, including new applications for tape and film in biofuels, solar and wind (see 3M seeks new market for tape and film in energy sector). 

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