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New York-based Medis Technologies, which produced fuel cells based on its proprietary sodium borohydride technologies, has joined the long list of former fuel cell companies. The end came when current and former employees of its subsidiaries in Israel, More Energy Ltd and Medis El Ltd, initiated liquidation proceedings in an Israeli court. The officially appointed receiver is apparently talking to a number of potential buyers for Medis' remaining assets.
The staff had not been paid for three months, in the failed hope that the company would find an investor. Medis El laid off all 70 employees at its Lod facility; it had already fired 90 or so employees over the past year.
More Energy developed a direct liquid fuel cell (DLFC) technology which led to a consumer fuel cell portable power product -the Medis 24-7 Power Pack. Apparently More Energy intends to continue development of its DLFC technology, and to expand its product offerings in the future.
In Japan, Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas plan to offer subsidies to households that use both solar power systems and fuel cells, in order to boost sales of the latter. Power utilities this month started paying ยฅ48 (US$0.54) per kW for surplus electricity generated from home solar power units, but the amount falls to ยฅ39 for households equipped with both types of alternative energy systems. Because of this gap, some consumers are hesitating to install fuel cells.
According to a Nikkei report, Tokyo Gas will pitch in ยฅ10 per kW on top of the ยฅ39 from power utilities, and pay the lump sum once a year. The company will invite eligible customers to apply for the program through March 2011. Osaka Gas will instead issue points -likely to work out to ยฅ9 per kW -and convert them into cash once a year. It initially plans to accept applications until the end of March 2010. Tokyo Gas's annual payment for a typical household is expected to reach roughly ยฅ30 000 ($335), while that for Osaka Gas would be about ยฅ28 000 ($310). Both companies plan to continue paying the subsidies for 10 years.
Sales of fuel cells to Japanese households began in the spring [FCB, March 2009]. Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas have first-year sales goals of 2100 and 1300 fuel cells, respectively, with 30-40% of these units expected to be installed in tandem with solar power systems.
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