UN Reaches Deal on HFCV Security Standard

Date:2013-07-01

www.chinabuses.org:UN has already agreed on an ultimate HFCV security standard plan, which would be officially signed by related countries recently. Trail gas emission during FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) driving period is none, praised as the ultimate green energy by markets. Once international standard is confirmed, promotion on the market would definitely be accelerated.

It is reported in Nikkei Chinese that UN has already made an ultimate HFCV security standard plan, which is to be officially signed on the UN working group conference in Geneva of Switzerland by 33 countries and districts, including Japan, the United States and EU. This conference will be held from June 24th to 28th in 2013. Experts of this industry pointed out that once international standard was confirmed, FCV would be of mass production based on the standard. What’s more, promotion on the market would be accelerated. It is learned that Toyato, Nissan and Honda all plan to sell fuel vehicles in 2015 throughout Japan. Besides, Toyato also plan to sell in its American market. In addition, six countries of EU, including Netherlands and Germany have already agreed to develop and promote hydrogen vehicles in cooperation.

Security standard eliminates bottlenecks

FCV is to use fuel cell to stimulate oxygen and hydrogen in chemical reactions. Based on this chemical reaction, electricity is created, by which motor is driven as auto driver. On account of no trail gas emission during driving, environmental performance of new automobiles are on the top, praised as the ultimate green energy. Compared with electric vehicles, its operating range is longer. However, in the R&D process of FCV, it keeps a problem as well as a bottleneck of further promotion to set a security standard to prevent hydrogen explosion.

This FCV security standard can eliminate all the obstacles mentioned above. According to this standard, hydrogen concentration in the vehicle drainage of fuel cell cannot be over 4%. Simultaneously, security equipment must be set to prevent hydrogen injection and explosion when its concentration reaches 4%. Moreover, as for the durability, the container should not distort after increasing or reducing inner pressure for 22,000 times.

Expected market shares would be 180 billion

Japanese government estimated that in the following 10 years, global HFCV market shares would be 188.6 billion. To grasp the opportunities, Japanese government boosts development and research of enterprises by liberalization and simplification of driving test. Because most of international standards adopted Japan’s proposal, Japanese vehicle manufacturers are expected to export and import in accordance with Japanese performance parameters without changing based on exporting requirements. By May 2013, Leaf electric vehicles of Nissan has been sold at a number of over 65,000, which makes it become the most popular electric vehicle. The company plans to launch FCV cooperating with Daimler and Ford in 2017.

The United States also enhance its research of fuel cell. Energy supply of eBay data center in Utah is natural gas all along, recently including fuel cell. Dean Nelson, deputy president of eBay, said that, “We make this project public, because we believe that fuel cell is the right development direction.” The widespread application of fuel cell also provides a cornerstone to HFCV development. Department of Energy in the U.S once announced in May to establish a project called “H2USA” aiming at reducing fuel cell technology cost and promote HFCV.

Promotion in China has begun

Our fuel cell R&D has already begun which achieved a new FCV system technological platform. With this kind of platform, hydrogen consumption per hundred kilometers in cities is 7.42 kg and driving range is over 250 kilometers, which accomplished a technological development from fuel cell system plan to key material and components. All of these made China become one of the few countries mastering vehicle fuel cell engine R&D, manufacturing and testing technology of 100 kilowatts. By HFCV in 2008 Beijing Olympics, HFC sightseeing vehicles in 2010 Shanghai Expo and SAIC HFCV with 6A score on 2011 World HFCV Bibendum Challenge, HFCV in our China has come to the fore.

As for listed companies, Shanghai TL Chemical Co., Ltd of which 36.23% share is owned by Tongji Science & Technology Group Limited, mainly focuses on PEM fuel cell key material and component R&D; Sunrise Power of which 10% share is owned by Great Wall Electrical Co., Ltd mainly focuses on PEM fuel cell development and manufacturing; King Long bus is the main representative of domestic new-energy bus manufacturing application. In 2009, King Long together with Tsing Hua University developed new HFCV, which was offline in Suzhou.