By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, June 19 -- Shell Hydrogen US, a division of Shell Oil Products Co., and International Fuel Cells (IFC), a unit of United Technologies Corp., Tuesday announced the formation of HydrogenSource LLC.
The 50:50 joint venture will develop, manufacture, and sell fuel processors and hydrogen generation systems for fuel cell and hydrogen fuel applications.
HydrogenSource will design, manufacture, and market fuel processing systems for commercial, residential, and transportation fuel cell power plants, as well as distribute hydrogen fueling applications for retail or commercial filling locations.
The joint venture will be based in South Windsor, Conn. The management team will consist of executives from both parent companies.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that combine hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air to produce electricity, heat, and water.
HydrogenSource said that since the fuel is converted directly to electricity, a fuel cell can operate at much higher efficiencies than internal combustion engines, extracting more electricity from the same amount of fuel.
Fuel processors convert a hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline or natural gas, into a mixture of hydrogen and other gases. The hydrogen is then supplied to the fuel cell as one of the ingredients for its electrochemical process.
Shell Hydrogen was set up in 1999 to pursue and develop business opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cells, and has its principle office in Amsterdam, Netherlands. International Fuel Cells produces and develops fuel cells commercial, transportation, residential and space applications.
