11th Oct 2012 07:00
Press Release | 11 October 2012 |
Acta S.p.A.
("Acta" or "the Company")
Repeat Orders for Integrated Fuel Cell Back-Up Power System
with onboard Hydrogen Generation
Acta S.p.A. (AIM: ACTA), the clean energy products company, is pleased to announce that it has received two additional orders from M-Field Energy Ltd ("M-Field") for its renewable energy powered electrolysers.
These orders follow the recent shipment of the first fully integrated fuel cell telecom back-up power system incorporating Acta's onboard hydrogen generation for automatic fuel replenishment, which was assembled by M-Field, a system integrator based in Taiwan, and shipped on 28 September 2012. The Board believes that this prompt repeat order is indicative of the strong commercial potential for its products.
The additional electrolysers will be incorporated together with a Ballard fuel cell stack into two further telecom back-up power systems. The system, incorporating Acta's electrolyser for generating hydrogen onsite from renewable power, offers substantial benefits to telecoms companies seeking to reduce the operating costs and security risks of their off-grid base stations. The system uses surplus photovoltaic power to generate hydrogen, which is then converted to electricity through a fuel cell when back-up power is required.
This arrangement provides the back-up power system with extended run-time capability for the primary battery array, and allows the telecom operator to remove the diesel generator typically used for extended run-time capacity. This avoids the costs and security risks commonly associated with diesel generators installed in remote locations.
- Ends-
For further information please contact:
Acta S.p.A Paul Barritt, Chief Financial Officer
|
Tel: +39 050 644281 www.actagroup.it
|
Altium Capital (Nominated Advisor) Adrian Reed / Dominic Orsini |
Tel: +44 845 505 4343
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Seymour Pierce Limited (Broker) Mark Percy / David Banks | Tel: +44 (0)20 7107 8000
|
Media enquiries:
Abchurch Communications Limited Ashleigh Lezard / Shabnam Bashir / Jamie Hooper
| Tel: +44 20 7398 7712 www.abchurch-group.com |
Notes to Editors:
About Integrated Fuel Cell Back-up Power Systems
The integrated fuel cell back-up power system, incorporating Acta's electrolyser for generating hydrogen onsite from renewable power, offers substantial benefits to telecoms companies seeking to reduce the operating costs and security risks of their off-grid base stations. The system uses surplus photovoltaic power to generate hydrogen, which is then converted to electricity through a fuel cell when back-up power is required. This arrangement provides the back-up power system with extended run-time capability for the primary battery array, and allows the telecom operator to remove the diesel generator typically used for extended run-time capacity.
By removing the diesel generator the operator can avoid the fuel costs, delivery charges and logistic difficulties of delivering diesel to remote locations. In addition, diesel generators located in remote areas are a common target for theft and vandalism, resulting in high security and service costs for operators, which the partners believe will be sharply reduced by removing the genset from the system.
This is particularly advantageous in remote locations and in markets with high hydrogen costs, such as in Australia and in South East Asia in general. South East Asia is currently the strongest growth market for fuel cell adoption, particularly in the telecoms sector. Pike Research forecasts that investment in energy-efficient telecom network infrastructure will reach $194 billion by 2016, of which 55% will be in the Asia Pacific region, and that 8% of telecom base stations in the Asia Pacific region will utilise renewable power by 2014 (Pike Research, "Green Telecom Networks").
About Acta S.p.A.
Acta S.p.A. is a developer and manufacturer of a range of clean energy products. Its product line includes market-leading compact hydrogen generators (electrolysers) which produce pure, dry and compressed hydrogen in a way that is easy-to-use and completely safe, and the Company is committed to integrating its award-winning electrolysers with renewable energy sources.
Acta's cost-competitive electrolysers are based on its proprietary, inexpensive environmental catalyst and hydrogen conversion technologies. These products help overcome the barriers to the adoption of fuel cells, most notably the lack of a local hydrogen infrastructure.
Acta's low-cost hydrogen generators represent a unique breakthrough in electrolyser technology. They can operate using mains power or intermittent renewable energy, and produce clean, dry hydrogen already at pressure for use in fuel cell and other applications. This unique combination of features avoids the system complexity and energy cost of further cleaning, drying and compression of the hydrogen, resulting in a simple, compact, low-cost and highly efficient system that is ideally suited for energy conversion and storage applications. In such applications, which include battery replacement and renewable energy storage, low cost and high efficiency are critical to commercial viability, while hydrogen compression is essential for the energy density of the system. No other water electrolyser currently on the market offers this combination of benefits.
Acta is focusing on delivering its products to markets with high volume demand for high-value environmental solutions (transport, back-up power, energy and leisure). It is accelerating the commercialisation of its products via partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors, and agents in these sectors, and intends to drive down production costs at high volume via contract manufacturing.
Acta S.p.A. is based near Pisa, Italy, and was admitted to trading on AIM in October 2005.
www.actagroup.it
About M-Field
M-FIELD is committed to a clean sustainable energy business by providing green power solutions. Based in Taiwan, a country with strong technology profiles, M-Field has been deeply involved in Fuel Cell technology for about ten years, M-FIELD now is focused on stationary Fuel Cell System marketing and education.
www.m-field.com.tw
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