Four Steps to a New Reliable, Cleaner and Decentralized Energy Supply based on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

STARNBERG, Germany--Aug. 2, 20037, 2003--With a new reliable, cleaner and decentralised Energy Supply based on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, incidents like the 2003 blackout in US and Canada would not have happened. The "components" to achieve this goal are available; some need additional R & D work, but the target can be achieved.

Cars are the key. There are 44 Mil. cars registered in Germany (82 Mil. Inhabitants) with an average power of 70 kW in their ICE's, producing a total of approximately 3,000 GW, used, at this time, "only" for transportation.

If you then consider that the average car, in Germany, only runs 1 hour out of 24 and imagine that all of these cars would be equipped with a 75 kW Fuel Cell powered by Hydrogen, we would have more than enough "Power" to supply all consumers of electricity in Germany. Other countries are comparable. Hydrogen, the most common element in the universe, can be produced from Renewable Energies to drastically reduce CO2 emissions.

The incentive for car owners driving vehicles equipped with Hydrogen and Fuel Cells systems is that they all can earn money while their cars are parked and connected via a smart docking station creating a "virtual Powerplant". Example: When you park your car at the supermarket to go shopping, you would earn a rebate for each minute your car is "plugged" into the "system", supplying electricity to that supermarket. This rebate would show up on your final bill: "Earn while you shop". The same would apply when you're at home or at the office: Once you have connected your car to the docking station and supply electricity to a building, you earn money on-the-spot.

Quoting a famous German carmaker Board Member, who heard the idea for the first time: "This can only be realistic in 20 years." My reply: "If you don't start this year, it will be reality in 21 years...."

I must admit, the idea is not mine; others like Amory B. Lovins, or Prof. Bernd Hoehlein had this vision before. However, I believe that the time has come now to make it a reality.

The realities of today's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell industry are demonstrated at the Group Exhibit - Hydrogen + Fuel Cells at the annual Hannover Fair, April 19-24, 2004. http://www.fair-pr.com

Note: A photo is available at URL: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.082703/bb2