Power Engineering - Nuvera Fuel Cells reaches agreement with BWT AG to develop new high-temperature membrane

MILAN and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 30, 2002 -- Nuvera Fuel Cells Inc., a global designer and developer of fuel cell and fuel processing technology, and BWT (Best Water Technology) AG, a European company specializing in water technology, have announced an agreement to develop a new polymeric membrane suitable for "industrial" fuel cell applications.

The joint effort, which commences immediately, will focus on developing and demonstrating an improved membrane to operate in a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell at temperatures above 90 degrees centigrade.

According to the agreement, Nuvera will work with FuMA-Tech, a BTW subsidiary that specializes in developing fuel cell membranes, to identify multiple prototype samples that meet the project's technical goals. A second phase of the program will involve qualifying the best performing prototypes and preparing MEA's (membrane electrode assemblies) for additional testing and analysis.

The two-phased program is expected to last 15 months. In addition, the agreement outlines actions for evolving the collaboration into the commercialization phase.

"High-temperature membranes will foster greater integration in future fuel cell systems," said Michele Tettamanti, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Nuvera Europe SrL. "Addressing this key aspect in the product development cycle supports our mission to rapidly enhance the performance of fuel cell technology and increase its value among end-users, such as providing improved co-generation features."

"As a leading innovator in the development of unfloridised high-performance polymers, we are pleased to team with Nuvera in the pursuit of optimizing high-temperature membrane technology," said Andreas Weissenbacher, CEO of BWT AG. "We believe our new, proven membrane products, in particular in the area of central water management, will significantly contribute to the success of this project and help demonstrate substantial technological advantages in fuel cell stacks."

BWT AG is a European specialist in the development and supply of water technologies. With the recyclable high-performance-polymer membrane for fuel cell technology made by FuMA-Tech, the BWT Group operates in a market that has potential turnover of 2.5 billion euros over the next 3 to 4 years - with continuing steep growth rates.

The FuMA-Tech membrane from BWT Group combines all the technical and economic characteristics to enable it to play the central role in this internationally significant growth market. For more information about BWT AG, please visit www.bwt.at.

Nuvera Fuel Cells (www.nuvera.com) is a designer and developer of fuel cell power systems, fuel processors, and fuel cell stacks for the automotive, distributed generation, commercial, and industrial markets. Since 1992, its fuel processors and PEM fuel cellstacks have been successfully tested and evaluated by major automobile and appliance manufacturers, research institutions, telecommunications organizations, and industrial and energy companies. Nuvera's fuel processors have demonstrated the ability to extract hydrogen from a number of liquid and gaseous fuels, including gasoline, ethanol, methanol, natural gas, kerosene, propane, butane, home heating oil, and diesel.

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