The University of Birmingham, in conjunction with the Black Country Housing Group, is making use of a fuel cell developed by German company Baxi Innotech in an effort to demonstrate the usefulness of hydrogen as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. The fuel cell, which is approximately the size of a fridge, is capable of producing 1.5kW of electricity and 3kW of heat and is being installed in a house in Lye. It will be the first house in the UK which is both hydrogen-powered and connected to the national grid.

http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2008/10/10/stourbridge-house-built-to-run-on-hydrogen-65233-22010983/http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/10/10/green-house

The University of Birmingham has also become the first such institution to run a fleet of hydrogen-powered cars. Five hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars have been delivered by Microcab to be used in a study by the university's School of Chemical Engineering which aims to assess the potential of the use of hydrogen as a fuel for transport. The cars all have a top speed of 50 mph and travel 100 miles on a full tank of hydrogen.

http://www.newscentre.bham.ac.uk/press/2008/09/23Sep085carannouncement.shtml

Suzuki has exhibited two new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at the 2008 Paris Motor Show - a motorcycle called the Crosscage and a Suzuki Fuel Cell Vehicle car based on the SX-4. The latter is capable of travelling 155 miles reaching a top speed of 93mph on a full tank of hydrogen.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10056875-48.html

A manned aeroplane which can fly and take off using a fuel cell as its only power source has been unveiled in Germany. The aircraft, the first of its kind, is propelled by a high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. It was showcased at the German Aerospace Centre and tests are underway to assess the advisability of future usage of fuel cells in commercial aircraft.

http://corporate.basf.com/en/presse/mitteilungen/pm.htm?pmid=3251&id=V00-Wo9IfD4-Zbcp1dy

Congress will prevent the US from taking advantage of the economic, security and environmental benefits associated with the fuel cell, solar and wind power industries if it delays the introduction of an energy tax bill, it has been claimed. Robert Rose, executive director of the US Fuel Cell Council, believes failure to act on fuel credits could mean technology companies invest overseas rather than in the US.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080930006367&newsLang=en

In other Congress news, investing in fuel cell technology could help create jobs, it has been claimed. According to a report compiled by the US Department of Energy for Congress, 675,000 new jobs could be created over the next 25 years by accelerating the commercialisation of fuel cell technology.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081001006367&newsLang=en

Also in the US, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have moved a step closer to developing more efficient fuel cells for vehicles by capturing images of atoms on specific nanoparticles on camera. The nanoparticles, which are comprised of platinum and cobalt, are used as catalysts in fuel cells and it is hoped the pictures will help scientists understand the reaction acceleration process more fully.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/fuel-cell-1002.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/fuel-cell-nano-enlarged.html

According to Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, localised hydrogen 'cities', rather than hydrogen 'regions', will pave the way for the mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Speaking at the Reuters Global Environment Summit in San Francisco, Ms Nichols suggested that a centralised hydrogen network was more likely to stimulate change than a hydrogen highway where hydrogen filling stations are spread out over a large area, Reuters reports.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN06420477

SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG has announced the opening of a sales and technical service office in Atlanta. The company, which provides mobile and off-grid power fuel cell solutions, has made the move in an effort to tap into augmenting demand for fuel cell products in the region.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081006006051&newsLang=en

Ballard Power Systems will supply an offshoot of ACME Group and IdaTech with 5kW natural gas fuel cell technology after the signing of a development and supply agreement. The products will largely be used by ACME as telecom backup power solutions.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Ballard-Power-Systems-Inc-TSX-BLD-908715.html

Despite investment totalling millions of rupees, Indian scientists are failing in their quest to create a domestically-developed fuel cell, it has been revealed. A project to fashion an Indian fuel cell was kick-started as part of the New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) in April 2001 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), but scientists are still not close to delivering the goods almost eight years on. A fuel cell expert has blamed the failure on a "lack of coordination".

http://www.indiaprwire.com/businessnews/20080930/33807.htm

South Africa has committed to investing over R400 million to ensure the country is a major player in the hydrogen and fuel cell sphere, it has been reported. According to Engineering News, the decision to back a global hydrogen economy has been taken in order to stimulate industrialisation and make its technology more environmentally-friendly.

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=144349

South Africa's Government has increased its backing of the hydrogen and fuel cell industries to the tune of US$49 million. The programme will help fund further research into the two aforementioned areas and entice private sector companies into offering their support. As well as developing its own fuel cell solutions, South Africa hopes to keep the world supplied with a significant proportion of the platinum used in fuel cell catalysts, Energy Efficiency News reports.

http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/power-generation/i/1323/

A fuel cell has been installed by UPS Systems at the University of Glamorgan's Renewable Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Centre. The centre, located at Baglan Energy Park in south Wales, will open in October and has been set up to test hydrogen production methods.

http://www.upssystems.uk.com/news.php