InnovaTek teams with SAFCell on $3.7 million REBELS Project

6-26-2014

Richland, WA – InnovaTek is a member of a team led by SAFCell, Inc., of Pasadena, CA selected to receive a $3.7 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to develop an intermediate temperature fuel cell for low-cost distributed power generation.  It was one of 13 projects funded under ARPA-E’s $33 million Reliable Electricity Based on Electrochemical Systems (REBELS) program, which is focused on improving grid stability, balancing intermittent renewable technologies, and reducing CO2 emissions using electrochemical distributed power generation systems.

SAFCell and its team will dramatically lower system costs by reducing precious metals, such as platinum, from the electrodes and develop new catalysts based on carbon nanotubes and metal organic frameworks.  The proposed solid acid fuel cell stack design will lead to the creation of fuel cells that can withstand common fuel impurities, making them ideal for distributed generation applications.

“We are extremely excited to receive this award and have the opportunity to fast-forward our technology into the residential power market," said SAFCell CEO and Founder, Dr. Calum Chisholm. “Not only is the residential market one of the biggest for fuel cells, it also represents one of the best ways of increasing overall grid efficiency and robustness, with small distributed power sources allowing for greater adoption of renewable energy systems.”

InnovaTek’s role in the project is to conduct system and cost analyses for a fuel flexible solid acid fuel cell based on InnovaTek’s proprietary fuel processing technology.  A detailed financial model will be developed and applied to generate installed system cost estimates.  A successful project would demonstrate the commercial viability of the technology through performance and economic analyses for distributed power markets.

About InnovaTek, Inc.
InnovaTek, Inc. provides engineering solutions and creates products for sustainable power.  The Company is a leader in fuel processing technology and advanced catalysts for hydrogen production from petroleum and renewable fuels. InnovaTek’s vision is to use innovative non-combustion catalytic technologies to move the world away from wasteful fossil fuel combustion and toward clean, efficient electrical energy generation from renewable, sustainable biofuels, providing a path for a better quality of life for future generations.   The Company is developing biofuel production technology and integrated fuel cell products for electric vehicles, auxiliary power systems and distributed energy applications.  Learn more about InnovaTek at www.innovatek.com

About SAFCell, Inc.
SAFCell, Inc. (www.safcell-inc.com) develops solid acid fuel cell stacks that are scalable from tens to thousands of watts, and can tolerate commercially available fuels such as propane, natural gas, or diesel. Operating at mid-range temperatures around 250°C, SAFCell’s stacks are rugged and fuel flexible, which reduces system complexity and cost, making possible a range of commercial applications. SAFCell was recently awarded a $1 million Army grant to develop man-portable power systems and received the Los Angeles Business Journal's 2013 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award.