The Latest on Fuel Cells: Novellus Systems' Investment Pays Off

Whether it is a battery for the latest laptop, energy storage for a hybrid electric vehicle, or backup power for a remote telecommunications site, everyone wants a battery that has the highest energy density, best safety factor, and longest life in term of discharge cycles and ease of maintenance while still being environmentally friendly. These are the drivers behind rechargeable battery research around the world today. Rechargeable batteries, also known as storage batteries, are a continuing strong market, with worldwide sales of $36 billion in 2008. The rechargeable battery market will rise to $51 billion by 2013. This does not include batteries for Mobile Devices or Transportation. (Market Research From SBI sbireports.com)

Operational Fuel Cells are set to become the next boom sector, as the Oil price continues to rise and the USA motor vehicle industry has been ordered to reinvent itself, The value Fuel Cell technology will increase dramatically over the next year as some of the worlds largest companies will be producing goods that will be reliant on Fuel Cells, GM (GMGMQ.PK), GE, Ford (F), Toyota (TM) are all looking to have Fuel Cell cars on the road in the coming 5 years.

Add to this the market for Fuel Cells in Mobile Communications Devices and Laptops and the value of the potential market goes well into the $100’s of billions per annum.

Neah Power stand out as a potential major supplier of this technology, the big name investors in NPWS like Intel (INTC), The Office of Naval Research, and Novellus Systems (NVLS) bring with them far more than the needed research funds, all 3 offer instant, global distribution. Intel and Novellus offer direct sales channels into 90% of the worlds Devices manufacturers from Mobile Phones to Laptops. An Intel or Novellus marketed Fuel Cell would instantly become a multi billion dollar seller and the industry standard, this and a successful test separates Neah Power from the rest of the industry, proven technology combined with a clear distribution method.

The price of Neah stock has increased several hundred percent over the last few days, any agreement on deployment with Intel, Novellus or The Office of Naval Research would see the price head into the $s.

After Neah Power announced a major Fuel Cell breakthrough yesterday Dr. Chris D’Couto, NEAH’s President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are thankful to the Office of Naval Research for funding significant portions of this research. This technology is singular in that it can operate in places where air isn’t available,” he added “This system can service many specialized markets, such as underwater and surface water manned and unmanned vehicles, as well as numerous aerospace applications, and will be the building block for fuel cell solutions for Hobie Cat and other key customers.” NEAH fuel cells operate in both an aerobic and anaerobic manner. “Our micro fuel cells may eventually replace batteries for most uses,” D’Couto said, “meaning that cost-efficient and ‘green’ technology is at hand to not only preserve the environment, but to provide nearly perpetual power to the military, manufacturers of almost any product that require an energy source, and to the millions of consumers who require energy on the go.”

Neah Power Systems, Inc. is a publicly-held technology development company. Original venture investors include Intel, the Office of Naval Research, and Novellus Systems.

Intel Capital, Intel’s strategic investment program, is one of the largest worldwide corporate venture programs investing in the technology segment. With an overall strategy to stimulate advances in computing and communications, the Intel Capital team seeks out and invests in promising companies worldwide working together to establish new and innovative technologies, develop industry standard solutions, drive Internet growth and advance the computing platform.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through schools, universities, government laboratories, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations. It provides technical advice to the Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of the Navy and works with industry to improve technology manufacturing processes.

Novellus Systems, Inc., develops, manufactures, sells and supports equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits, which are called chips or semiconductors. Customers manufacture chips for sale or for incorporation in their own products, or provide chip-manufacturing services to third parties. Novellus Systems, Inc., also develops, manufactures, sells and supports grinding, lapping and polishing equipment for a range of industrial applications. The advanced deposition systems use chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and electrochemical deposition (ECD) processes to form the interconnects in an integrated circuit. The Company’s High-Density Plasma CVD (HDP-CVD) and Plasma-Enhanced CVD (PECVD) systems employ a chemical plasma to deposit dielectric material within the gaps formed by the etching of aluminum, or as a blanket film which can be etched with patterns for depositing conductive materials into the etched dielectric.

NEAH Power Systems, Inc., the Company developing fuel cells for the military and portable electronic devices, announced yesterday that it has successfully demonstrated a new type of low cost, high reliability and power, liquid electrolyte based direct methanol fuel cell that does not require air to operate. This is the first major innovation in fuel cell technology in over 20 years, where a repeatable, reliable non-PEM based system has been successfully introduced and demonstrated in sustained operation.

The prototype was self contained and sized to generate 8W of gross power, fuel cartridges were replaced multiple times and repeatable performance demonstrated. A video of the technology, markets that NEAH serves, and demonstration of the technology will be posted on YouTube, as well as on the company’s website, neahpower.com, and NEAH has invited any interested parties to visit the company to see the system in operation.

Comments

[jerrydd:]

Talk about an oversell!! Having these in consumer electronic is going to produce a lot of heat and many other problems. I just don't see a big market for them.

And in larger sizes they are not eff so no big market there. Zinc/alum air would be much better that methanol ones.

Jun 26 12:32 PM

[laker5:]

oh right guy, intel and novellus don't have it right...lol

Jun 26 01:10 PM

[fireball:]

.008 monday to .1098 friday, actually over .11 before close. thank you.

Jun 27 08:24 AM

[kotika98:]

just because INTC and NVLS invested it does not mean they are planning to make and sell fuel cells. nothing in the news suggests that they are going to do so, in fact i'd say it is extremely unlikely.

Jul 09 07:18 AM