SFC secures Bundeswehr order for portable all-in-one power solution
Category: Defence Industry
Brunnthal/Munich, Germany -- SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG, technology and market leader for mobile and off-grid power solutions based on fuel cells, has received another order by the German Bundeswehr.
SFC delivers autonomous power generating systems for Bundeswehr operations abroad. The energy solution ordered is based on the portable JENNY fuel cell which is successfully sold by SFC to soldiers as mobile off-grid power source for over a year now and is deployed in various international defense missions worldwide. In combination with the SFC Power Manager, an intelligent converter which assures optimal operation of available consumers, it builds a strong energy network for power supply in the field. The order volume is over 220,000 Euro. The delivery of the systems takes place in 2010.
The portable JENNY fuel cell by SFC Smart Fuel Cell is a small, under 2 kg lightweight power generator for soldiers and applications in the field. It can either be worn directly on the body in a belt or operate devices unmanned in the field. Because of its outstanding properties it was multiply and internationally awarded, most recently by the U.S. Department of Defense Wearable Power Prize and the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award. Its usage in combination with the SFC Power Manager provides soldiers in multi-day missions with weight reduction up to 80 percent compared to conventional energy supply such as batteries. Power generation inside the JENNY fuel cell is silent, non-detectable without harmful fumes. Energy supply is fully automatically and without any user intervention over long periods of time.
The energy solution based on the JENNY fuel cell ordered within this contract can also be deployed undercover as a protection against environmental influences or reconnaissance. A challenge which is mastered by the JENNY fuel cell thanks to its innovative technology which is based on SFC’s year-long experience in developing reliable power supply solutions for demanding applications. „It is not enough to simply perfect a technology. It has to perform exactly according to expectations of the user in the particular application scenario“, says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG. "The superior product features of the system enable longer mission duration at low detectability and thereby increase soldier’s safety in the field. Based on successful fielding, we have a reason to anticipate that this decision can lead into further procurement”.