Fuel cell company gets boost

A Spokane-based fuel cell company has tripled in size due to a contract it landed with the U.S. Army to provide power in remote locations.

Genesis Fueltech Inc. has increased its workspace from 2,000 square feet to 5,500 square feet and its staff from two to seven employees due to the contract signed last fall. The company will be providing the Army with a portable 250-watt fuel cell system that can recharge batteries in remote locations.

“The U.S. Army uses a tremendous number of batteries. They’re very expensive and they’re very heavy, so it’s a major logistics problem. I’ve heard radio operators might carry 60 pounds of batteries, which is just a tremendous load,” said Phillip Piffer, president of Genesis.

The Genesis system, which will weigh less than 25 pounds, will include lightweight fuel cells and fuel processors that extract from methanol the hydrogen gas needed to run the system. Fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity through an electrochemical reaction. Additional power can be provided merely by packing additional lightweight fuel canisters, rather than numerous industrial batteries, he said.

“It’s designed to facilitate in-the-field recharging of batteries,” Piffer said. The systems will be used, most likely, to power things like communications equipment, computers and radio transmission sites, he said.

Since landing the contract, Genesis added staff and space to have the capability to perfect the prototype, Piffer said. The company recently moved to 528 S. Cannon, in downtown Spokane. Piffer would not disclose the amount of the contract, but said it was “significant.” He expects a final prototype to be reading for testing by summer’s end, he said.

“This has just been a huge deal for us,” he said. “We’ve worked on it for so many years.”

Piffer said he sees numerous potential applications for the technology, powering equipment on boats, recreational vehicles, or at remote cabins. He also sees possibilities in providing power for electric bicycles and scooters.

“We think it could lead to development of a major business, building and supplying these kinds of systems,” he said.