U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

99 -- FUEL CELL GENERATOR, REFORMER, AND REFUELING SYSTEM POC Contact Point, Wayne B. Miller, (702) 295-0469, Contract Specialist The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Nevada Operations Office (NV), is requesting expressions of interest in a cost-shared venture to design, install, test, and operate a combined 50 kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell electric generating plant to be fueled with hygrogen from an on-site reformer. The hydrogen reformer is expected to produce 31,000 cu. ft./day of hydrogen for the 50kW PEM fuel cell and 10,000 cu.ft./day of hydrogen for hydrogen fueled transportation systems. In sizing the reformer, offerors should consider an increasing demand for transportation system hydrogen over time and the potential for co-located hydrogen or synthetic gas utilizing systems. One potential co-located system, not a part of this proposed procurement action, could involve a 100kW blended hydrogen/natural gas engine/generator that would require 12,000 cu.ft./day of synthetic gas. A publicly accessible vehicle refueling system is included in this proposed procurement action. The refueling system would be multi-purpose and capable of refueling vehicles with various combinations of hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) including pure hydrogen with the purity necessary for fuel cells, hydrogen mixed with CNG at variable mixtures, and CNG. The vehicle refueling capability would include the fuel mixing systems, compression systems for filling to gas pressures of 5000 psi, connectors, and metering gauges. Several transit bus and light-duty vehicle systems are planned and/or being developed in the Las Vegas Valley that would be expected to obtain hydrogen and mixed hydrogen natural gas fuels from the station. Additionally, 75 percent of all new vehicle acquisitions by the NV will be alternative fuel CNG vehicles. The DOE would provide publicly accessible land located at the DOE/NV, North Las Vegas Facility for the complete 50kW fuel cell electric generator, hydrogen reformer, and refueling system station. Electrical power produced by this system could be supplied to the DOE/NV complex at this site and purchased at fairmarket value. The successful offeror would be expected to collect revenue from the sale of fuels from the system. As part of this proposed procurement action, the offeror would provide the design, equipment, installation, acceptance testing, operation, and maintenance of the complete system. The successful offeror will have responsibility for providing the interconnecting equipment and coordinating with the DOE on-site contractor. Potential deliverables would include: 1) design drawings and specifications for the fuel cell subsystem, the reformer subsystem, and the vehicle refueling system; 2) a 50kW PEM fuel cell and power conditioning electronics for connection to the DOE/NV North Las Vegas Facility power grid; 3) a reformer capable of producing hydrogen of the necessary quality for the 50kW PEM fuel cell, transportation systems, and other potential co-located hydrogen systems; 4) a vehicle refueling station with a fuel mixing system for the fuel combinations described, all necessary connectors, metering systems, safety and interlock systems; 5) system and subsystem controls; 6) complete system installation including permitting and construction; 7) acceptance test procedures and testing; 8) operations manuals; and 9) training manuals. At least a 50 percent cost share with non-federal funding will be required in accordance with Public Law 104-271. If a decision is made to proceed with this effort, a solicitation is expected to be released in October 1998. Companies are invited to provide expressions of interest in this cost-shared venture and/or comment on the structure and content of the system configuration by not later than August 26, 199. Expressions of interest and comments are to be submitted in writing to Wayne B. Miller, U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, Contract Management Division, P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518. Posted 08/03/98 (W-SN231926). (0215)

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