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Energy AG, technology and market leader in mobile and remote power solutions based on fuel cells, announces the successful delivery of 50 FC 100 lightweight alternative power sources (LAPS) to the US Army Operational Test Command (OTC) at Fort Hood, Texas.

The OTC, which is part of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), tests equipment, systems and technology in realistic operational scenarios to meet mission critical requirements in harsh environments over extended periods of time.
Designed as an alternative to current use of deep-cycle marine batteries, the FC 100 fuel cell generator is self contained and operates autonomously to provide sustained power on a continuous basis in support of operational test instrumentation.

"Self-contained" in this context is defined to include the fuel cell, a lithium-ion start-up battery, and a fuel cartridge packaged in a ruggedized housing to meet military environmental requirements. The fuel cell is designed to operate on a continuous basis for not less than 100 hours before exchange of the fuel cartridge.

The FC 100 fuel cells will be applied as automatic power supply for electrical systems on board vehicles in surveillance and observation scenarios, and as field charger and off-grid power supply for longer covert missions with no access to the grid.

Initially, they will be the power source used by the US Army Operational Test Command when testing new equipment during the Network Integration Evaluation at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Eventually, the fuel cells may be operated in the field for a number of additional applications from running radio relay stations to recharging batteries.

Use of the FC 100 LAPS enables significant weight reduction of the power equipment carried by soldiers and inside vehicles resulting in longer missions, and increased flexibility, while at the same time saving material and logistic costs.

"The delivery of 50 FC 100 LAPS is a further milestone in our defense program," says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG. "The adoption of our fuel cell products by the U.S. Army OTC reflects their technological strength and our ability to translate that strength into commercial products. The result in this case is a lightweight low detectable field charger for the use in or outside vehicles in demanding environments."

SFC Energy offers an internationally successful portfolio of dedicated fuel cell generators for defense and security applications, among them the portable JENNY 600S and the covert power system JENNY ND Terra, the vehicle based EMILY 2200 and the integrated EMILYCube 2500 stand alone power source, the versatile EFOY Pro and EFOY ProCube fuel cell generators for security applications, and the SFC Power Manager.