Product offers additional fueling options for ReliOn's fuel cells worldwide

May 8, 2012

Spokane, Wash.: ReliOn, the leading provider of high reliability fuel cell solutions for backup and grid-support power applications, and Hy9, the leader in high-purity, point-of-use hydrogen generation, today announced that they are collaborating on the development of an integrated fuel processor for fuel cell products. The development program will bring together ReliOn's strengths in hydrogen fuel cell technology and product engineering and Hy9's expertise in reforming and hydrogen purification systems.

Gary Flood, ReliOn's president and CEO, commented, "Our collaboration with Hy9 will offer an alternative to delivered, compressed hydrogen as fuel for customers who use our fuel cells to provide power in areas of the world where hydrogen is less available. Hy9's expertise in the area of fuel reforming and purification will enable us to accelerate the delivery of this product to our key customers needing solutions for their backup and grid-support power applications. Together, our goal is to provide new and innovative solutions that allow our customers to serve their communities."

Gary Clarke, Hy9's president and CEO, said, "We are excited to work with ReliOn on the development of this new product. ReliOn's leadership in the fuel cell market and proven product design capabilities will ensure that our fuel processor will meet the needs of those in the market for whom delivered, compressed hydrogen is not the preferred solution."

ReliOn and Hy9 will work together on the development of the sub-systems, controls and the systems integration of the new liquid fuel-based power system. The fuel processor, or reformer, converts a liquid fuel, in this case methanol and water, into hydrogen for use with ReliOn's fuel cell products, including its E-series fuel cell systems. The development process is on schedule for ReliOn to deliver first demonstration prototypes during third quarter 2012, with customer evaluation units available before the end of the year. Customers will be delivered a fully integrated product that supports a range of power applications up to 10kW, providing telecom quality regulated DC power from a methanol-based liquid fuel. The introduction of the liquid fuel-based product line will expand ReliOn's market reach into new geographic regions and applications where liquid fuel may be advantageous over gaseous hydrogen due to availability or logistics and based on the energy needs of the application.

ReliOn products are used for backup power and site hardening in both traditional configurations and as part of a clean technology system integrated with solar and wind power. ReliOn continues its commitment to certifications and standards with products being tested or certified to stringent standards from CSA, UL, CE, Telcordia NEBS and China TTL Labs.

About ReliOn:

ReliOn's continuous innovation in core technology has made it a leader in the development and marketing of modular, fault-tolerant fuel cell products for customers seeking solutions to critical backup power applications. With more than 1,400 sites serving customers in 42 U.S. states and 34 countries, ReliOn customers enjoy the benefits of high reliability, low operating costs and easy maintenance. ReliOn fuel cells.simply powerful. www.relion-inc.com