December 2004

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UTC Fuel Cells and Toshiba are reconfiguring their two-decade relationship, in essence each going their separate ways in several categories. Under the terms announced in mid-November, South Windsor, CT-based UTC Fuel Cells, a component of United Technologies Corp., will buy Toshiba’s 10% interest in the company. Toshiba, in turn, will buy UTC Fuel Cell’s 49% in Toshiba International Fuel Cells (TIFC). Both companies have collaborated on fuel cell technology since the 1980s, culminating in the creation of TIFC in 2001. The new arrangement does not affect UTC Fuel Cell’s transportation fuel cell business or Toshiba’s direct methanol fuel cell business. “The new arrangement allows UTC Fuel Cells to continue to pursue our key initiatives - PEM fuel cells for cars and fleet vehicles, and PEM and PAFC for large stationary units - while evaluating other fuel cell technologies such as solid oxide fuel cells,” UTC Power president Jan van Dokkum said. “It also allows Toshiba to pursue its interest in commercializing small PEM stationary fuel cells for the Japanese market.” Van Dokkum says except for these changes, technical collaboration between the two companies will continue. In an earlier separate announcement, UTC Power announced it has renamed its workhorse large stationary fuel cell power system, the PC 25. The new name is PureCell (TM) 200. The phosphoric acid system has been built since 1991, and more than 250 units have been installed in 19 countries around the world. Contact: UTC, Paul Jackson, 860-728-7912; e-mail paul.jackson@utc.com.