Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today announced a $2.36 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant to REB Research & Consulting, a small US owned business based in Ferndale, MI.  The grant supports President Bush’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative and research into cleaner forms of energy.  In an effort to help strengthen our nation’s energy security and reduce greenhouse emissions, DOE is funding U.S. universities and businesses to develop new hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.  Acting Under Secretary David K. Garman announced the award today at REB Research  & Consulting in Ferndale, MI.

Robert Buxbaum, President of REB Research has developed a new type of membrane to aid the separation of hydrogen from common renewable and non-renewable feedstocks like wood alcohol, biogas, and coal.  “The Hydrogen can then be used in fuel cells or for other industrial purposes. This is cutting edge technology that goes a long way towards ending our dependence on foreign oil and polluting energy sources,” says Robert Buxbaum. We are developing it in partnership with several major US Laboratories: Los Alamos, National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh, Pa, The Material Research Center of Ames Labs, Iowa State University, and with Johnson Matthey, plc.

In last year’s State of the Union address, President Bush communicated his vision that “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.”  The research projects announced today address major technical and economic hurdles in renewable and distributed hydrogen production technologies that must be overcome to make the President’s vision a reality.

“Hydrogen from diverse domestic resources has the long-term potential to deliver greater energy independence by reducing America’s reliance on foreign sources of energy,” said Secretary Abraham.  “The grants we are announcing today will move the nation toward advanced technologies that use renewable energy sources to make and deliver safe, affordable hydrogen for fuel cell powered vehicles, and increase the nation’s ability to search for oil more cleanly and effectively.”  Fuel cell vehicles are expected to be at least twice as efficient as conventional vehicles.

REB Research has operated for 10 years from its location, a 1000 square foot laboratory and manufacturing center at 3259 Hilton Rd. Ferndale. REB Research makes membrane reactor-based hydrogen generators, and membrane based hydrogen purifiers, including some sold to NASA. REB Research is also a subcontractor on a Department of Commerce grant to make hydrogen anaerobic digester (farm waste) gases.