During the Holidays I was able to catch up with Michel Alarcon, Managing Director of IGES Canada to talk about his company’s hydrogen-on-demand technology. Here is the interview:
HydroKevin: Michel, tell me briefly about your company, please.
Michel Alarcon: We are an affiliate of IGES Holdings LLC, an international company mandated to deploy Electro-Catalytic Hydrogen on Demand (HOD) fuel enhancement systems to the commercial engine (diesel) market, to improve the combustion characteristics of the fuel. By retro fitting this technology to an existing vessel, vehicle or machinery, we can reduce both fuel consumption and emission components, typically at a low cost of investment.
Key sectors targeted include the freight transport sector, both marine and port environments, public transit, stationary power generation – commercial large engine/high fuel usage operations where the impact is most valuable both environmentally and commercially. We are dedicated to bridging the emission gap via more efficient point of combustion (CP) technologies that avoid the generic inefficiencies of post combustion clean up.
As a company, and as individuals, we have a responsibility, with the gift of the technology available we aim to ensure that we do everything we possibly can to reduce Global warming and pollution caused by harmful GHG emissions. We value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, and mutual respect for others and our planet. We are committed to our customers and partners and have a passion for global sustainability. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves on seeing them through. We hold ourselves accountable to our customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring our commitments, providing results, and achieving the highest quality emission reduction projects around the world.
HK: We connected over the story of Whistler, British Columbia decommissioning their 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses in March 2014. Why is this of interest to you?
MA: We feel it is unfortunate that the Whistler people have decided to abandon this technology and we want to offer them and alternative that is financially viable and support their emission reduction and fuel saving objectives.
HK: What do you think of the idea, in general, of replacing diesel powered buses with fuel cell buses for a few years only to backslide and replace those hydrogen buses with diesel buses?
MA: There are a number of drawbacks in using stored hydrogen alone and the economic and logistics realities have unfortunately come to light for them. We really beileve we could offer them a viable alternative to meet their objectives.
HK: What is ahead for your company in 2014?
MA: This will be a very big year for us. We are making inroads into multiple Canadian, US and overseas government institutions and bringing to light the capabilities that our technology and methodology offers. There are numerous funding opportunities currently available to enable this and other technology to be implemented and to make a real contribution to the emission reduction targets that are of absolute importance to our collective health and response to climate change and its impact on our society.