Millennium Cell, Inc.has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent & Trademark Office for US Patent Application Publication Number 2004/0011662 A1 entitled "Hydrogen-Assisted Electrolysis Processes." As a result of this allowance, Millennium Cell continues to expand its portfolio of more than 30 issued patents and 69 pending patents worldwide. The company believes this represents the broadest patent portfolio in boron hydride hydrogen storage technology available for license in the world today.

The newly allowed patent application describes a method to reduce the cost to produce metallic sodium, a main raw material and cost driver in the production of sodium borohydride. The new sodium production process could require 60 to 75 percent less electricity than used today in sodium production, saving cost and preserving energy. Sodium borohydride is the chemical used in Millennium Cell's Hydrogen on Demand system, which safely stores and delivers energy as part of the hydrogen batteries produced by our licensees. This patent is jointly owned by Millennium Cell and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. of Allentown, Pa., a worldwide leader in hydrogen production and delivery. The companies are offering licenses under the allowed patent to the chemical industry. Approximately 35 percent of the sodium metal made today is used in the production of sodium borohydride.

"This new technology has the potential to reduce the variable cost of sodium borohydride by 25 to 50 percent," commented Adam P. Briggs, Millennium Cell's President. "Lowering the cost of sodium borohydride will help increase the penetration of our hydrogen battery technology into new applications and will strengthen our existing cost advantage over other traditional battery chemistries."

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