(Swedish version here).

Defkalion announced on its web forum today that high-level representatives of the Greek government were present at a test of Defkalion's technology and that "opinions and results were very positive".

(The test was supposed to start on Friday 24 February, but according to sources of Ny Teknik it was initiated only after the weekend. The sources also said that the test was not focused on power or energy measurements but rather on safety.)

UPDATED (February 29): In an interview with Ny Teknik, Alexandros Xanthoulis, representative of the investors, said that the test was conducted on 24 February and that it was not focused on safety, as the product is not yet ready for such tests. The focus was instead to show that there was excess heat energy released from a 'Low Energy Nuclear Reaction' and not from a chemical source. The test lasted for 24 hours and included both an empty and an active reactor, which were switched after 12 hours. Xanthoulis also said that two of the seven international groups have already carried out their tests and that the last of those tests is scheduled for late March. He did not say when or if the test results will be published. /End of update/.

Sources told Ny Teknik that at least two of the groups comes from the U.S. The groups pay nothing to Defkalion.

The tests are performed on bare reactors without cooling – the same reactors that are part of Defkalion's heating product Hyperion. The product was presented in detail on November 30, 2011, except for the process that releases heat energy.

An important part of the upcoming tests is a power measurement through a method called "Differental Thermal Analysis". In addition to power measurement, alpha and gamma radiation will be measured.

According to Defkalion heat production is based  on "Chemically Assisted Low Energy Nuclear Reactions caused by Nickel and Hydrogen Nuclei", a technology that the company claims to have developed after the agreement with Andrea Rossi on the production of Rossi's "E-cat" was terminated in August 2011.

The Greek government has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the test, but it is most probably informed.

Professor Christos Stremmenos who used to work at the University of Bologna and soon came in contact with Rossi, told Ny Teknik that he already in the spring 2010 informed Prime Minister Papanderou about Rossi's technology at a meeting in which also Professor Achilleas Mitsos, General Secretary of Research and Development of the Greek government, and Dr. Apostolos Baratsis, vice president of the state energy company DEH, participated.

This then led to the formation of Defkalion who signed an agreement with Rossi in November 2010.

Christos Stremmenos was appointed chief technology officer, but now has no active role in the company. On the contrary he has criticized Defkalion.

In the last months also Andrea Rossi says he has been continuing to develop his technology. As Defkalion's technology it's based on nickel and hydrogen, possibly participating in a hitherto unknown nuclear reaction.

On February 20, 2012 Rossi performed a demonstration to show the actual level of development. Among the participants was chemist Roland Pettersson, retired Associate Professor from the University of Uppsala, who also attended a test of Rossi's E-cat on 6 October 2011.

Roland Pettersson told Ny Teknik that the system was now much more stable. A new set of control electronics was used and the system was started just pushing a button. However, no energy measurement was performed.

The E-cat was apparently operated  without refilling from a hydrogen canister. Instead the hydrogen was supposedly stored in a piece of solid material – possibly in a metal hydride. The material contained a few grams of hydrogen gas which would last for six months of operation, according to Rossi.

If hydrogen is stored in this manner, certification of a consumer product based on the technology should be much easier than if a canister is included in the system.

Roland Pettersson and other participants were also shown a prototype of the consumer version of the E-cat that Rossi says he is planning to manufacture in a robotized factory. As previously stated by Rossi it was slightly larger than an ordinary laptop, and had simple connections for input and output of water.

Production is according to Rossi planned to start next winter or at least within 18 months, and a million units should be manufactured per year. The price is expected to be between 600 and 900 dollars, and the device should be easily connected to existing systems for water heating.

Users should be able to change a cartridge of fuel after six months of operation. Rossi estimates the price of the cartridge to be a few tens of dollars.

Rossi has also announced that his company in the U.S., Leonardo Corporation, is now owned by a group of investors and that he is the CEO.

Independent testing of his technology has not yet been performed.

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READ MORE: Our complete coverage on Defkalion and on Rossi's E-cat can be found here.