Fuel Cell Power Plants Generate Energy, Hydrogen Supplies

Fuel cell systems can generate plenty of power. A Connecticut company has received additional funds from the U.S. Department of Energy to further develop a fuel cell power plant that also generates and distributes hydrogen at the point of use.

FuelCell Energy received a $2.8 million continuation award via the DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office to showcase its Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants for industrial applications. The company will install a sub-megawatt fuel cell power plant at its own manufacturing facility in Torrington, CT, to generate power, heat and hydrogen. The hydrogen will replace supplies currently purchased and delivered to the facility. The DFC-H2 unit should be operational by the end of the year.

The power plants generate both heat and power, in addition to creating excess useable hydrogen. The DFC units use carbonate fuel cell technology, and can operate on natural gas, renewable biogas, or directed biogas.

The DFC-H2 installation can generate approximately 135 kg of hydrogen per day. Once the solution is commercially available, the company expects the production cost of the hydrogen to fall within $5 to $7 per kilogram.

One other DFC-H2 installation has been in place for two years at the Orange County Sanitation District in Fountain Valley, CA, converting biogas into hydrogen for vehicle fueling and electricity. It generates 250 kW of power and enough hydrogen to fuel approximately 25 vehicles per day.

Source: FuelCell Energy