US FuelCell to develop 2.8 MW plant at wastewater treatment facility

(ADPnews) - Nov 10, 2010 - US fuel cell power plant developer FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ:FCEL) has sold a 2.8 MW power plant to be used at a wastewater treatment facility operated by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) in California.

The company said on Monday that its DFC3000 plant, sold to UTS Bioenergy LLC, will be mainly fuelled by the biogas extracted during the wastewater treatment process. Focused on biogas-to-energy projects, UTS Bioenergy will sell the power production to IEUA under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

The DFC3000 is expected to be operational in early 2012, FuelCell said, adding that it will service the plant under a long-term service agreement.

According to the company, fuel cells are capable of achieving efficiencies of up to 90% when byproduct heat is utilised. The byproduct heat from the power plant will be used to make biogas by heating the anaerobic digesters.

The distributed-generation fuel cell will support the IEUA to reach its target with regard to generating all the power it needs on-site in a carbon-free manner and reducing dependence on the grid. Set up in 1950, the agency is a municipal water district whose mission is to supply imported drinking water, collect and treat wastewater, produce reusable compost and recycled water.

FuelCell pointed out that the project is eligible for a grant under the California Self-Generation Incentive Programme (SGIP), which promotes the installation of clean distributed-generation power sources.

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