UTC Power to supply 400-kW fuel cell to California customer

Nov 12, 2012 - UTC Power, part of US United Technologies Corp (NYSE:UTX), today said that a unit of its 400-kW fuel cell system will be installed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in California.

AQMD, an air pollution control agency, will use the PureCell System Model 400 fuel cell to power its headquarters. AQMD executive officer Barry Wallerstein said the system would meet some 22% of the agency's daily electrical demand and was in line with its energy self-sufficiency efforts. The fuel cell will provide 400 kW of power, while its thermal energy will be used by the air conditioning system.

The energy from the unit, expected to become operational in the middle of next year, is to be supplied by UTC Power to AQMD under an energy supply and services agreement. The project is backed by funds from California's Self-Generation Incentive programme.

AQMD's order comes after in 1994 it installed a PureCell System Model 200, which operated for over 50,000 hours, according to the announcement. "With the upgrade to a Model 400 system, the majority of the energy required for AQMD's headquarters will now be supplied by clean and efficient sources," Joe Triompo of UTC Power said. The PureCell system has a 10-year stack life.

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