Funding secured for 10-megawatt fuel cell power plant in Bridgeport, Conn.

[jpak]

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-funding-secured-10-megawatt-fuel-cell-power-plant-/2006/06/08/1675339.htm

FuelCell Energy and PurePower secured a $500,000 loan from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund to help with engineering and site development plans for their joint venture, called the Bridgeport Fuel Cell Park. The 10-megawatt plant could provide enough electricity to power more than 9,300 households, and will be built on an old industrial site in the West End, off State Street. The exact address was unavailable Tuesday.

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The Clean Energy Fund must approve projects for the program and has already recommended a proposed 4-megawatt fuel-cell plant in Wallingford for Project 100. That plant would be the largest in the country, at least until the Bridgeport project is built, Dondy said.

The deadline for submitting bids for Project 100 is July 17, Dondy said, and it looks like there is plenty of interest. The fund is hoping to fill 85 megawatts of power, she said, but "We feel it's going to be over subscribed." While Project 100 calls for the use of "renewable" fuels, Dondy said fuel cells are also eligible because the Legislature specified that technology in its mandate.

Fuel cells use a chemical process to create energy, but usually run on fossil fuels, such as natural gas. The Bridgeport Fuel Cell Park would use natural gas, according to Eschbach.

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[307 MMS]

1. Chemical process

There are many different types of fuel cells and it would depend on what type they're using to define the chemical process. We used mostly PEM fuels; Proton Exchange Membrane. Reactants such as reformed natural gas or neat hydrogen and air are introduced to the membrane. The membrane will allow the proton of the fuel to pass through it but not the electron, which is gleaned off and stored for power or immediately utilized. The by-product is potable water. At this point in time, it's a very costly with platinum being part of the process as a catalyst. And the fuel is indeed fossil based. If we can electrolyze water to create hydrogen, why can't develop a "perpetual machine"? Oh, I forgot who runs the show. I used to work for Plug Power in Latham, NY. Until big oil is reigned in and a dedicated "Manhattan Project" mentality applied...you get the picture. Mass fuel cell use is a long way off. Sad but true. But, ya gotta start somewhere.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Indeed...

DANBURY, Conn., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCEL), a leading manufacturer of large stationary fuel cell power plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced today that Chevron Energy Solutions, a ChevronTexaco (NYSE: CVX) subsidiary and FuelCell Energy distribution partner, has sold a 250-kilowatt Direct FuelCell(R) (DFC(R)) power plant to the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS's) San Francisco Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC).

Chevron Energy Solutions will develop, engineer and construct the project over the next year and provide a turn-key on-site generation solution to the facility. FuelCell Energy will provide the DFC300A power plant, technical support and system commissioning services.

http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=FCEL&script=412&layout=-6&item_id=648858

Fingers in every pie...