FuelCell Energy was awarded the 12-month contract by the US government for its coal-based systems program, which schemes to develop megawatt-class power plants using coal syngas.
The objective of the award is to enhance the performance of the company’s solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plant in Connecticut and apply test results to the design of a scaleable 60-kilowatt SOFC power plant.
Tony Leo is the vice president of application engineering and advanced technology at FuelCell.
“We are making excellent progress towards commercial applications with leading edge solid oxide fuel cell technology for stationary applications,” he said.
“We believe this technology can provide an industry usable heat for combined heat and power applications, resulting in total estimated thermal efficiency between 80 and 85 percent.”
FuelCell said high-efficiency power generation from coal syngas advances the nation’s energy security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions