CFCL fuel cell micro CHP is the biz!

Following the successful development of a fuel cell which not only works and achieves the highest electrical efficiency of any generation technology in existence, (not to mention the start of production at their Heinsberg plant in Germany last month), CFCL have now established a dealership with Neco, so you can actually go out and buy the Bluegen 2kWe fuel cell generator with a demonstrated efficiency of ~60% at the point of use. Of course, you also get to use the "waste" heat so it is really quite an amazing bit of kit. If only I had £20,000 or so to spare! Not cheap, but it actually exists, thus quashing the rumours that fuel cell technology is all vapourware!
At that price it would take over 10 years to pay back (based on UK energy prices), but if the UK government gets its act together and comes up with a sensible FiT, it would be nearer 5 years and, of course, that would help build production rates and bring down prices so that it would no longer need subsidy, probably in less than 5 years, unlike some other, more questionable micro-generation technologies.

CFCL back on track!

Perhaps there is some justice after all! Following a string of bad luck it seems that, not only have Ceramic Fuel Cells (CFCL) managed to sort out their funding difficulties, they have almost miraculously commenced production of world leading SOFC fuel cell stacks at their Heinsberg plant in Germany.

So, in less than a year, CFCL have recovered from a financial crisis, set up a factory, started production...and started selling "commercial" products! Now when I say "commercial" it is still a bit pricey; somewhere between £20,000-£30,000 for the 2kWe Bluegen APU!

But, and this is the interesting bit, the electrical efficiency of the production unit (i.e. not in a lab or in perfect conditions) is almost 60%, running on natural gas, so taking reformation to hydrogen and other parasitics into account. At the opening event, one incredulous senior representative of one of Germany's energy companies, on seeing the dial at 56.5% exclaimed: "I can hardly believe it; that is better than any of our gas turbine plants...even ignoring the transmission loses between the power station and the user!"

Also, of course, ignoring the potential for capturing the other 40-odd percent as waste heat in a CHP system, which is what CFCL are continuing to develop, apparently on track and on time. Rumoured for a market launch of the micro CHP packaged unit in 2012-13?

Brendan Dow (CEO of CFCL) was almost apologetic: "That must be a Friday afternoon model; the others seem to get at least 60%" And just in case you suspect he is overstating his case, if you follow the link to the Bluegen press release, you will notice the display for the unit there at 60.2%!

I suspect the days of CCGT are numbered!

For information on other Solid Oxide Fuel Cell micro CHP units, click here.