FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCEL) (Nasdaq:FCEL), a global leader in the design, manufacture, operation and service of ultra-clean, efficient and reliable fuel cell power plants, today announced a significant operating milestone with the generation of two billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of ultra-clean and renewable electricity produced by Direct FuelCell® (DFC)® power plants since the first commercial installation in 2003.
"This is a noteworthy achievement highlighting the growing installed base of our clean and efficient power generation solutions that provide continuous power to the electric grid or on-site for large power users that value enhanced energy security and power reliability," said Chip Bottone, President & Chief Executive Officer, FuelCell Energy, Inc.
Two billion kWh of electricity is adequate to power more than 181,000 average size U.S. homes for one year. With more than 110 DFC plants producing environmentally friendly power and usable high quality heat at more than 50 locations globally, DFC plants are eliminating the emission of a significant level of pollutants and substantially reducing carbon emissions compared to the average U.S. fossil-fuel power plant.
Two billion kWh of ultra-clean fuel cell power production configured in a combined heat & power mode (CHP) benefits public health and helps FuelCell Energy customers achieve sustainability goals by virtually eliminating criteria pollutants including nitrogen oxide (NOx) that causes smog, sulfur dioxide (SOx) that contributes to acid rain, and particulate matter (PM10) that aggravates asthma. Compared to the average U.S. fossil-fuel power plant, this level of fuel cell power generation avoided the emission of approximately 16,900 tons of these criteria pollutants as well as approximately 1,068,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, which is equivalent to removing more than 499,000 passenger vehicles from the road.
"We installed our first commercial fuel cell plant in 2003 and announced one billion kilowatt hours of ultra-clean power production in January 2011, which is a time span of eight years," continued Mr. Bottone. "We generated the second billion kilowatt hours in just under two years and the next billion is expected to be generated in less than one year as a 15 megawatt fuel cell park is nearing completion in Bridgeport, Connecticut and a 59 megawatt fuel cell park, the world's largest, is nearing completion in South Korea."
Fuel cells electrochemically convert a fuel source into electricity and heat in a highly efficient process that emits virtually no pollutants due to the absence of combustion. The stationary fuel cell power plants manufactured by FuelCell Energy are fuel flexible, capable of operating on clean natural gas, on-site renewable biogas, or directed biogas. The power plants provide continuous baseload power and can be sited where the power is used, including both on-site applications and electric grid support. The combination of near-zero pollutants, modest land-use needs, and quiet operating nature facilitates locating the fuel cell power plants in urban locations and even within occupied buildings.