DOE funds fuel cell research

Siemens Westimnghouse has signed a contract with BP to install a 250 kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) at BP’s gas-to-liquids test facility in Nikiski, Alaska. The prototype system, a scaled up version of an earlier 100 kW prototype that has been operated successfully in Europe, will be installed in 2003 and will ‘burn’ natural gas as its fuel.

About 150 kW of the unit’s output will be the power supply to variouls buildings on the site, which is designed to demonstrate new technology developed by BP and Kvaerner for gas to oil conversion. The US DoE is providing a $2 million grant towards the development.

The system will be manufactured at the Siemens Westinghouse stationary fuel cells facility in Pittsburgh, and is slated as the company’s first attempt at commercialising SOFC cogeneration systems. Such systems are being developed at the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh.