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Updated: 09:17 AM EST FuelCell Energy's Ultra-Clean, High Efficiency DFC300MA Power Plant Receives U.S. Fuel Cell Certification from CSA International
DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- Certification-related features help open markets to fuel cell power plants by reducing time and expense involved in delivering and installing units
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean and efficient electric power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, today announced that its modular sub-megawatt Direct FuelCell(R) (DFC(R)) power plant has been certified to meet the ANSI/CSA America FC1-2004 Stationary Fuel Cell Power Standard by CSA International (CSA), a world-leading certification and testing for products such as stationary fuel cell power plants.
Certification of the DFC 300MA fuel cell encompasses features emanating from FuelCell Energy's cost-out program. These improvements -- aimed at simplifying installation and maintenance of the units while reducing the cost and expense in transporting them -- effectively broaden the market opportunity for fuel cells by improving their economics.
The DFC 300MA power plant was introduced in June 2005, bringing to market in product form the company's 2004 initiatives to reduce the units' capital costs and ongoing maintenance expenses by 20-25 percent a year. Key among plans to lower initial capital costs were substitution of a standard ISO ship container (replacing a custom-made enclosure) and reduction of total parts count by 10 percent.. The mechanical balance of plant, electronic balance of plant and DFC modules, all housed on separate skids, are streamlined for post-sale servicing thanks to their more accessible components.
"Our cost-out program extends beyond managing a customer's initial capital costs," said R. Daniel Brdar, FuelCell Energy's President and COO. "We've focused just as hard on reducing delivery, installation and operating expenses. CSA certification helps underscore our achievement in these areas."
Fuel Cell Energy's DFC300A self-contained commercial stationary power plant and its DFC1500 power plants consisting of power generation and plant skids which provide high quality commercial grade base load power have previously been certified by CSA.
"FuelCell Energy's DFC300MA is the third fuel cell power plant to meet the requirements of the ANSI/CSA America FC1 standard," said Randall W. Luecke, President, CSA International. "CSA International is the leader in certification and testing of new fuel cell technologies in North America and we are committed to enhancing service offerings for our clients in the advancement of green power technologies, such as fuel cells, that may help address climate change issues."
The DFC300MA contains the same power conditioning unit of the DFC300A that converts DC power into AC and as such remains certified to Rule 21 Interconnection standards in California. The company has submitted the necessary paperwork for certification to the California Air Resources Board stringent distributed generation emissions standards for 2007. That application currently is being reviewed, and approval is expected by the end of calendar year 2005.
About CSA International
CSA International is a provider of product testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products. Recognized in the U.S., Canada and around the world, CSA's marks appear on billions of products worldwide. CSA International is a division of CSA Group, which also includes CSA, a developer of standards and codes, and QMI, a leading North American management systems registrar. CSA International can be found online at www.csa-international.org
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FuelCell Energy's High-Efficiency Power Plant Sold to Japanese Ceramics Manufacturer to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Lower Energy Costs Copyright Business Wire 2005 BUSINESS WIRE DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- Marubeni's Sale of Ultra-Clean DFC300A Power Plant to Be Integrated with Ceramics Kiln to Significantly Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Provide Energy Cost Savings
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean and efficient electric power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, today announced the sale of a 250-kilowatt (kW) Direct FuelCell(R) (DFC(R)) power plant by its Asian distributor, Marubeni Corporation, to NGK Insulators, Ltd., a ceramics manufacturing company in Nagoya, Japan.
Best known in the U.S. as a producer of electrical insulators, NGK also holds substantial market share in automotive and industrial ceramics (such as spark plugs), ceramics components for electric and electronic equipment, power transmission and distribution products, and plant engineering services.
The DFC power plant is part of NGK's goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at its three ceramics manufacturing facilities by 24 percent over the next five years. Medium-term targets are 0 percent increase from 2003 to 2006 and long-term targets are 7 percent less than 1990 by 2010. Total carbon dioxide emissions in 2003 were 166,000 tons, 17 percent higher than 1990. NGK expects that use of FuelCell Energy's high efficiency DFC power plant in a combined heat and power application at its Nagoya ceramics kiln will significantly contribute to exceeding their corporate carbon dioxide emissions reduction goal.
"Integrating a highly efficient DFC power plant into our ceramics kiln operations is expected to help us to meet our carbon dioxide emissions reduction objectives while saving energy costs," said Yoshihiko Kurashima, Director of Corporate Manufacturing Engineering. "In addition, we see opportunities to improve the overall thermal efficiency of our ceramics manufacturing processes by integrating DFC power plants, the most efficient source of firm, 24/7 onsite power in its size range, into our kiln operations."
Japan has emerged as one of the most efficient users of energy -- in turn, making the country less subject to economic shocks from energy price fluctuations. The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration ranks Japan as the world's fourth largest energy consumer overall and its second largest energy importer. At the same time, Japan leads many countries managing the amount of energy consumed to bring products to market. The Wall Street Journal (in its Oct. 7, 2005, editions) cited 2003 figures that production of a ton of steel required only 100 units of energy by leading Japanese firms -- in contrast to the 120 units used by U.S. steel companies and 150 units averaged by Chinese steel-makers.
"The high efficiency of our DFC power plants serves as a major driver for us in Japan," said R. Daniel Brdar, president and COO of FuelCell Energy. "High efficiency translates into more energy output using less fuel, thereby providing customers with energy cost savings while meeting their air quality improvement mandates."
The power plant will run on natural gas supplied by Toho Gas Co., Ltd, and will operate in parallel to the grid. It is scheduled to be up and running in early calendar year 2006. Financial details of the sale were not disclosed.
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FuelCell Energy's High Efficiency DFC 300MA Power Plant Certified to California's Strict 2007 Air Emissions Standards Copyright Business Wire 2005 BUSINESS WIRE DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- Modular Power Plant, Designated as 'Ultra-Clean,' Qualifies for Preferential California Rate Treatment; Lower Manufacturing Cost Makes Systems Accessible to Larger Market
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of efficient, ultra-clean power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, today announced that its modular 250-kilowatt (kW) Direct FuelCell(R) (DFC(R)) power plant has met the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) stringent distributed generation emissions standards for 2007, qualifying the DFC 300MA power plant for state-sponsored economic incentives.
The DFC300MA joins FuelCell Energy's other DFC products that previously attained this certification. By meeting this standard, the Company's DFC300MA power plant is categorized as an 'ultra-clean' distributed generation technology, exempting it from air quality district permitting requirements (http://www.arb.ca.gov). In addition, the certification qualifies the Company's products for preferential rate treatment by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) including the elimination of "exit fees" and "standby charges" for customer electric generation.
"This certification ensures our customers in California continue to have access to certain incentive funding for purchasing our DFC power plants, which we believe will further drive repeatable business in our second largest geographic market," said R. Daniel Brdar, FuelCell Energy's President and COO. "These incentives and preferential rate treatment, combined with our cost-reduction efforts, allow us to provide end-users with reliable firm base load power with more control of their energy costs."
The California Self Generation Program (SGIP) provides $400 million per year of incentive funding for renewable and ultra-clean technologies on the basis of $2500/kW for DFC products operating on natural gas and $4500/kW for our DFC products operating on renewable fuels such as anaerobic gas from wastewater treatment facilities.
Introduced in June 2005 with a production cost of approximately $6,000/kW, the DFC 300MA power plant production cost has been further reduced to $4,600/kW.
DFC power plants address two significant energy issues in California -- high energy costs and strict air quality standards. The high efficiency of DFC power plants not only results in less fuel needed per kilowatt hour of electricity and lower operating costs, but reduced amounts of carbon dioxide. In addition, DFC power plants provide greater energy reliability and energy security because they are located directly at customer sites.
The Company's 250-kW DFC300A power plant was certified under CARB 2007 standards in May 2003 and its megawatt class DFC1500 power plant was certified under these standards in September 2004.
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