E.On and FuelCell Energy Solutions have successfully commissioned a 1.4 MW fuel cell power plant in Germany.

Sian Crampsie

E.On and FuelCell Energy Solutions have successfully commissioned a 1.4 MW fuel cell power plant in Germany.

The power plant is the largest of its kind in Europe and will provide energy for the production processes of Friatec AG, a materials specialist. It is based on FuelCell Energy’s Direct Fuel Cell technology and was installed in just nine months.

The power plant will meet around 60 per cent of the power needs of Friatec’s manufacturing operations in Mannheim. The high quality heat from the facility will be supplied to an existing on-site heating grid.

The new plant is the first to be developed under an agreement between E.On Connecting Energies and FuelCell Energy Solutions, signed in 2015, to sell fuel cell-based CHP solutions. E.ON will own the power plant and FuelCell Energy Solutions will operate and maintain it under a long- term service agreement.

FuelCell Energy Solution’s Direct Fuel Cells are based on carbonate fuel cell technology, which generate hydrogen directly from a fuel source using potassium and lithium carbonates as the electrolyte.