“We are thrilled to see our units run on carbon-neutral biogas,” said Gary Simon, CEO of Acumentrics. “People from all over the world come to observe Hammarby Sjöstad’s clever environmental system. And our ability to run directly off biogas makes our fuel cells extremely practical. While we can run on hydrogen, too, it is great to offer compatibility with logistical, affordable fuels. The renewable aspect is a huge bonus.”

Stockholm has developed a new, eco-friendly, waterfront district called Hammarby Sjöstad which is slated to house some 25,000 residents. The district features solar cells, green roofs, foot paths, environmentally benign building materials, vacuum-assisted refuse collection, and a wastewater treatment plant that produces biogas for the district.

The wastewater treatment plant produces high quality, 97% methane biogas that is piped into apartments for heating and cooking. This same biogas is piped to the Acumentrics fuel cell system. Acumentrics’ solid oxide fuel cells disassociate fuels inside the cell, via in-situ reformation. They run directly from the biogas, without the need for complex pre-processing (reforming) of the fuel. The result is an elegant power system with fewer parts

At present the electricity produced by the fuel cell is put to a load bank, but grid-tie ability is slated for later this year. Acumentrics’ fuel cells have the unique ability to follow loads. Output can be adjusted up or down with no harm to the cells. The company believes this is the first real-world solid oxide fuel cell installation that runs on biogas.

The GlashusEtt (http://www.hammarbysjostad.se/glashusett) is Hammarby Sjöstad’s environmental information center. Knowledge is disseminated via study trips, exhibitions, and demonstrations of new environmental technology. Acumentrics’ fuel cell system is located on the third floor.