| DANBURY,
Conn.--The Fuel Cell Will Generate Electricity Using Renewable Fuel
From Wastewater Treatment Plant, Providing Energy for 1,000 Homes and Businesses
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL),
a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean power plants using renewable fuels
for commercial, industrial, utility and government customers, today announced
the sale of a 1.2 megawatt (MW) power plant to the Turlock Irrigation District
(TID) to help meet its growing energy needs and improving air quality in
the San Joaquin's Valley Air Basin.
The Direct FuelCell(r) (DFC(r)) power
plant will be located at the city of Turlock's Regional Water Quality Control
Facility, in California's Central Valley. By running the plant on a renewable
fuel -- methane gas generated from its treatment of wastewater -- TID will
reduce its carbon footprint by 5,200 tons annually compared to a typical
power plant and saves on the cost of fuel.
DFC power plants have a system efficiency
of 47 percent -- significantly better than traditional power plants which
means they use less fuel to produce a MW of electricity. By using waste
heat, these power plants can achieve up to 80 percent efficiency -- providing
substantial improvement in fuel costs, air quality and reducing California's
reliance on fuels like coal.
Located about 75 miles east of San
Jose, the TID was California's very first publicly owned irrigation district.
It is the electric service provider for approximately 220,000 people and
97,000 retail establishments in a 662-square-mile region that encompasses
northern Merced County and Southern Stanislaus County, as well as small
sections of Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. Electricity generated by its
DFC1500(tm) unit will provide energy for approximately 1,000 homes and
businesses in the area.
"We researched multiple solutions,
including engines, turbines and other fuel cell manufacturers, to address
our need to use a valuable renewable resource in the cleanest and most
efficient way possible," said Larry W. Weiss, TID's General Manager. "We
selected the DFC product as the best way to generate the maximum amount
of electricity while negating the harmful impact on the air quality of
our community and air basin."
TID is headquartered within the city
of Turlock, a city of 69,000. The City's award-winning water Regional Water
Quality Control Facility is responsible for wastewater treatment for Turlock
and the community service districts of Denair, Keyes and a portion of the
city of Ceres. As the principal provider of methane gas for the fuel cell
power plant, the city views the fuel cell project as a benefit to the environment
as well as the region's residents.
"Our partnership with TID for this
project will provide an additional beneficial use of a valuable byproduct
of the wastewater treatment process -- methane," said Dan Madden, the city's
Municipal Services Director. "A further reduction in air emissions, as
well as the efficient production of energy utilizing the Direct FuelCell
process, only makes sense."
"Wastewater treatment facilities
are the perfect application for our fuel cells in the state of California,"
said William Karambelas, Vice President of Business Development for FuelCell
Energy. "By their nature, wastewater treatment facilities are located near
population centers, many of which are growing fast, so there is a critical
need for added power generation to be not only highly efficient but also
ultra-clean."
FuelCell Energy currently has over
14 MW of power plants installed or on order for California customers, of
which 4.85 MW are for wastewater applications.
California's Self Generation Program
(SGIP), which was developed to foster the installation of clean and renewable
generation sources throughout the state, contributed $4.5 million toward
this project. The power plant will be installed in the summer of 2008 by
TID and once operational will be serviced by FuelCell Energy.
About FuelCell Energy Inc.
FuelCell Energy is the world leader
in the development and production of stationary fuel cells for commercial,
industrial, municipal and utility customers. FuelCell Energy's ultra-clean
and high efficiency DFC(r) fuel cells are generating power at over 60 locations
worldwide. The company's power plants have generated more than 180 million
kWh of power using a variety of fuels including renewable wastewater gas,
biogas from beer and food processing as well as natural gas and other hydrocarbon
fuels. FuelCell Energy has partnerships with major power plant developers,
trading companies and power companies around the world. The company also
receives substantial funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other
government agencies for the development of leading edge technologies such
as hybrid fuel cell/turbine generators and solid oxide fuel cells. For
more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com.
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