FuelCell Energy, Inc. has announced that it will enter Phase II of its carbon capture development project under award from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy’s Carbon Capture Program, which was implemented by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. FuelCell Energy will continue research that evaluates the use of Direct FuelCells to efficiently and cost effectively separate carbon dioxide from the emissions of coal fired power plants.
FuelCell Energy, Inc. is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of ultra-clean, efficient and reliable fuel cell power plants.
This three and a half year research project that began in late 2011 involves system design, cost analysis, and long-term testing of a Direct FuelCell stack.
“The potential for efficient and cost effective carbon capture from our Direct FuelCell power plants illustrates the versatility of our technology,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of FuelCell Energy, Inc., Chip Bottone “This award enables us to further advance and refine our research as we pursue this opportunity that has the potential to favorably impact public health while providing FuelCell Energy with the possibility of a new and potentially large market opportunity.”
FuelCell Energy’s Direct FuelCell technology separates and concentrates CO2 as a side reaction during the power generation process. In this application of the technology, the exhaust of a coal fired plant is directed to the air intake of a DFC power plant, which separates and concentrates the CO2 in the exhaust for commercial use or sequestration.
Conventional technologies used for the capture of CO2 from the emissions of coal fired power plants are energy-intensive with high operating costs. Most of the existing carbon capture technologies penalize the power plant output by as much as 30 per cent. For these reasons, the DOE’s Carbon Capture Program seeks advanced technologies that reduce the cost and energy requirements for the capture of CO2 from coal fired power plants.