Renewable Hydrogen Energy Station

DESCRIPTION: FuelCell Energys and Air Products Renewable Hydrogen Energy Station utilizes FCEs high temperature fuel cell reforming technology and APCIs purification technology to efficiently co-produce clean and green power, hydrogen and utility heat from renewable biogas and natural gas. FEATURES/BENEFITS: Multiple Products: Co-produces high value Power, Hydrogen and Utility Heat (CHHP). Configurable: Power and Hydrogen Units can be sized independently to allow for multiple applications including smart grid, electrical vehicles and hydrogen vehicles. Modular: Power, Hydrogen and Feedstock units can be added independently. Fuel-Flexible: Can use multiple hydrocarbon feedstocks, including: digester gas, landfill gas, natural gas, syngas, propane, and agricultural materials/wastes. Renewable: Bio-mass feedstocks are carbon neutral, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Efficient: Co-production and process integration maximize energy efficiency (up to 85%). Ultra-Clean, Low Emissions: Eliminates virtually all criteria pollutants (SOX, NOX, etc.) relative to typical power generation systems and hydrogen production systems. Peak Power Option: Can use hydrogen in load following fuel cell to back up intermittent wind and solar applications and support smart grid. Availability: Renewable demonstration at OCSD began 2011. Available for early adopters 2012.

Hydrogen Energy Station Vision - High-Efficiency and Renewable Renewable Neighborhoo ds

H 2 Energy and Fue ling Station

Farms Bioga s Power He at He at

H2
Feedst ock Gene ra tion

H 2/CNG

Business es
Brewery L au ndry

Diges ter Ga s Landfill Gas Agricultural Waste s P yrolysis Products Bio-Syngas / Syngas V eget able Oils / Oils O ther Met hane Sourc es

Co-product Co-product

SO DFC300 DFC1500 X DFC300NO XDFC1500

Power, kW 250 Power, 250 Av eragekW US F oss il Fu el Hydrogen, kg/day 125 Plant Hydrogen, kg/day 125 Heat, mmBtu/hr 0.5 Micr otur bin e (60 kW ) 0.5 Heat, mmBtu/hr Refueling Capacity Sm all Gas Tur bine ( 250 k W ) Cars, 4.2 kg/day 30

(lb /M W h)

( lb/M W h) 1,000 4.200 1,000 9.21 500

CO2 DFC3000 DFC3000 (l b/M W h)

2,000 2,000 2,017 1,000

500 2.0

0.490 0.467 0.016 0.016

2.0

1,000
4.0

0 0 0

1,862 4.0 1,244 240

Bioga s H ydrogen Powe r He at

Peaker Capacity

120

Buses, 25 kg/day Peak (8el hrs/day) , kw DFC Power F uel C l Fork kg/day 47% Lifts, effi ci2.1 en cy

500
60 500

2,000
240

20

4,000 967
480

40

FuelCell Energy

DFC F uel C el Hybrid, l Plug-in Battery Fuel Cell Cars, 0.5 kg/day CHP 80% eff icien cy 12 kWh/day

Refueling Capacity

2,000 0

545 4,000

300

1,200

2,400

SUMMARY: One critical challenge of the developing hydrogen economy is finding a cost effective roll-out strategy for the hydrogen fueling infrastructure concurrent with the deployment of hydrogen vehicles. To meet this challenge, distributed generation of hydrogen has been proposed as a potential solution. However, the low-volume hydrogen requirements in the early years of the hydrogen economy make stand-alone, distributed hydrogen generators uneconomical due to under-utilization. The solution to this stranded asset problem is the use of hydrogen energy stations that co-produce electricity and thermal energy, which provide base-load revenue until the hydrogen volumes reach full capacity. The most promising station concept uses hightemperature fuel cells which utilize a diversity of fuels, including digester gas, natural gas, landfill gas and syngas. These stations are projected to meet the United States Department of Energy's (DOEs) hydrogen cost targets.
This DOE-sponsored technology represents the first of a kind implementation of an economically-viable renewable hydrogen generator in the United States. It serves as the model for additional facilities at many other amenable locations across the United States and throughout the world.

FAQs: 1. What is the innovative technology? Technology is a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) integrated with a hydrogen purifier and anaerobic digester that co-produces renewable power and hydrogen. It works by producing power and reforming hydrocarbons simultaneously. The resulting effluent from the fuel cell contains syngas, which is purified into hydrogen. Fuel cell process heat can be used to provide heating or cooling for other processes and facilities. The technology is an energy efficient and environmentally responsible strategy for the 24/7 generation of clean and green hydrogen and power from a renewable resource.

DFC Fuel Cell

APCI PSA Unit

(Pressure Swing Adsorption)

APCI Compressor APCI H2 Storage

DFC EBOP
(Electrical Balance of Plant)

H2 Booster DFC MBOP

(Mechanical Balance of Plant)

Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Production Units at OCSD

Over 1,500,000 kWh and 20,000 lbs H2 produced to date.

2. How does it differ from commercially available technology? Function Fuel cells have never before been designed to produce a stream of purified hydrogen. Hydrogen is typically produced from natural gas via Reformer technology, whereas the proposed technology produces H2 from digester gas internally in a high temperature fuel cell. Hydrogen is typically recovered from H2-rich streams; the proposed technology recovers H2 from a dilute offgas from the fuel cell. Cost This system is very cost efficient because the feed to the hydrogen purifier is low value fuel cell waste gas and is produced without the need (and capital expense) of a separate steam methane reformer. This allows for economic production of hydrogen at small, distributed scale. Range of Applicability This technology can be used with any methane rich feedstock: natural gas, digester gas, landfill gas, synthetic natural gas (via biomass, municipal solid waste or coal). These systems can support the growth of the hydrogen fueling station network, reducing dependence on imported oil used by gasoline fueling stations and power stations with access to hydrocarbon feedstocks. Market potential also exists with industrial users: steel, other metals, glass, electronics, chemicals and vegetable oil.
Renewable HES Fact Sheet Sept 12