Alkaline fuel cell for UK chemical plant

London – AFC Energy has commenced a joint project with Industrial Chemicals Ltd (ICL) to install an alkaline fuel cell at a chlor-alkali facility in the UK and generate electricity from by-product hydrogen. The project will see AFC take ICL’s hydrogen and sell the electricity generated under long-term contracts.

Initially, the chlor-alkali plant in Essex will operate using AFC’s Beta Plus System, operating at a few tens of kW, but the partners eventually expect to develop a 1 MWe system at the site. This, said AFC, would make it the largest fuel cell installation in the UK and potentially the largest alkaline fuel cell installation in the world.

The installation of the Beta Plus System is planned for later in 2012, but both companies are actively seeking grants from UK and European funding bodies to accelerate the demonstration of the large-scale fuel cell system.

Working with ICL in this commercial-scale development will put British fuel cell technology and innovation on a global stage, according to Ian Williamson, AFC’s chief executive officer. AFC Energy and ICL, he said. will seek funding from various agencies and bodies to accelerate the planned installation.

“The UK and Europe are lagging behind the USA and Korea in their support for base load power from fuel cell technology,” said Williamson. “This clean energy opportunity would enable a European technology to demonstrate cost effectiveness compared with other forms of power generation.

“Globally around 1.4 million metric tonnes of hydrogen is produced by the chlor-alkali industry alone of which 15% is vented or flared when our technology could readily help the environment as well as create economic value.”

Alongside the development of a new chlor-alkali facility, ICL has reviewed a number of fuel cell systems and other technologies that could be used to generate electrical power from the hydrogen that is produced as part of the chlor-alkali process.

Darren Sharpe, energy projects manager of ICL, said: “We have been impressed with the potential of AFC Energy’s alkaline fuel cell system, the suitability of the system to operate with the chlor-alkali process, the focus on commercial economics and the sheer pace of development we have witnessed at AFC Energy to further the capabilities of their fuel cell technology.

“The prospect of developing a fuel cell capable of producing 1MWe of clean electrical power from hydrogen that would otherwise be waste from the chlor-alkali process is exciting in terms of technology advancement together with commercial savings on energy cost, distribution and supplier charges … we hope that between us we can secure grant funding to accelerate the commercial demonstration of this technology.”