Fuel cell home generator project, South Africa
Name and Location
Fuel cell home generator project, Free State, South Africa.
Client
Ballard Power Systems and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats).
Project Description
The project involves a field trial of a methanol-fuelled home generator system in an off-grid residential application.
The trial is using Ballard’s commercially proven 5 kW ElectraGen-ME fuel cell system, integrated by Amplats into a complete prototype off-grid solution, including a battery bank and inverter, operating within a microgrid.
The system is designed to provide 15 kW of fuel-cell-generated electric power and can generate peak power of 70 kW with the support of batteries.
This configuration will power the 34 rural homes in the Naledi Trust community, in the southern part of the Fezile Dabi district of the Free State. Monthly delivery of liquid methanol fuel to an external storage tank will enable the provision of uninterrupted primary power to these homes.
The field trial is intended to validate technical and operating requirements of a home generator product for off-grid applications in South Africa.
Other important factors also being assessed include the logistics of fuel delivery, rural consumer electricity use patterns, as well as ongoing product maintenance requirements.
In parallel with the 12-month field trial, ongoing development work at Ballard will continue on a new lower-cost methanol fuel reformer and a longer-life fuel cell stack for a commercial version of the home generator, under a product development agreement signed with Amplats and announced in 2012.
Value
Not stated.
Duration
Twelve months.
Latest Developments
Ballard and Amplats launched the field trial in August.
Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.
On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Ballard Power Systems, Guy McAree, tel +1 604 412 7919 or email media@ballard.com or
investors@ballard.com.
Amplats corporate communications, Mpumi Sithole, tel +27 11 373 6246 or email Mpumi.sithole@angloamerican.com.
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