FuelCell Energy to Demonstrate Tri-Generation Fuel Cell Utilizing Landfill Gas

FuelCell Energy Inc., Danbury, Conn., has announced a contract to demonstrate a tri-generation stationary fuel cell power plant near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, utilizing landfill gas as the fuel source. The landfill gas clean-up will be performed by Quadrogen Power Systems, Inc., the prime contractor, and the cleaned landfill gas will be used by the fuel cell power plant to generate multiple revenue streams, including ultra-clean electricity, usable high quality heat and renewable hydrogen. The heat in the form of hot water will be supplied to Village Farms, a leading hydroponic greenhouse operator in North America. Renewable hydrogen will also be exported for vehicle fueling or industrial applications.

"Part of our corporate strategy is to be highly sustainable and responsible steward of natural resources," says Jonathan Bos, development director, Village Farms International Inc. "We are excited to be participants in the fuel cell landfill gas project to ascertain its benefits both to our business by converting harmful waste gas into food grade carbon dioxide, as well as other business opportunities coming out of other value streams from the landfill waste gas."

"This technology will help greenhouse operators improve their competitiveness by making their operations more environmentally and economically sustainable through the use of biogas," says Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "We are proud to be a partner in these types of innovative energy solutions that increase the profitability of the agriculture sector."

"Partnering with FuelCell Energy combines our gas clean-up expertise with the tri-generation power output of the stationary fuel cells as we convert a harmful byproduct of landfills into multiple revenue streams," says Alakh Prasad, president and ceo, Quadrogen Power Systems Inc. "Cleaning landfill gas before it is used by the fuel cells represents unique challenges of removing impurities that can impact fuel cell performance as well as removing harmful organic chemicals which do not affect the fuel cells but can't be released to the atmosphere."

"This project provides our first opportunity to demonstrate the application of our Direct FuelCell technology with renewable landfill gas, in addition to advancing our hydrogen co-production technology," says Tony Leo, vice president, Application Engineering & Advanced Technology Development, FuelCell Energy Inc. "Landfill gas is a large potential market, which presents unique gas cleanup requirements. Our partner in this project, Quadrogen Power Systems, has developed an effective cleanup technology, as demonstrated by the high performance of their equipment at an existing hydrogen co-production fuel cell installation in California that is providing ultra-clean electricity and hydrogen for vehicle fueling from renewable biogas generated by a wastewater treatment plant." 

The landfill for the city of Vancouver, Canada, has an advanced gas collection system. Some of the gas is flared, wasting a potential fuel source and generating pollutants such as smog producing nitrogen oxide. Using the landfill gas to generate ultra-clean power converts a waste disposal problem into an environmentally friendly source of revenue. Power production is expected to commence in early 2014. A successful project demonstration could potentially lead to additional projects at this landfill as well as other landfills.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is investing in this project by providing a repayable contribution through the Government of Canada's Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, which aims to help the Canadian agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive. In British Columbia, this program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation.

Other project partners include Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), National Research Council of Canada (NRC), and BC Bioenergy Network.

Direct FuelCell^® (DFC^®) power plants are designed to generate continuous baseload power in a highly efficient and environmentally friendly process, according to the company. In light of the absence of combustion in the fuel cell power generation process, virtually no pollutants are emitted such as nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide or particulate matter (PM10), resulting in ultra-clean power generation. The power plants are fuel flexible, using readily available fuel sources such as natural gas, renewable biogas, directed biogas, or for this project, landfill gas. The electro-chemical power generation process does not utilize all of the hydrogen generated from the fuel source so the unused hydrogen can be used for other purposes such as vehicle fueling or industrial purposes, as this application will demonstrate, the company says. 

The high efficiency of the fuel cell power generation process results in low carbon emissions, particularly when compared to combustion-based power generation alternatives, says the company. Power generation from a fuel source such as landfill gas is typically considered carbon-neutral due to the renewable nature of the fuel source.
This project will include FuelCell Energy's solid-state electrochemical hydrogen separation and compression (EHSC) technology application, which efficiently and cost effectively purifies and compresses hydrogen for industrial uses or vehicle fueling.