FuelCell Energy announces fuel cell power plant service agreement with Switzerland-based electric utility

FuelCell Energy, a global leader in the design, manufacture, operation and service of ultra-clean, efficient and reliable fuel cell powerplants, today announced that FuelCell Energy Solutions, GmbH has entered into a multi-year service agreement for a stationary fuel cell power plant owned by Elektrizitaetswerke Zurich (ewz), an electric utility company in Switzerland. FuelCell Energy Solutions (FCES) will operate and maintain the power plant in close collaboration with ewz and will supervise the plant from a European-based operations center that is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ewz is among the largest energy utility companies in Switzerland and is a supplier of electricity for the city of Zurich as well as parts of the canton Graubunden since 1892. As a utility, ewz pursues and is actively involved in the development of new technologies for distributed power generation. "This fuel cell power plant operating since November 2010 is the first carbonate fuel cell installation utilized in Switzerland," said Marcel Frei, Director, Elektrizitaetswerke Zurich. "We want to be the leading utility in Switzerland with a clear leading position in ecology and energy efficiency. We are demonstrating our strong motivation to invest in new technologies and in new renewable energy with this fuel cell power plant. We are performing an assessment of this carbonate fuel cell power plant to evaluate the electricity and heat output, the operating costs and the integration with the gas network for the fuel supply." FCES will service the existing plant including the scheduled replacement of the fuel cell stack during the ten year term of the service agreement. Stationary fuel cell power plants are fuel flexible, capable of operating on natural gas or renewable biogas. The power plants provide continuous baseload power and can be sited where the power is used, including both on-site applications and electric grid support. The combination of near-zero pollutants, modest land-use needs, and quiet operating nature of these stationary fuel cell power plants facilitates their siting in urban locations. FuelCell Energy Solutions