AFC Energy Plc (LON:AFC), the company working the development of low-cost alkaline fuel cell technology, is supporting a project announced by B9 Coal, and its affiliate B9 Gas, to create a natural gas power station using revolutionary fuel cell technology. The project, which will incorporate up to 99% carbon capture, was announced in response to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) call for the application of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to natural gas to be included in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) CCS demonstration competition.
In late June, AFC reported that an alkaline fuel cell system had been successfully deployed and operated at Linc Energy's (ASX:LNC) underground coal gasification (UCG) demonstration facility in Chinchilla, Australia. Hydrogen produced from Linc Energy's UCG process is an ideal feedstock for AFC Energy's fuel cell systems. The deployment of AFC’s Alpha fuel cell system builds on an order and exclusivity agreement between Linc Energy, AFC and B9 Coal signed in December 2009. The relationship was instigated by B9 Coal which continues to lead the project and is actively pursuing opportunities for deploying these technologies in the UK.
Commenting today, B9 Gas director, Alisa Murphy, said: “We are offering a technically advanced solution to the problem of carbon emissions and climate change. The combination of natural gas with alkaline fuel cell technology will become a game-changing template for clean energy generation with carbon capture.”
B9 Gas intends to integrate the known technology of steam methane reforming (SMR) with AFC Energy's low-cost alkaline fuel cells to create a modular, on-demand, decarbonised power plant. The project will offer significant advantages over conventional natural gas power plants with turbines, primarily the ability to load follow by storing hydrogen to generate electricity during peak demand.
AFC Energy CEO, Ian Balchin, said: “The inclusion of AFC Energy's technology in this bid illustrates another deployment opportunity for our low cost alkaline fuel cell systems. Recognition of the value that AFC Energy's fuel cell systems will bring is gaining momentum with projects across a range of markets including the chlorine industry, waste to energy, clean coal gasification and now in conjunction with clean natural gas. Successful deployment with the B9 Gas project would demonstrate the huge technological leap that the fuel cell represents within the clean energy market.
There is some very advanced and interesting research on AFC here.
http://investorsclub.org.uk/index.php?page=Board&boardID=677
