Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp. (NEO:PWWR.AQN) announced that its Belgium subsidiary, Fuel Cell Power NV (FCP NV), has launched the prototype of its micro combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell, named Jupiter 1.0.
The planet Jupiter is made up of roughly 90% hydrogen, and similarly, this PWWR fuel cell converts hydrogen to heat and electricity at approximately 90% efficiency, AFCP explained. Jupiter 1.0 is built to supply power during peak demand periods and serves as a backup when required for homes and small buildings, the company added.
"Alkaline Fuel Cell Power is proud to present the prototype of our fuel cell system for homes and small buildings - Jupiter 1.0," AFCP CEO Frank Carnevale, said in a statement. "The Jupiter 1.0 prototype will be piloted with select strategic partners to demonstrate the advantages of delivering green hydrogen to homes and small buildings, globally," he added.
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AFCP noted that Jupiter 1.0 has successfully demonstrated its capabilities by powering several appliances and providing hot water within the company's Belgian facility. At capacity, it said Jupiter 1.0 is expected to deliver around 7 kilowatts (kW) for the first hour of use, with a 4kW electrical output afterwards representing approximately 3.2 kWh equivalent in heating output. The use of internal batteries enables Jupiter 1.0 to deliver higher peak power when called upon in the first hour of use, it added.
Over the coming months, it said additional enhancements will be made to the system before submission for CE certification, a regulatory standard that verifies certain products are safe for sale and use in the European Economic Area, and before pilot projects.
AFCP said it has been working to optimize innovation for hydrogen-powered fuel cells that operate in an alkaline environment, which offer meaningful cost benefits.
This technology, including Jupiter 1.0, requires fewer components compared to conventional fuel cells and also eliminates the need for expensive, precious metals such as platinum which have traditionally been required in the electrodes. As a result, it said its systems will be more cost-effective to build and offer a competitive advantage over existing fuel cells.
Pilot projects
The company said it is in the process of negotiating two pilot projects which will demonstrate the mutual technologies and business cases with the use of hydrogen extraction from natural gas pipelines, and the use of ammonia converted to hydrogen as a backup power solution for remote sites.
In coordination with its partners, AFCP said it continues to narrow down sites for these pilots and will provide ongoing updates as developments are confirmed.
With the launch of Jupiter 1.0, the company said it is moving into a more strategic focus on the completion of prototypes for CE certification and deployment in pilot projects. Jo Verstappen, managing director of FCP NV has resigned from his role and Carnevale has assumed management of the subsidiary company, where he is actively reviewing and developing the commercialization strategies and tactics to bring Jupiter 1.0 and fuel cell generator to markets, globally.
AFCP offers a diversified growth platform for investors through the development of affordable, renewable, and reliable energy assets and cleantech. Its portfolio includes stable revenue streams from energy-efficient and cost-effective PWWR Flow combined heat and power (CHP) assets, along with a future-forward vision to commercialize its micro-CHP systems and off-grid and backup power generators based on advanced alkaline fuel cell technology that generates zero CO2 emissions.
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