UPS Systems completes fuel cell installation for the Environmental Energy Technology Centre

(22/10/2009)

The Environmental Energy Technology Centre (EETC) in Rotherham, is due to open in early 2010. Once complete its goal is to encourage the development and commercialisation of environmental energy technologies.

UPS Systems plc has completed the fuel cell installation for the EETC carbon-free building. UPS Systems has installed three 12kW Hydrogenics fuel cells into the Hydrogen Mini Grid System (HMGS), along with nine inverters, three 168Ahr batteries and supervisory software to control the system. Both the fuel cells and batteries have been mounted in matching racks to reduce the space they occupy and make the installation more aesthetically pleasing.

The HMGS has been developed by energy consultancy, TNEI Services Ltd and hydrogen specialists the Pure Energy Centre and is designed to produce and store ‘green’ hydrogen energy generated by a 225kW wind turbine to power the EETC and make it self sufficient.

UPS Systems Managing Director Tom Sperrey said, “The creation of the Hydrogen Mini Grid System is an exciting development for fuel cell technology. Generating hydrogen onsite through renewable energy sources such as wind helps to make fuel cells a greener solution. Although this is not the first fuel cell installation where we have had to integrate multiple sources of energy, it raised several new technical challenges that our fuel cell technical team successfully addressed.”

Dr Jason Stoyel, Technical Manager at TNEI and HMGS project manager said: “In putting together the team to deliver this ground breaking project, we wanted to work with companies that could deliver innovative solutions and systems. UPS Systems has not disappointed and with the installation of the fuel cell we are one step closer to on-site generation of ‘green’ hydrogen.”

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