Europe’s first megawatt industrial fuel cell power plant

lweb.es/f1446 10.2.2016

electricity, Europe, Fuel, Power

iconOEF REVIEW:The first European fuel cell of megawatt size is now operating in Germany. Contrary to conventional power plants, this energy solution delivers heat and electricity virtually absent of pollutants. It will provide clean energy for the production processes of materials specialist FRIATEC. It has a capacity of 1.4 megawatts.In terms of technology and environmental protection, fuel cells represent a promising alternative to conventional combined heat and power plants. They generate power in a non-combustion process which is virtually absent of pollutants. By using this fuel cell, FRIATEC will be able to reduce its CO2 emissions by approximately 3,000 tons per year. Karsten Wildberger, a member of the E.ON SE Board of Directors, adds: “Fuel cells are one of the key technologies for the clean energy world of tomorrow.”

First wave-produced electricity in US goes online in Hawaii

lweb.es/f1444 10.2.2016

electricity, English, Power, USA

iconOEF REVIEW:The first wave-produced electricity in the US goes​ online in Hawaii. The ocean packs enough power to meet a quarter of America’s energy needs and reduce the nation’s reliance on oil, gas and coal. But wave energy technology lags behind wind and solar power, with important technical hurdles still to be overcome. Both the solar and wind industries received substantial government investment and tax credits that helped them become energy sources cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels. Wave energy test sites run by other researchers are being planned in Oregon and California. One of those projects, Cal Wave, run by California Polytechnic State University, hopes to provide utility-scale power to Vandenberg Air Force Base. But while the U.S. government and military have put about $334 million into marine energy research over the last decade, Britain and the rest of Europe have invested more than $1 billion, according to the Marine Energy Council.