DCH Ships 5kW Fuel Cell System to Major European Utility
7 Jan 2002, 00:01am ET
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/FROM PR NEWSWIRE LOS ANGELES 213-626-5500/ [STK] DCH [IN] OIL CHM UTI [SU] TO BUSINESS AND ENERGY EDITORS:
DCH Ships 5kW Fuel Cell System to Major European Utility
VALENCIA, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- DCH Technology, Inc. (AMEX:DCH), a manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-specific sensors and provider of hydrogen safety services, announced it has shipped a natural gas-fueled 5 kW fuel cell system to a major European electric utility -- one of the world's leading energy suppliers.
The utility, which has asked to remain anonymous, will use the DCH Enable(TM) proton exchange membrane (PEM) system to validate DCH fuel cells for use as power quality systems and, when tied to the grid, as an option for a clean distributed power generation resource. The system will be installed next month.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) worked with the European utility, a member of EPRI, and DCH to develop the equipment specification and to select key sub-systems such as the ultra-capacitor for load buffering. EPRI performance-tested the unit prior to shipping and provided overall project management to help accelerate product development.
Prior laboratory testing of a DCH 3 kW hydrogen fuel cell system at EPRI PEAC, EPRI's power quality testing laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee, showed exceptional response times to varying load conditions -- on the order of 250 microseconds -- which is the most critical parameter for a power quality system. The 5kW DCH system with natural gas reformer can be used as a power source for an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) or an adjustable-speed drive. It is approximately 50% more efficient in fuel-to-electricity conversion than an internal combustion engine generator. The system is available with a variety of output voltage options that allow it to operate in parallel with the grid or separate from the grid.
"Traditionally, power quality disturbances have been solved through the use of UPS systems based on battery banks with engine generator backup. To assure reliability of these systems, regular maintenance of the battery and engine generator systems is essential," said Bill Winnerling, EPRI Power Quality Technical Area Manager. "Advanced systems like the DCH Enable(TM) PEM fuel cell could offer performance advantages over these traditional approaches, combining both power conditioning and long-term back up in one low-maintenance package. Performance testing will continue to prove the viability of this technology as a power quality solution."
"DCH is strategically focused on developing PEM fuel cells specifically for those applications and markets that will be the first adopters of the technology, with the electric utility industry a prime target," said John Donohue, DCH President and Chief Executive Officer. "Industry experts report that more than $600 billion (USD) will be invested worldwide over the next 20 years into the aging electric utility infrastructure. A sizable portion of this investment will fund new alternative energy generating scenarios that include fuel cell systems.
"The customer for this latest DCH system is a very high-profile electric utility, and we believe its evaluation of our technology will help us forge a long-term relationship as well as penetrate other major players in the industry."
EPRI, headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., was established in 1973 as a center for public interest energy and environmental research. EPRI's collaborative science and technology development program now spans nearly every area of power generation, delivery and use. More than 1,000 energy organizations and public institutions in 40 countries draw on EPRI's global network of technical and business expertise. By providing utilities with a technical understanding of the performance and application of advanced fuel cell and ultracapacitors, EPRI is enabling utilities to better serve numerous key customer segments.
For additional information, please contact Investor Relations at 661-775-4380 or at invest@dcht.com. Web page: www.dcht.com.
Safe Harbor: This press release includes statements that are considered "forward-looking" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect DCH Technology's current views about future events and performance. Investors should not rely on these statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to, the cost of development and market acceptance of DCH's sensor-based systems and fuel cells, competition, the cost and availability of materials, governmental regulations, and other factors detailed in DCH Technology's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
