Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) reports that Nippon Oil Corporation (NOC) will begin installation of 1 kW kerosene-fueled residential fuel cell cogeneration units in Japan. From March 2006 to March 2007, NOC will place up to 100 units in homes in and around the Tokyo, Hokkaido, Tohoku and Hokuriku regions. The units (all of which EBARA BALLARD Corporation (EBC) expects to supply) incorporate Ballard’s Mark 1030 fuel cell stack in a system developed by EBC that utilizes fuel processing technology developed by NOC.
More than 30% of Japanese households use kerosene, a fuel that is popular in areas where natural gas is not readily available. “The addition of this new kerosene option allows fuel cell technology to reach a broader spectrum of the Japanese residential market,” said Noordin Nanji, Ballard’s Vice President Marketing & Business Development. “With natural gas-fueled units already commercially available, Nippon Oil’s kerosene units will serve to underline the flexibility of Ballard fuel cells in meeting the differing fuel requirements for Japanese residential cogeneration applications.”
Cogeneration systems are installed directly at consumers’ homes and simultaneously generate electricity and hot water. The unique value proposition of fuel cell powered cogeneration for the Japanese market is that it reduces dependency on grid-based power in a country with some of the world’s highest electricity rates. Customers save money and the fuel cell technology supports the government’s Kyoto Accord commitment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40% compared to conventional electric generation using fossil fuels.
The Japanese government is very focused on its energy policy and in providing product introduction subsidies and support for alternative energy technologies. In 2005 alone, US$26 million in product introduction subsidies are slated for the installation of 480 fuel cell cogeneration systems.
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