Smart Fuel Cell Demonstration Project: A Challenge to Realize SOFC-Powered Campus

Based on various efforts, commercialization of fuel cell technologies has been just started in Japan. Energy Basic Plan in Japan has been revised where hydrogen is clearly stated as one of the important energy carriers. After this revision, roadmap for fuel cell and hydrogen technologies is established up to 2040. While more than 100,000 residential fuel cell units have been sold and the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles (FCV) has just been started, industrial fuel cells as distributed power systems will be commercialized probably from 2017. For such larger-scale stationary applications, SOFC is the promising technology.

 

In Kyushu University, “Smart Fuel Cell Demonstration Project” is going on where our University Campus will become a campus where fuel cell and hydrogen technologies are widely applied. While FCV, hydrogen fuelling station, and various residential fuel cells are in operation, installation of a few types of SOFC systems is going on, including a 250kW SOFC-MGT power generation system, 5kW SOFC cogeneration systems, and 1kW-class SOFC cogeneration units. These SOFC systems can cover ca. 5 % of the whole electricity demand of this university campus with a maximum electricity contract of 6000 kW. As shown in the Figure, the university campus will be a future energy society where SOFC is playing an important role as the efficient power generation system. The electric power generated from solar, wind, and SOFC will be displayed on the web site of our campus to improve the social acceptance of SOFC technologies. SOFC will act as a base power generator, while hydrogen refueling station will act as an energy storage station for the renewable electricity and FCV will be a zero-emission vehicle using CO₂-free hydrogen. Concept for future energy society will be discussed where SOFC will take a major role, based on our demonstration experiences.