Fuel cells v. solar: Battle for the top spot
October 26, 2015 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is embarking on a massive clean energy project that can power as many as 71,500 Korean homes using fuel cells.
KHNP, Korea's largest utility, and Busan, Korea's second largest city, will share ownership of the fuel cells -- and will provide power to the homes. KHNP, a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), operates large nuclear and hydroelectric plants in South Korea, which are responsible for about 40 percent of the country's electric power supply. Korea and the United States are world leaders in fuel cell energy use, a trend that is only being reinforced by this most recent project. The fuel cell project will produce 30.8 MW of clean energy and heat to power a new residential complex in Busan, South Korea. "The Busan Green Energy Project illustrates how companies can collaborate to create and implement a plan that minimizes harmful greenhouse gas emissions and moderates everyday energy costs," said Jeff Chung, president and CEO, Doosan who manufactured and shipped the 70 fuel cells in conjunction with Samsung C&T Corp. "We've developed the largest urban fuel cell site in Korea and the largest PAFC (phosphoric acid fuel cell) generation project in the world, reinforcing the fact that fuel cells are the premier clean energy alternative in large cities." All utility companies in South Korea must adhere to a renewable portfolio standard (similar to government mandates in 29 U.S. states), which establish regulations for clean energy integration throughout the country. As such, there is a growing acceptance of fuel cells, which produce power through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen with no combustion and near-zero air emissions. Korean utilities are finding that fuel cells are a low land use, high-energy option compared to traditional renewable solutions, including wind and solar. "This project is a landmark agreement for Doosan in terms of size, power output and partnership," said Chung, who has led Doosan Fuel Cell since the company opened its doors in July 2014. "For the past 15 months, we've been investing in our production facility to expand capacity, which allows us to manufacture power plants in a short timeframe…The power plants will be installed on a multi-story structure that will occupy less than one acre in Busan -- compared to solar panels requiring over 231 acres to generate the same amount of power." Fuel cell delivery is expected by August 2016 and the project should be live by February 2017. For more: © 2015 FierceMarkets, a division of Questex, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.smartgridnews.com/story/fuel-cells-v-solar-battle-top-spot/2015-10-26 |