Ceramic Fuel Cells::::::a crowded marketplace?

got in as well today

it's not just the micro-CHP story, but also the zircon powder plant:

from the aussie board (Dec 16):

"We also saw the Zircon Powder plant ready to be shipped to a factory they are setting up in the UK. This was announced earlier this year and should be operational in April 2007. The Zircon Powder also has uses in other industries and hence there is a an oportunity for this plant to bring in revenue through the sale of the powder to third parties.

I think the announcement of the Zircon Power plant, Fuel Cell Factory in Germany and the overnight announcement of the product development agreement with Gaz de France shows the commercialisation is now full stream ahead and there should be good things happening over the next few years."

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and another post from Dec 17 (about the potential of the m-CHP business):

I think you are looking at the product purely as electrical generation.

What its really about is energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction and decentralised electricity.

The fuel cell as purely an electrical generator is more efficient than today's more efficient Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) found in some power plants around Australia. Ceramic Fuel Cells are aiming at 50 to 60% electrical efficiency. Then in a centralized model, you have losses in the transmission grid. With Fuel Cells, they will be installed in the home close to where the power will be used. Gas can be stored, electricity is harder.

However where the real advantages come in is with CHP (Combined Heat Power). When the fuel cell converts the Natural Gas into electricity, it will also produce heat. This heat can be used for other applications such as water or room heating and further increases the overall system efficiency.

CFU's main market is Europe where cold winters see a boiler unit in the basement running 24 hours a day all winter to keep the house warm. This is why they are targeting condenser boiler appliance makers. So you get electrical power, and the heat is practically free. The UK and parts of Europe are also very much more in tune with greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency. They have mandates and targets in for low emission housing and significant energy reduction targets.

Regarding who will buy them, the current indication from the market is the utilities would. EWE in Germany is trialling over ten MicroCHP units, and the announcement from Gaz De France demonstrates great interest from the major French utility.

What the utilities plan to do is purchase the CHP units, install them into customer's basements, but retain ownership. The utility (e.g. Gaz De France) will run the units on their own wholesale gas, while selling the Heat and Electricity to the end users. So the customer will have no upfront capital costs - in fact they don't even need to worry about buying a condensing boiler. They just buy heat and electricity.

The utilities gain a decentralised grid with less transmission infrastructure and greater efficiency. The other thing the utilities have their eye's on is grid stabilization. They will control all these decentralised units installed into peoples homes and have the ability to export extra power into the grid in area's where it is needed. Apparently the utilities have already got models of this scenario.