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Biomass-derived syngas to power hydrogen fuel cell

Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of a 175 kilowatt ClearGen™ distributed generation fuel cell system to the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe of Humboldt County, California. The fuel cell system will be integrated with a biomass gasifier and syngas purification unit to form an integrated biomass-to-fuel cell power solution. The system will be the first of its kind, with the potential to double the efficiency of biomass-to-power generation.
“Biomass-to-fuel cell power is an excellent match for our community and our region, and we see tremendous potential for deployments beyond our own facilities,” said Arla Ramsey, the Tribe’s vice chairperson.
The system will convert locally-grown timber by-product feedstock into hydrogen-rich syngas, using pyrolysis gasification technology. This syngas will then be purified, resulting in a high quality hydrogen stream, which will be used to power the ClearGen fuel cell system. The plant will provide base load power for the Tribe’s commercial enterprises and by-product heat will be used to warm the swimming pool in an adjacent hotel.
“Using biomass to produce hydrogen is an important enabler for distributed generation applications,” said Larry Stapleton, vice-president of sales, Ballard Power Systems. “This initial installation will demonstrate a renewable, high efficiency, low emission solution that is cost competitive today in communities relying on diesel generators.”
Based in Vancouver, Ballard Power Systems provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications.