Green Car Congress: Natural Resources Canada Selects Hydrogen Engine Center Genset for Wind/Hydrogen Project

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Natural Resources Canada Selects Hydrogen Engine Center Genset for Wind/Hydrogen Project

18 May 2006

Hydrogen Engine Center (HEC) has received a C$179,000 (US$161,211) order through its wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, Hydrogen Engine Center Canada, from Natural Resources Canada for a 250kW hydrogen-fueled genset.

Natural Resources Canada will integrate the genset into a wind/hydrogen project on Ramea Island off the southern coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Wind energy will generate electric power and hydrogen. Under slack wind conditions, the stored hydrogen will fuel the genset to produce electric power.

This reduces or eliminates the need to use fossil fuels to generate electric power when the wind is not blowing, thereby reducing operating costs and making wind projects of this kind environmentally clean.

The use of hydrogen in wind projects looks very promising for smoothing out the peaks and valleys in wind energy production. This demonstration of 4+1 250kW genset technology leads our participation in the booming wind power generation market. The use of 4+1 wind/hydrogen systems is the next logical step in improving energy delivery from environmentally friendly wind systems.

—Ted Hollinger, HEC president

The 4+1 genset design utilizes five hydrogen-fueled 4.9 liter internal combustion engines. Four of the engines work together to produce electric power and one is kept in reserve to ensure high reliability and easy maintenance. The whole system is controlled electronically by a proprietary controller designed by the Hydrogen Engine Center Canada.

HEC engineers, manufactures and sells spark-ignited internal combustion engines a set of internal combustion engines designed for use with hydrogen and other alternative fuels as well as gasoline. (Earlier post.)

May 18, 2006 in Canada, Engines, Hydrogen, Power Generation, Wind | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)