Alkaline Fuel Cell Power announces Jupiter 1.0
Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp., announced that its wholly owned Belgium subsidiary, Fuel Cell Power NV (“FCP NV”), has launched the prototype of its micro-combined heat and power (“CHP”) fuel cell, named Jupiter 1.0.
“Alkaline Fuel Cell Power is proud to present the prototype of our fuel cell system for homes and small buildings – Jupiter 1.0,” stated Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of PWWR. “The Jupiter 1.0 prototype will be piloted with select strategic partners to demonstrate the advantages of delivering green hydrogen to homes and small buildings, globally. We thank staff for their dedication and effort to complete this important milestone on time.”
The planet Jupiter is made up of roughly 90% hydrogen, and similarly, this PWWR fuel cell converts hydrogen to heat and electricity at approximately 90% efficiency. Jupiter 1.0 is built to supply power during peak demand periods and serves as a back-up when required for homes and small buildings.
Jupiter 1.0 has successfully demonstrated its capabilities by powering several appliances and providing hot water within the Company’s Belgian facility. At capacity, Jupiter 1.0 is expected to deliver approximately 7kW for the first hour of use, with a 4kW electrical output afterward representing approximately 3.2 kWh equivalent in heating output. The use of internal batteries enables Jupiter 1.0 to deliver higher peak power when called upon in the first hour of use. Over the coming months, additional enhancements will be made to the system prior to submission for CE-certification (a regulatory standard that verifies certain products are safe for sale and use in the European Economic Area) and prior to pilot projects.
PWWR has been working to optimize innovation for hydrogen-powered fuel cells that operate in an alkaline environment, which offer meaningful cost benefits. Such technology, and therefore Jupiter 1.0, requires fewer components compared to conventional fuel cells and also eliminates the need for expensive, precious metals such as platinum which have traditionally been required in the electrodes. PWWR’s systems will therefore be more cost-effective to build and offer a competitive advantage over existing fuel cells. Jupiter 1.0 is currently stationed in the FCP NV plant in Belgium.
As announced on September 20, 2022 and November 22, 2022, PWWR is in the process of negotiating two pilot projects which will demonstrate the mutual technologies and business cases with the use of hydrogen extraction from natural gas pipelines, and the use of ammonia converted to hydrogen as a back-up power solution for remote sites. PWWR, in coordination with its partners, continues to narrow down sites for these pilots, and will provide ongoing updates as developments are confirmed.
With the launch of Jupiter 1.0, PWWR moves into a more strategic focus on the completion of prototypes for CE-certification and deployment in pilot projects. Jo Verstappen, Managing Director of FCP NV has resigned in his role. The Company offers its gratitude and appreciation for his guidance to launch the prototype. Frank Carnevale, Chief Executive Officer of Alkaline Fuel Cell Power Corp, has assumed management of FCP NV, and is actively reviewing and developing the commercialization strategies and tactics to bring Jupiter 1.0 and fuel cell generator to markets, globally.
