Evaluation of a 40 kW Fuel Cell Power Plant

Hydro-Québec is evaluating at its Research Institute (IREQ) a 40 kW fuel cell power plant (FCCP) built by United Technologies and which incorporates some of the latest advances in the phosphoric acid technology. A series of tests were conducted on behalf of Bell Canada to characterize the FCPP technology and to assess its suitability for telecommunication applications (principally as a replacement of diesel power systems). The general conclusion is thac the technology has several interesting features but it does not have at this stage of pre-industrial development, a potential application in Bell Canada as a telecommunication powering system, mainly because of high cost and a lengthy start-up time.