Nov. 13, 2014: WATT Fuel Cell Opens New Facility in Mt. Pleasant, Pa.
Opening Follows Its Acquisition of Pittsburgh Electric Engines Inc.
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — WATT Fuel Cell Corp., a developer and manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components and systems, held a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening event at its new facility in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. The grand opening followed WATT’s acquisition this past April of Mt. Pleasant-based tubular SOFC developer Pittsburgh Electric Engines Inc. (PEEI), which combined both companies’ fuel cell technologies and personnel into a single entity.
The event was attended by dignitaries at the local, state, and national level, including U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pennsylvania. A member of the House Energy and Environment Committee and founder of the House Caucus on Natural Gas, Murphy addressed the importance of bringing alternative energy technologies, including SOFCs, to wide-scale commercialization.
“The availability of natural gas has become a driving economic force here in western Pennsylvania, and WATT’s SOFC technology, which can run on natural gas as well as several readily available fuel sources, aligns with the economic opportunities available in this region,” said Murphy. “WATT’s SOFCs provide one of the cleanest and most efficient means by which to employ natural gas for electric power generation, and the company’s new manufacturing operations in Mt. Pleasant will further strengthen the local economy.
“This fuel cell technology is not just something that will benefit the corporate, governmental, and industrial world,” continued Murphy. “It is also a clean, efficient, and affordable source of electricity for the average apartment dweller, homeowner, and even RV or boating enthusiast — not 10 to 20 years in the future, but now.”
“We are incredibly thrilled to be up and running here in our new Mt. Pleasant manufacturing facility, where we are scaling up SOFC production for near-term commercial availability,” said Dr. Caine Finnerty, WATT Fuel Cell’s CEO. “Here, WATT’s advanced manufacturing process, which provides a level of cost effectiveness that is unmatched in the industry, is being combined with PEEI’s 15-plus years of testing and technology development of tubular fuel cell solutions to create reliable, efficient, and accessibly priced energy solutions across a wide scope of power application demands.”
According to Finnerty, PEEI’s more than 37,000 hours of technology testing, combined with in excess of 23,000 hours of testing on WATT’s balance-of-plant (BoP) technology, facilitates the company’s strong position as it transitions into larger systems, which will be designed for applications including residential power and smaller-scale distributed generation. WATT develops SOFCs that operate on a variety of readily available fuel sources, such as propane, natural gas, and various other liquid and renewable fuels.
For more information, visit www.wattfuelcell.com.
Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS
Publication date: 11/10/2014
Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
