EBZ and staxera have agreed to a joint SOFC system development program, focusing on high electrical efficiency and based on steam reforming of natural gas. The commercial focus of this program is a 20 kW system with an electrical efficiency of between 50 and 60%. The basic design will also be used to develop other products such as systems which operate on biogas, sewage gas or landfill gas.

The first phase of the program involves the construction and testing of a system demonstrator based on a peak stack power of 3 kW, using two of staxera’s integrated stack modules (ISMs). The system demonstrator has been in operation since September 2009, and is at present using two of staxera's 1.1 kW ISMs. With this configuration the peak stack power has been measured at over 2 kW with an efficiency of 37 %_el, which matches expectations. The full design power of 3 kW will be demonstrated in 2010, when the 1.5 kW ISMs become available. The system is used to investigate the parallel operation of SOFC stack modules.

staxera will use this system demonstrator to analyze and characterize the performance and operation of the ISM when fuelled with steam-reformed natural gas and operated in a modular arrangement. Additionally, EBZ and staxera offer the system demonstrator as a commercial product, which provides customers with an ideal method of gaining SOFC experience in a system-relevant environment.

Next development steps will increase the power output of the stack module and the overall system power to 5 and 10 kW. In order to accelerate the development and marketing of the system, staxera and EBZ welcome other partners to join their cooperation.

The 20 – 50 kW power range is ideally suited for the following applications:

• Reliable residential power supply for apartment houses
• District heating and power generation
• Power supplies of small-scale industrial use
• Heat and power supply for hotels, swimming pools, hospitals
• Biogas and sewage gas conversion to electricity

In order to bring SOFC-based products to this markets, EBZ and staxera are looking for partners which are established in the power generation market and have a well funded ability to invest in new product lines.