FuelCell Energy, Inc., a manufacturer of high efficiency, ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels, has sold a 300-kilowatt (kW) DFC300 power plant to the U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) at Twentynine Palms, California, the largest U.S. training center in the world.
 
The Direct FuelCell(r) (DFC(r)) power plant will supply onsite baseload power for the MCAGCC's expanding electricity requirements and the fuel cell's surplus heat will be fed into the base's main steam line. FuelCell Energy's power plants are significantly more electrically efficient than other forms of distributed generation. At MCAGCC the DFC300 power plant can deliver up to 80 percent total efficiency because the fuel cell's byproduct heat is being used for hot water and space heating. This high efficiency means the power plant uses less fuel to make the same amount of energy - saving on power costs and significantly reducing carbon emissions.
 
Bill Foster, Vice President Government Business Development for FuelCell Energy, said: "The DFC300 power plant will be used to add 24/7, reliable electricity to the MCAGCC's grid while helping the U.S. Department of Defense meet its obligations to increase its energy efficiency and use more clean generation sources as set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Since fuel cells generate power electrochemically (without combustion), they produce near-zero emissions of NOX, SOX, and particulate matter."
 
With a population of more than 11,000, the MCAGCC has a significant need for secure, reliable power. Additionally, the base requires round-the-clock, dependable power for heating and cooling because the temperature ranges from 120 degrees F to 15 degrees F in its Mojave Desert location. DFC power plants meet these needs while also decreasing the base's carbon footprint.