Reducing our carbon footprint is widely acknowledged as one of modern society’s top priorities, as well as building a sustainable economy based on knowledge and innovation for enduring opportunities of development. Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) offer rich potential in these terms as a forward-looking and highly flexible way to reduce CO2 emissions providing more efficient and cleaner, greener energy, making use of both fossil and renewable sources. MCFCs are a key technology for stationary applications, especially in the size of hundreds to thousands of kilowatts, which is a very interesting power range in view of the increasing decentralization of energy supply and the increased need for high-quality power independent of the grid. After several years of research programs and extensive demonstration, MCFC-based systems are now appearing in commercial ventures of multiple megawatts, providing clean energy to commercial and small/mid-size industrial customers all over the world. Especially in this phase of early deployment, and with a view to stay at the forefront of smart solutions for the evolving energy paradigm, to improve the technology, increase reliability and reduce manufacturing costs, a lot of effort is still required from research and development to safeguard the relevancy and make real the enormous potential of MCFC solutions in the near and long-term future. The present report attempts to provide an accurate review of the current status of MCFC technology and deployment in the world. The basic principles will be introduced briefly and an overview of currently operational power plants will be set against a perspective of innovative system applications with great future market potential. The main stakeholders in this highly fertile field will be pointed out together with their core competences and contributions to the advancement of the technology.
Le celle a combustibile a carbonati fusi (MCFC) costituiscono un modo altamente flessibile, di ricco potenziale e di avanguardia per ridurre le emissioni CO2, fornendo energia più efficiente, più pulita e più verde, facendo uso sia di fonti fossili che rinnovabili. MCFC è una tecnologia chiave per le applicazioni stazionarie, in particolar modo nelle dimensioni d’impianto che vanno dalle centinaia alle migliaia di kilowatt, spettro assai interessante considerato che la fornitura di energia elettrica va sempre più decentralizzandosi, e considerando la necessità di crescente indipendenza dalla rete. Dopo diversi anni di ricerca e dimostrazione, i sistemi MCFC emergono ora come applicazioni commerciali dell’ordine dei megawatt, fornendo energia pulita a clienti distribuiti in tutto il mondo. Particolarmente in questa prima fase di diffusione – e per rimanere all’avanguardia delle soluzioni ad alto livello che caratterizzano il paradigma energetico in evoluzione, per migliorare la tecnologia, per aumentarne l’affidabilità e per ridurne i costi di produzione – il ruolo della ricerca e sviluppo rimane di fondamentale importanza, per concretizzare l’enorme potenziale delle soluzioni MCFC sia a breve che a lungo termine. In tale ottica questo rapporto, in lingua inglese, fornisce una rassegna aggiornata dello status della tecnologia MCFC e la sua diffusione nel mondo. Vengono presentati brevemente i principi di funzionamento, le centrali già in esercizio e la prospettiva delle applicazioni innovative del sistema con maggiore potenziale di mercato per il futuro. Gli attori principali del settore vengono indicati assieme alle loro competenze di base e ai loro contributi al progresso della tecnologia.
International Status of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells Technology 2015
Moreno, Angelo;Cigolotti, Viviana;Della Pietra, Massimiliano;McPhail, Stephen J.
2015-03-01
Abstract
Reducing our carbon footprint is widely acknowledged as one of modern society’s top priorities, as well as building a sustainable economy based on knowledge and innovation for enduring opportunities of development. Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) offer rich potential in these terms as a forward-looking and highly flexible way to reduce CO2 emissions providing more efficient and cleaner, greener energy, making use of both fossil and renewable sources. MCFCs are a key technology for stationary applications, especially in the size of hundreds to thousands of kilowatts, which is a very interesting power range in view of the increasing decentralization of energy supply and the increased need for high-quality power independent of the grid. After several years of research programs and extensive demonstration, MCFC-based systems are now appearing in commercial ventures of multiple megawatts, providing clean energy to commercial and small/mid-size industrial customers all over the world. Especially in this phase of early deployment, and with a view to stay at the forefront of smart solutions for the evolving energy paradigm, to improve the technology, increase reliability and reduce manufacturing costs, a lot of effort is still required from research and development to safeguard the relevancy and make real the enormous potential of MCFC solutions in the near and long-term future. The present report attempts to provide an accurate review of the current status of MCFC technology and deployment in the world. The basic principles will be introduced briefly and an overview of currently operational power plants will be set against a perspective of innovative system applications with great future market potential. The main stakeholders in this highly fertile field will be pointed out together with their core competences and contributions to the advancement of the technology.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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