Within the framework of the co-operation agreement, ECN will install a pre-series system in its laboratories and test and analyse it for usability in Dutch households. The HXS 1000 Premiere can cover the basic electricity needs and the entire heat requirements of a typical Central European single-family home. The fuel cell generates 1 kW of electrical and 2.5 kW of thermal power. An auxiliary heater provides additional thermal power on demand.
The electric power and heat are generated in the cell stack, the heart of the fuel cell system. The cells for the specific system that will be delivered to the Netherlands are manufactured by InDEC and assembled by Sulzer Hexis with other components to form a cell stack. InDEC is an independent company that originated from ECN. Sulzer Hexis and ECN have been working together since 1994 in the area of cell development.
Apart from this co-operation with ECN, the following utility partners are currently testing the pre-series fuel cell system from Sulzer Hexis: EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Energie AG Oberösterreich and Oberösterreichische Ferngas AG in a working group, E.ON Energie AG, EWE AG, EWR Elektrizitätswerk Rheinhessen AG, Thyssengas GmbH and VNG – Verbundgasnetz AG.
Sulzer Hexis develops, produces and distributes fuel cell systems of the SOFC type (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) for the stationary generation of energy in single-family homes.
The Sulzer Corporation is comprised of the four core divisions Sulzer Metco (coating technologies and services), Sulzer Turbomachinery Services, Sulzer Pumps (including services), Sulzer Chemtech (process components and services) and the venture division Sulzer Hexis (fuel cell systems). Sales by the core divisions in 2001 totaled CHF 1875 million (in 2000: CHF 1603 million). The realigned Sulzer Corporation now employs about 10 000 people worldwide. |