FuelCell Energy Establishes Worldwide Marketing and Distribution Agreement with The Linde Group
FuelCell Energy, Inc. announced the formation of a marketing and distribution agreement with the Linde Group. Under terms of the agreement, which goes into effect immediately, Linde gains the non-exclusive right to sell and market Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plants worldwide except where FuelCell Energy already has granted exclusive distribution agreements.
Linde will focus initially on DFC opportunities in North America that fit into its overall strategy of developing sustainable energy solutions and providing low-carbon distributed generation solutions to industrial, commercial and governmental customers, with longer term plans to leverage this relationship into other geographies where Linde has market leadership.
In the United States, Linde expects to market fuel cell power plants that operate on biogas, which qualify as renewable energy sources. DFC units can run on any hydrocarbon fuel source, including renewables like ethanol, anaerobic digester gas (generated in wastewater treatment) and other biofuels, as well as propane and methane. A third of FuelCell Energy's currently installed or backlog units rely on biofuels or renewables like anaerobic digester gas.
"Linde is committed to renewable energy," said Bruce Ludemann, FuelCell Energy's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "By partnering with them we greatly extend our reach on a global scale, into new markets where we haven't previously had distribution channels. With Linde's vast experience in gas processing, we can work together toward opening many new markets using renewable fuels."
John Carolin, Deputy Head of Innovation Management for The Linde Group, added, "Creating new options for renewable fuels and fuel cell power generation, with a leader in fuel cell manufacturing like FuelCell Energy, allows Linde to match our competencies in gas processing and handling with our desire to make a significant contribution to the sustainable energy arena. As a leading player in the development of the hydrogen economy, we see developments in these areas as extremely complementary to our overall strategy in the area of sustainable energy solutions."
