Nuvera Fuel Cell Inc. (Cambridge, MA) and RWE Plus AG (Germany) announced that they will form a joint venture to develop and distribute fuel-cell systems in Europe. The partners plan to develop, manufacture and sell combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell systems with an electrical output of up to 50kW for use in residential and small commercial power applications. The joint venture aims to commercialize the new products by 2004 and will sell broadly to all utilities and customers, although RWE Plus will be a preferred customer of the new entity.
The joint venture, which is on an exclusive basis, will focus on PEM fuel-cell systems that can operate on natural gas and propane, among other fuels but excluding hydrogen. Field tests aimed at system optimization are planned in Germany starting mid-2002. Moreover, the partners will investigate other applications, such as telecommunications.
“Our vision remains focused on meeting today’s growing global energy demands,” commented Mark Brodsky, president and CEO of Nuvera. “Through our partnership with RWE, we aim to expand our technical knowledge base and increase our ability to distribute CHP fuel cell systems in Europe to meet the rapidly increasing consumer need for clean, efficient, distributed power. RWE’s focus on energy and the environment strategically fits into our goal to provide reliable electricity to single-family homes and small businesses around the world.”
