Helsinki, Finland [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] Finnish engineering group Wartsila will supply a fuel cell-based combined heat and power unit to the Vaasa Housing Fair site in Western Finland. The fuel cell power plant, which is based on planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology, is the first of its kind in the world according to the company.
Fueled by biogas from a nearby landfill, the Wartsila unit will initially produce approximately 20 kW of electricity and 14-17 kW of heat. The Vaasa Housing Fair, to be held between July 11 and August 10, 2008, is a pioneer in the implementation of energy production processes for a restricted area.
In addition to fuel cells, power and heat are produced with micro-turbines and from low-temperature heat collected from the sea bed using a geothermal heating pump. The technology development is supported by close collaboration with the Danish company Topsoe Fuel Cells A/S and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
