PRESS RELEASE Power Generation

Biogas fuel cell for automotive supplier from mtu Onsite Energy

Posted on December 16, 2009

Automotive supplier Reich GmbH based in Mellrichstadt in Bavaria has ordered a fuel cell plant from Tognum subsidiary MTU Onsite Energy GmbH Fuel Cell Systems in Ottobrunn.

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HotModule fuel cell plant from mtu Onsite Energy JPG, 115 KB

Während der Produktionszeit wird die Kühlung der hoch präzisen Fertigungsmaschinen der Firma Reich aus Mellrichstadt über eine Absorptionskältemaschine, die Energie aus der 400° C heißen Abluft entzieht, betrieben. Wird nicht produziert, speist man über groß dimensionierte Puffertanks in das Heizsystem der Firma ein. During production, the precision manufacturing plant of the Reich company in Mellrichstadt is cooled by an absorption refrigerator which utilizes the 400°C exhaust air coming from the fuel cell. When production is not taking place, the energy is fed into large buffer tanks for heating the factory. JPG, 328 KB

Am Produktionsstandort Mellrichstadt des Automobilzulieferers und Kugellagerherstellers Reich GmbH wird ab 2010 eine mtu-Onsite-Energy-Brennstoffzellenanlage HotModule Strom, Wärme und Kälte erzeugen. On the Mellrichstadt site of automotive supplier and ball bearing manufacturer Reich GmbH, an mtu Onsite Energy HotModule fuel cell will go into service in 2010 for producing electric power, heat and cooling. JPG, 755 KB

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  • Regenerative energy to produce electric power, heat and cooling
  • Base load: cooling systems for production machinery
  • Clean and efficient energy generation

Ottobrunn, 16 December 2009. Automotive supplier Reich GmbH based in Mellrichstadt in Bavaria has ordered a fuel cell plant from Tognum subsidiary MTU Onsite Energy GmbH Fuel Cell Systems in Ottobrunn. Scheduled to go into service in autumn 2010, the HotModule HM400 high temperature fuel cell is to use biogas to produce electric power, heat and cooling for industrial operations. Reich is a manufacturer of precision automotive parts and special ball bearings for the automobile and engineering industries. The medium-sized company counts Bosch, ZF Friedrichshafen and Continental among its customers.
The HotModule has an electrical output of 345 kW and a thermal output of 220 kW. The heat generated is around 400°C and the majority of it is used by Reich for powering an absorption refrigerator to cool their production machinery. It is also used to heat the factory building. Carbonate fuel cells are ideally suited for base loads of this kind, since their high potential efficiency is best realized in continuous operation and in situations where a high proportion of the heat produced is re-circulated, for example, for refrigeration. Any power surpluses are fed by Reich into the public power grid.
The fuel gas is biogas from a corn silage biogas plant in the vicinity, which means that electric power, heat and cooling are produced virtually without CO2 emissions. Furthermore, exhaust air from the fuel cell contains almost no pollutants. Karl-Hermann Reich, executive partner of Reich GmbH, sees numerous advantages in choosing a regenerative fuel gas: “The HotModule is not only very clean and efficient, the fact that it is powered by biogas keeps us independent of fossil fuels. At the same time, we stimulate local business by using regionally produced biogas and working with municipal utility companies”. The automotive supplier and ball bearing manufacturer has ordered a fuel cell configuration which allows addition of another HotModule in the medium-term.