DANBURY, Conn., Feb. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL) a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean, efficient and reliable fuel cell power plants, today announced the signing of a multi-year service agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to operate and maintain the 1.4 megawatt Direct FuelCell® power plant previously purchased and located at California State University – San Bernardino. FuelCell Energy will operate and maintain the power plant.
SCE will sell the ultra-clean electricity produced by the fuel cell power plant to the University under a power purchase agreement and will also provide the high-grade heat generated by the fuel cell to the University. The utility benefits with ultra-clean power generation that supports clean air initiatives, highly efficient power generation that reduces fuel costs, and on-site power generation, representing incremental capacity that reduces the need to invest in transmission and distribution.
The ultra-clean power generation supports sustainability goals for the University as well as reducing fuel costs due to reduced usage of a boiler for heating. The fuel cell power plant releases virtually zero pollutants and the high efficiency of the power generation process reduces carbon emissions. The ability of the fuel cell to generate both power and heat from the same unit of fuel lessens the University's usage of a combustion-based boiler for heat, further reducing emissions.
"The fuel cell power plant service agreements that we offer allows our customers to focus on what they do best while we concentrate on our core expertise of delivering ultra-clean power in an efficient and reliable manner," said Chip Bottone, President and Chief Executive Officer, FuelCell Energy, Inc. "Service is a key aspect of our business model as we operate and maintain virtually every Direct FuelCell power plant installation, around the clock."
FuelCell Energy offers a comprehensive portfolio of services for fuel cell power plants with service agreements ranging from one to 20 years in duration. Technicians and engineers remotely operate and maintain the Direct FuelCell power plants globally, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year from the state-of-the-art Global Technical Assistance Center, located at the Company's Danbury, Connecticut headquarters. Field service technicians directly employed by FuelCell Energy service the power plants on-site.
About FuelCell Energy
Direct FuelCell® power plants are generating ultra-clean, efficient and reliable power at more than 50 locations worldwide. With over 180 megawatts of power generation capacity installed or in backlog, FuelCell Energy is a global leader in providing ultra-clean baseload distributed generation to utilities, industrial operations, universities, municipal water treatment facilities, government installations and other customers around the world. The Company's power plants have generated more than one billion kilowatt hours of ultra-clean power using a variety of fuels including renewable biogas from wastewater treatment and food processing, as well as clean natural gas. For more information please visit our website at www.fuelcellenergy.com
The FuelCell Energy, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3284
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Company's plans and expectations regarding the continuing development, commercialization and financing of its fuel cell technology and business plans. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause such a difference include, without limitation, general risks associated with product development, manufacturing, changes in the regulatory environment, customer strategies, potential volatility of energy prices, rapid technological change, competition, and the Company's ability to achieve its sales plans and cost reduction targets, as well as other risks set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Direct FuelCell, DFC, DFC/T, DFC-H2 and FuelCell Energy, Inc. are all registered trademarks of FuelCell Energy, Inc. DFC-ERG is a registered trademark jointly owned by Enbridge, Inc. and FuelCell Energy, Inc.