AFC Energy: Power Tower & off road racing
By on April 04, 2022
“Power Tower”: 10kW, ammonia-fueled, off-grid power
AFC Energy officially launched a new commercial product last month. The “Power Tower” is a stationary, 10kW power generator system designed for construction sites and other temporary power applications. Based on AFC’s S-Series fuel cell, the system is designed to run on lower purity hydrogen than a PEM fuel cell. Auxiliary equipment can be integrated so the system can be “fuel flexible” – running on either methanol or ammonia fuel.
The first unit is expected to be deployed at one of Keltbray’s construction sites in London, with the global construction firm seeking a way to decarbonise operations, and move away from the use of diesel fuel. That deployment (and others) will be officially launched mid-year. The other deployment partner will be Acciona. Originally planned for 2021, demonstration of an ammonia-fueled genset at one of Acciona’s Madrid construction sites has been (understandably) delayed.
Extreme-E racing
In January last year, AFC Energy and Extreme-E Racing unveiled an off-grid, hydrogen-fueled charging station that would power Extreme-E’s field of electric SUVs during their rally championship series. This February, the partners announced they are developing Extreme-H: a hydrogen-fueled rally championship where the ODYSSEY 21 SUV’s battery stacks would be replaced with hydrogen fuel cells. The announcement was – fittingly – made near the future site of NEOM in Saudi Arabia. Extreme-E CEO Alejandro Agag indicated that methanol and ammonia would most likely be used as carriers (given the remote locations of the races), with all the hydrogen used to be from renewable sources.