Corning Incorporated and ENrG Inc. today announced they have received a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP) award to develop solid oxide fuel cell technology.
The $8 million award is part of a three-year, $16 million cooperative agreement funded by NIST, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Corning Incorporated and ENrG Inc. The funds will be used by Corning and ENrG to develop scalable, robust, planar solid oxide fuel cell technology. Corning’s solid oxide fuel cell technology is based on innovations in thin solid electrolyte technology and is ideally suited to power generation in the 200+ kilowatt range used in stationary primary power and cogeneration applications.
“Soaring energy prices, air pollution concerns and advances in materials technology have spurred renewed interest in solid oxide fuel cells,” said Paul Marx, director of Corning’s Fuel Cell Business Development program. “The benefits of this technology have not been realized yet, primarily due to lack of robust scalability to high power levels. We believe solid oxide fuel cell technology can drive a new industry in electricity-generating appliances, which combine the efficiency of large-scale generating plants with the smaller-scale size requirements needed for on-site generation applications.”
“Corning is a recognized global leader in translating materials science into breakthrough technologies that significantly improve people’s lives,” said Joseph A. Miller, Corning executive vice president and chief technology officer. “The development of solid oxide fuel cells is an area of great promise and one that has long been of interest to Corning. We are excited by the opportunities this partnership presents toward creating future energy-generating technologies.”
“ENrG is enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue our co-development efforts with Corning which was initially funded by NYSERDA,” said John Olenick, president of ENrG Inc. “This NIST ATP award begins a new, challenging development phase for Corning and ENrG towards meeting the economic requirements to commercialize solid oxide fuel cells for the energy markets.”
For more information on fuel cells, click here.