h2e Power Systems commissions India’s first solid oxide fuel cell system by Fraunhofer IKTS

Fraunhofer IKTS and h2e Power Systems Inc. (part of India’s Mayur Group) announced the foundation of a joint venture for the development and distribution of cost-efficient fuel cell devices, which had the potential to generate clean, green and reliable energy in January 2013.

The first successfully completed project phase comprised the development and commissioning of two SOFC prototype systems by Fraunhofer IKTS for the Mayur-affiliated company h2e Power Systems Inc.

In the second project phase, three improved demonstration systems have been constructed at Fraunhofer IKTS and will be delivered to India until the end of 2015. Additionally, the know-how and technology transfer has already been initiated, which is supposed to launch the local device production and commercialization in India by h2e Power Systems Inc. in 2016.

In the laboratory facilities located in Pune, the SOFC system is used for tests, training and demonstration purposes. It is the first plant of this nature being operated in India so far. This work is aimed at ensuring a durable, cost-efficient manufacturing of SOFC stacks and systems for the residential, agriculture, telecom towers and commercial market segments.

During operation with natural gas, the prototype reaches the intended key performance indicators with an electrical performance between 300 and 1000 W(el) and an electrical net efficiency level of 35 to 40 %. “It is one of the most efficient fuel cell systems on the basis of partial oxidation, i.e. without external water supply, for increasing the electrical efficiency level”, says Thomas Pfeifer, manager of the group “System Concepts” within the “Energy” business division of Fraunhofer IKTS.

SOFC technology enables systems with high efficiency levels, which can be applied as pure power generator or as combined power, heat and cooling generators using hydrocarbons, such as natural pipeline gas, liquid gas, methane or biogas.

“Prospectively, the highly modern h2e® system of Fraunhofer IKTS shall be used for the power supply of residential buildings and business premises in India. In addition, off-grid applications in rural areas for e.g. radio towers and irrigation systems are planned combining solar, wind, biogas and fuel cell technologies”, explains Siddharth R. Mayur, Founder and President of h2e Power Systems.

Mayur‘s vision encompasses the accomplishment of energy independence to urban and rural areas in emerging economies of the world with a focus on India & the South American markets. The company’s specific focus on agriculture makes h2e the first and the only company in the world to work on a fuel cell solution for farmers. In the words of Siddharth Mayur, “h2e is a perfect blend of a social vision, German engineering, & Indian entrepreneurship”.

Fraunhofer IKTS
The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS is one of Europe’s leading organizations for applied research in the field of technical ceramics from basic research to its application. For more than 20 years, Fraunhofer IKTS has actively been doing research in the area of fuel cells. Key developments in this area include the eneramic® fuel cell system technology and joint product developments with leading companies, such as Vaillant Ltd., Plansee SE and Sunfire GmbH as well as the current joint venture with Fuel Cell Energy Inc. (FCE).

h2e Power Systems
The company h2e Power Systems Inc., located in Pune, India, and New York, U.S.A., was founded in 2012 by first generation social entrepreneurs Siddharth R Mayur, Amarnath Chakradeo, Bhavana Mayur, Suresh Sharma and Mahesh Agashiwala. As part of the Mayur consortium, the company is globally interconnected with numerous production plants and trading companies in the fields of residential construction, energy engineering, agriculture and waste management. h2e Power Systems aims at producing fuel cell systems in India and establishing integrated efficient energy supply solutions in order to allow for a cost-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly power supply for everyone.