SOFC Power Plants,the Siemens‐Westinghouse Approach

In 1998 Siemens AG (SAG) took over the tubular S olid O xide F uel C ell (SOFC) technology from Westinghouse. This merger placed SAG under the responsibility of Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation (SWPC), and gave them the opportunity to concentrate on this technology as the most promising fuel cell option for the emerging distributed power market. A first full scale 100 kW demonstration plant in a “district heating” cycle, without integrated micro gas turbines, accumulated more than 15000 hours and is still working. All the expectations with respect to the design parameters and the operation behavior have been met or even exceeded. The first 220 kW “all electric” cycle demonstration plant with integrated micro gas turbine has successfully passed the factory tests. Additional field units are under contract which together with the above two pioneering demonstration plants will accumulate all the necessary learning experience to design a standardized SOFC product. In addition to the demonstration program, a research and development (R&D) program is being pursued. The outcome of both programs, the demonstration as well as the R&D, is expected to close the gap between the current high cost and the market price in order to enable substantial market penetration.