At a seminar organized by the Fuel Cell Expertise Network on November 20, 2014 , Fiona Riddoch of Cogen Europe and coordinator of the enefield project presented the enefield update. The enefield program follows the German Callux program that is now reaching 500 installations, with an objective of aroudn 1000 installation of 8-10 indentical micro fuel cell systems. A 100 enefield installations have now been achieved and the project has seen significant improvements in supply chain efficiency and installer training.
The enefarm project, presented by Tokyo Gas that represents 35% of the Japanese gas market in Japan, is subsidizing the introduction of cost competitive 1kW fuel cell systems and will cross the 100.000 system bar this year. The Japanese government fuel cell commercialisation initiative, that was announced in 1999 as part of the Millennium project and resulted in the announcement of 2002 by former Prime minister Koizumi of Japan’s FC ambition. In 2005 a FC support program was launched of which the 1 kW enefarmprogram became part in 2009. The enefarm program has seen a steady growth: 2009: 2550 , 2011: 9281, 2012: 18241, 2013: 34281 , 2014: 28440 Tokyo Gas has 40% of FC market. During 2012 – 2014, 2.224 SOFC, and 34.213 PEMFC were installed of which LPG powered numbered 6.000 and LNG powered 30.000. 22.000 were installed in newly built residences and 14.000 in existing stock. Japan supports 0.38 mm Yen (€ 2600 ) in 2014 per unit , and 0.25 mm Yen in 2015; In 2009 subsidy levels were at 1.4 mln Yen. Retail price for these system is €11.000. (Phote an “enefarm” FC production line)
At the seminar General Electric Rich Romer presented the recent re-entry of his company in the 1- 10MW SOFC hybride system segment, integrating Jenbacher turbines and a SOFC system in a “combined cycle fuel cell plant. A pilot production facility in Malta is preparing the roll out of the first 50kW system in 2015.