TST Signs Deal to Use Fuel Cells

FuelCell Energy, Inc. and its partner Alliance Power Inc., announced the signing of a contract to provide 500-kilowatts of green electricity to a secondary aluminum smelter in southern California that will meet or exceed the region's tough air pollution standards.

Electricity produced by two 250-kW Direct FuelCell(R) power plants will be sold to TST, Inc., Fontana, Calif., as part of a five-year power purchase agreement.

TST is a producer, trader and processor of aluminum.

"Industrial customers in southern California are under mounting pressure to reduce emission of gases and particulates," said Andrew Stein, CEO of TST. "We're based in an area that has been the focus of a number of emissions initiatives. This project gives us an opportunity to take control of our energy sources with a market-priced source of electricity that actually decreases the amount of air-borne pollution."

The DFC power plants are expected to be delivered to the TST site by the first quarter of next year. Once the units begin operation, running on natural gas, their waste heat will be used to replace a large burner that preheats air as part of TST's aluminum manufacturing process. The project is an outgrowth of SCAQMD, which issued a Request for Proposals to help reduce harmful emissions by industrial customers within its region.

The California Cast Metals Association has actively participated in the government relations aspects and coordination of this project.