Fuel cell power plant comes to CCSU

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) -- Central Connecticut State University moved a big step closer today to climate neutrality, while saving money for taxpayers. The campus now has its own, nearly zero emission, fuel cell power plant.

An impressive looking collection of pipes and machines on the outskirts of CCSU is the 1.4 megawatt fuel cell generating enough power to run one third of the campus.

And what makes this project especially appealing is; not only does it produce clean energy and save money, but it was also designed and built here in Connecticut.

Fuel Cell Energy's 250 employees in Danbury designed it and their 250 employees in Torrington built it.

News 8's Mark Davis told director of field operations Steve Brown that it looks like a big battery connected to a bunch of pipes.

"Mark, a fuel cell is kind of like a battery in that it converts chemical energy directly into electricity," Brown said. "There is no flame, no combustion, there's virtually no emissions, no nox, no sox, the conversion is basically hydrogen plus oxygen gives electricity plus water."

Developed with private funding it is expected to save taxpayers $100,000 a year on the CCSU campus electric bill.

"You know, I've been in a lot of power plants, this doesn't seem that noisy to me, usually there's such a loud noise you can barely speak," Davis said.

"Yes, and that's one of the huge benefits, Mark, to a fuel cell power plant, is that it can be sited almost anywhere," Brown said.

As a state, Connecticut is breaking ground with this, and the company is doing international business.

"We've got about 120 megawatts worth of products like this behind me here, around the world in about 50 different sites," said Chip Buttone, C.E.O. of Fuel Cell Energy.

Instead of a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, the Governor conducted a power cord cutting ceremony symbolizing the cutting of the line to the power companies.