FuelCell moves forward on local deals

Danbury, Conn.-based FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq: FCEL) made two local announcements this week, with two Connecticut utilities filing for state approval today on plans for six projects with the company, and Pepperidge Farm saying on Monday that it plans to power its bakery with a FuelCell plant.

The company still does business overseas, with an announced sale last week of a 300 kilowatt fuel cell stack module to Korea's Posco. Terms of that deal were not disclosed.

In Connecticut, six projects totaling 68 megawatts and worth $200 million to FuelCell were submitted for final state approval today by utilities Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating.

The projects were picked by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund earlier this year as part of a program that requires the state's utilities to have at least 150 MW of clean energy generation under contract.

The Connecticut Department of Utility Control is expected to give an answer on the projects by December of this year.

Pepperidge Farm, another Connecticut company, announced Monday that it would install a install a 1.2 MW fuel cell from FuelCell at its Bloomfield bakery.

The state's Clean Energy Fund is also a part of this deal, covering $3.5 million of the cost. The total price for installation was not revealed.

This is the second FuelCell installation at the Bloomfield bakery. In January 2006, a smaller, 250 kilowatt fuel cell was put in, again with assistance from the Clean Energy Fund.

Once operational in summer 2008, the two fuel cells combined will provide about 70 percent of the required electricity at the site.

Cleantech developments making news in the past 24 hours

• Generating energy underwater from good vibrations
• Indian companies order 300MW in wind power
• Beijing meets "blue sky days" target early
• Finland, Vietnam launch fish fuel project

View the last week of cleantech developments here | Subscribe to full feed