Siemens fuel cell biz for sale?

Just days after articulating plans to bolster its clean technology business (see Siemens expects to boost cleantech revenues), Siemens appears to be putting one of its fuel cell units up for sale.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review quotes Siemens officials as saying today that its U.S. solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operation in the Pittsburgh, Penn. suburb of Churchill "is not a core competency for its energy business."

The unit employs 131 people.

Three days earlier, Siemens officials said they expected to boost cleantech-related R&D, as well as revenues.

Also announced today was a wider restructuring announced today that could eliminate 17,000 jobs worldwide, according to a report by Dow Jones Newswires.

SOFCs have a wide variety of applications, from use as auxiliary power units in vehicles to stationary power generation with outputs from 100 W to 2 MW. They operate at very high temperatures, typically between 600 and 1,000°C.

Siemens other fuel cells, including PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) cells used, among other places, in submarines (see Submarines: ideal fuel cell vehicles.)

Siemens' U.S. division is based in Orlando, Fla.