Fuel Cell Technology in Brazil

The first fuel cell developed by Eletrocell, a company that integrates the incubator Cietec of the Sao Paulo University USP in Brazil, is operational.

Part of Cietec’s facilities is being supplied by the new electric power generating equipment, with a capacity of 50MW. The new cell converts chemical energy into electric power energy, uses hydrogen and can be powered by ethyl alcohol, biodiesel, natural gas and other fuels.

The project was funded by the Brazilian government and private enterprise.

The distributor AES Eletropaulo has invested R$1.75 million resources in development, expecting the technology will be available in the market within five years.

Three research facilities, Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (Ipen), Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Eletrica (Cepel), and Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia (Coppe), supported this venture as well, allowing a rate of nationalization in equipment of 80%. According to Gerhard Ett, director of Eletrocell, the fuel cell, which operates at modules of 10 kilowatts, will have a capacity of 30kW in a first stage. It will reach 50kW, enough to supply 1,250 incandescent lamps of 40W each.

The government of Brazil intends to invest R$8 million resources in research projects for the use of hydrogen in electric power generation through 2005, with around R$4.5 million resources for training programs to professionals and R$3.5 million for equipment.

The government will outline tax incentive programs for companies that invest in innovative projects.