GE makes breakthrough in clean technology

General Electric shifts focus on fuel cells

General Electric is taking a big step forward with its interest in fuel cell technology. The company has been showing strong support for various forms of clean energy, especially wind power. General Electric is behind some of the most widely used clean technologies in the renewable energy sector today, and now the company is beginning to put a heavier focus on fuel cells. General Electric is preparing to build a new facility that will be responsible for the manufacture of fuel cell energy systems.

New facility to be built after breakthrough in fuel cell technology

The new facility is being built on the back of a breakthrough made by General Electric’s scientists. The breakthrough concerns solid oxide fuel cells, which are often used for industrial purposes and have been seeing more use in the residential sector. A team of researchers associated with General Electric developed a fuel cell system that boasts of an energy generation efficiency of 65%. The research team believes that the system’s efficiency can reach 95% when the system is configured to take advantage of the heat that is generated through its own electrochemical processes.

Fuel cell system can be configured to meet the needs of specific purposes

General Electric has developed one of the most efficient solid oxide fuel cell systems in the world and this system may have myriad uses. In its most basic configuration, the fuel cell system can produce as much as 10 megawatts of electrical power. The system can be reconfigured to produce more electrical power or less, depending on the needs of those making use of it. Unlike conventional fuel cells, this new system uses a stainless steel catalyst instead of platinum, effectively reducing the cost of the fuel cell system by a considerable margin.

GE has established a powerful presence in the clean technology field

General Electric is not a newcomer to the fields of clean technology and renewable energy. The company manufactures some of the most in demand wind turbines that are used in new energy projects throughout the world. GE Energy also produces photovoltaic technologies that are used in many parts of the world. The company has had a modest focus on fuel cells in the past, but is beginning to see significant promise in these energy systems.