NTU will use the Acta Power system to store renewable energy from solar and wind turbines at the Raffles Lighthouse on the island of Pulau Satuma, providing power for the four lighthouse staff permanently located there.
The system will be installed by NTU for research and test-bedding purposes, to evaluate the feasibility of using renewable energy to support remote site power requirements.
The Acta Power system uses renewable power and filtered rainwater. It will generate 1 m3/h of hydrogen at 30 bar (435 psi) pressure, and produce 4 kW of electric power via its fully integrated PEM fuel cell module.
Including ancillary systems, installation, training and support, the sale represents Acta’s largest single product sale so far. Shipment of the system is expected by the end of 2013, with installation completed during the first quarter of 2014.
‘In tandem with the progress we are making in the telecom backup power sector, we are pleased to receive this first order for the installation of an Acta Power for a renewable energy storage application for powering off-grid communities,’ says Paolo Bert, Chief Executive of Acta. ‘We are receiving significant levels of interest for this type of application, and we hope that this evaluation will open the door to large-scale installations in developing countries.’
The company launched the Acta Power in April, as an integrated electrolyser-fuel cell system for backup power and renewable energy storage applications. The system converts energy from renewable or grid power when it is available and stores it in the form of hydrogen; the hydrogen is converted back to electric power when needed due to grid blackouts or lack of solar/wind.