Development of a 1000 kW-class MCFC pilot plant in Japan

The development of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), in Japan, began in 1981, as part of the former Moonlight Program, promoted by the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (AIST/MITI). In 1987, after the basic research, plans to develop a 1000 kW-class MCFC pilot plant began, first, with the development of 100 kW-class stacks and components. Results from the first developments were applied to the next stage of the project, the operating test of a 1000 kW-class pilot plant. The main objective of this pilot plant is to verify the system connected stacks and components. It includes four 250 kW-class stacks, a reformer, two cathode gas recycle blowers, a turbine compressor, a heat recovery steam generator and so on. At present, the building work, component fabrication and installation are complete. Component adjustments have also been carried out. The process and control test, also known as PAC Test, will start next year, 1998. The operation will come to an end in fiscal year 1999. Following the operation test, will be a test on longer lifetime stacks, and the development of a demonstration plant. The possibility of several MW–several 10s MW output, for this future demonstration plant, will be looked into and very seriously investigated.