Avista to Enter Residential Fuel Cell Market

Avista, Avista Labs—its technology subsidiary—and UOP signed a joint development agreement that the companies hope will put them in the residential fuel cell market by early 2001.

The agreement forges an alliance that combines Avista Labs' fuel cell expertise in the development of small-scale, modular fuel cells with the engineering, process design, and catalyst skills of UOP. The two companies are jointly developing a distributed, fuel-cell power plant designed to deliver electricity to residences or businesses.

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells operate at low temperatures, converting hydrogen to electricity without combustion. Fuel processors produce hydrogen for the fuel cell using fuels such as propane and natural gas. Together, UOP and Avista Labs will provide a reliable, safe, simple and low-cost power plant for homes and businesses.

"This agreement formalizes a working relationship that for many months has been focused on development of a revolutionary distributed generation power product," said Kim Zentz, president of Avista Labs. "We examined many companies in the fuel processing industry and found UOP to be the one with the depth of knowledge, experience, and understanding of the marketplace needed to make this project successful. UOP has a long history of delivering products that meet the needs of demanding customers."

UOP and Avista Labs have focused on integrating UOP's fuel processor, designed to convert either propane or natural gas into hydrogen, with Avista Labs' modular PEM fuel cell.

UOP, based in Des Plaines, IL, supplies and provides licensing for sensors, process technology, catalysts, absorbents, process plants, and technical services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries.

Avista Labs is a fuel cell company dedicated to making distributed energy more accessible, more reliable, and easier on the environment. Avista also operates Avista Capital, which owns all of the company's non-regulated energy and non-energy businesses. Avista Capital companies include Avista Advantage, Avista Labs, Avista Fiber, Avista Communications, Avista Development, Avista Energy, Avista Energy Canada, Avista Power, and Pentzer Corporation.

Edited by April C. Murelio
editor@poweronline.com