AFC Energy’s low-cost alkaline fuel cell technology is focused on producing the lowest possible unit cost electricity for large-scale industrial applications.
The HAZOP study was conducted by Dr Jon Helliwell at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). Its successful completion is a significant milestone on AFC Energy’s route to commercialization, and paves the way for future deployment of fuel cell systems at industrial partner premises.
Areas for improvement highlighted by the study have been incorporated into the fuel cell Beta System, which is currently being commissioned at the AFC Energy premises in Dunsfold, Guildford.
‘We have found the HAZOP process to be extremely valuable, and it takes us another step forward towards deployment and field testing,’ says Ian Balchin, Deputy Chairman of AFC Energy.
A HAZOP study is a systematic analysis of all foreseeable deviations from normal situations (including disruptions to operations), the causes of these deviations, their consequences, and the necessary actions.
Completion of the HAZOP study and recent technical progress at AFC Energy come alongside the development of commercial opportunities in a range of markets, including tie-ups with Linc Energy in Australia, the John Lewis Partnership in the UK, and N2telligence GmbH in Germany.