Originally published January 8 2006
Air Force base runs partly on electricity produced from fuel cells
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In Georgia, Robins Air Force Base now runs partly on electricity created from 10 five-kilowatt fuel cells, which promise to save the Air Force thousands of dollars.
Ten new five-kilowatt fuel cells in operation here could save the Air Force thousands of dollars in energy costs.
The cells, which re-form propane gas and extract hydrogen to produce electricity, are part of Robins' Fuel Cell Micro-grid project, known as the Common Core Power Production, or C2P2, program.
This is part of a year-long Department of Defense and Air Force program to seek alternative, environmentally-sound fuel sources for troops in deployed locations and backup power sources for stateside bases.
The manufacturer Plug Power Inc. of New York is working with Logan Energy Corp. of Atlanta and the Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center and others on the project.
"Over the next year, they will be supplying 275,000 kilowatt hours of electricity to Robins," said Roy Case, senior project engineer with the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing's advanced power technology office.
In addition to using propane as an alternative energy source, the fuel cells can also re-form jet fuel, natural gas and any fuel source that contains hydrogen, even water, into power sources.
This is a method that may prove more convenient for servicemembers already carrying jet fuel to power the mission, advanced power technology office chief Mike Mead said.
"It is critical to our mission to explore and compare fuel cell systems with our existing power sources to remain efficient, cost effective and environmentally focused," Mr. Mead said.
"This demonstration will assist APTO in increasing the war fighters' capabilities, support the Air Force environmental policy and reduce the dependency on foreign oil sources," he said.
He is the 78th Civil Engineer Group's environmental management division's base environmental engineer and project manager for the groundwater treatment plant.
"The groundwater treatment P=plant is a state-of-the-art facility," he said.
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