Progress Energy Florida creates hydrogen fuel cell at state park

Jul 27, 2005 10:09 AM

Device will fuel park’s education pavilion

Progress Energy Florida, along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Toronto-based Hydrogenics, recently unveiled a sustainable hydrogen generator and fuel cell at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. DEP and Progress Energy jointly funded the project, and Hydrogenics provided the hydrogen generation system.

The fully integrated fuel cell and 5kW photovoltaic solar system are creating a portion of the electricity used at the park's Wildlife Encounter Pavilion, which provides educational programming to park visitors. At the park, PV cells power an electrolyzer, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen gas is then stored for later conversion into electricity by the fuel cell.

The energy industry is interested in using hydrogen because it’s a renewable source of energy that can be taken from sources like natural gas, biomass, and water.

The fuel cell's output will be tracked, and that information will be available soon on Progress Energy's Web site at www.progress-energy.com.