Nissan Motor has just announced that it has developed a stationary, bio-ethanol-fueled system capable of high-efficiency power generation. 

Trials have begun at Nissan’s Tochigi Plant in Japan aimed to improve power generation capacity toward full-scale operations from 2030.

In 2016 Nissan became the first automotive company in the world to create a vehicular propulsion system powered by a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) run by bio-ethanol. Nissan is now applying this SOFC development experience to stationary power generation systems.

SOFCs can be easily paired with reformers that operate at high temperatures and can generate electricity using hydrogen obtained by reforming various types of fuels that react with oxygen, including ethanol, natural gas, and LP gas. Operations at high temperatures promote high catalytic activity, enabling the SOFC to achieve a high- power generation efficiency of 70%, compared to 60% for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs).

Looking ahead, the development of a metal-supported cell, which is a component of the SOFC stack, will help to enhance cell strength. As a result, start-up and shutdown times can be shortened and load-following operations can be performed in response to sudden fluctuations in output demand. This will enable effective SOFC system operation in the future, when it is anticipated that the system will be used in conjunction with renewable energy.

The stationary power generation system will be fueled by bio-ethanol produced from sorghum (sorghum bio-ethanol), which has been jointly developed with Binex Inc., with fuel being procured from Binex. This component will commence from 2025.

Although sorghum bio-ethanol emits CO2 during SOFC power generation, that CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere during the sorghum growth process, contributing to the realization of a carbon-neutral cycle where CO2 increases are effectively reduced to zero.