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Updates
 King County Fuel Cell Demonstration, Project Summary, March 2008 is now posted (.PDF file, 390KB).
The Final Project Report will be available in late spring 2008.
View a poop powered power plant
( , external link), an interview with John Phillips, King County Staff.
Faircompanies, sustainable news, Dec. 14, 2007
More news releases
See Project Library for:
-- fact sheet
-- brochure
-- quarterly reports
-- poster
-- supplemental information
-- project participants
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King County Fuel Cell
Demonstration Project
In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and FuelCell Energy Inc.
King County's Wastewater Treatment Division, FuelCell Energy Inc., and the Office of Wastewater Management of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are working together to sponsor the world's largest demonstration project of a molten carbonate (MCFC or "Direct") fuel cell using digester gas (methane) as fuel. With the help of federal grant funding, the demonstration project is aimed at testing the technology and the claims of high energy conversion efficiencies and low air emissions for fuel cells.
 Construction of the 1MW fuel cell power plant demonstration project is done, and testing is under way. Located at King County's South Treatment Plant in Renton, Washington, the power plant will be demonstrated for two years beginning in summer 2004.
King County wastewater treatment plants in Seattle and Renton now use gas generated during treatment operations in two ways. At the South Treatment Plant, gas is scrubbed to pipeline quality and sold to Puget Sound Energy. At the West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle, gas is used to power the influent pumps.
A market and economic feasibility study of fuel cells for the wastewater industry, which included King County's South Plant, was completed by the engineering firm of CH2M Hill in May 1997. The study revealed that fuel cell power plants could be cost competitive with engine driven and turbine power plants to recover energy from digester gas.
One megawatt fuel cell power plant
Potential Benefits To Top
Fuel cells can operate on a range of fuel, including methane, and thus offer enormous potential for the wastewater treatment industry. By generating electrical power from digester gas, significant electrical operating cost savings can be realized. Sufficient gas to produce 1 megawatt of electricity can be generated by a wastewater plant treating 30 million gallons per day (and using anaerobic digesters to heat wastewater solids). That is enough energy to supply electricity to 1,000 households.
Other pluses of fuel cells include few moving parts, modular design, negligible emission of pollutants, and the ability to provide electricity without adding transmission lines and substations. If the demonstration project is successful, full-scale fuels cells could be a cost-effective way of providing a portion of the electricity used at the South Treatment Plant.
For fuel cells to be competitive in the power generation market, the cost of manufacturing must be reduced. Fuel cell makers often cite a commercial entry price of about $1,200 per kilowatt as the price point where fuel cells could compete successfully with other small power generators (for example, micro turbines and engine/generators). Current fuel cell costs are roughly double that entry estimate, but manufacturing techniques and volume of production are driving costs down rapidly. Return to top.
News Releases
- Faircompanies, sustainable news, Dec. 14, 2007 (, external link) -- A poop powered power plant
- Seattle PI News, Nov. 26, 2005 (external link) -- Fuel cell is on the job in King County; Energy source powers Renton sewage plant
- News release, May 4, 2005 -- King County earns national environmental award for generating electricity from methane gas
- News release, April 22, 2005 -- Green Globe Awards: Sims honors 14 for
environmental achievement on Earth Day
(scroll to bottom of news release)
- MSNBC News, July 16, 2004 (external link) -- Poop power? Sewage turned into electricity. Fuel cells and waste sludge mix to power treatment plant.
- News release, April 14, 2003 -- U.S. Sen. Cantwell aids King County in breaking ground for innovative energy project
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Fuel Cell Demonstration Project