DTE Energy Technologies Inc. (Detroit, Michigan, U.S.) installed two fuel cells, manufactured by Plug Power Inc. (Latham, New York, U.S.), that will provide backup power at Detroit Edison's Hancock Station in Commerce Township, Michigan. The project will demonstrate the feasibility of using the technology in conjunction with the traditional power grid.

The 5-kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems operate to provide 2.5 kW each of electrical output and will support the battery systems that provide backup power to the control circuits for the power station's five natural gas fired turbine peaker units. Those units are used to generate electricity during peak demand periods.

The installation of fuel cells in this substation provides a unique opportunity to apply fuel cells in support of the existing electric grid. This installation represents the first application of Plug Power systems in supporting the critical control circuits within a power station.

The one-year project will include a joint effort to test the functionality, operation and maintenance requirements, and determine if future generations of fuel cells may eventually replace the backup battery systems at power stations and other critical utility applications. It also will validate DTE Energy Technologies' energy|now System Operations Center^™ that monitors, dispatches and performs energy-trading activities for distributed power units via the Internet.

DTE Energy Technologies and Detroit Edison are subsidiaries of DTE Energy, which owns a 28% share of Plug Power. DTE Energy Technologies offers a portfolio of distributed generation products, including fuel cells, and has exclusive distribution rights for Plug Power stationary fuel cells in a four-state region. This pilot program will give Detroit Edison a taste of meshing a distributed generation product with a real-world power grid situation.
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