25 July 2011
Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (AIM/ASX: CFU), the world's leading developer of high efficiency and low emission power products for homes, has received an initial order for 100 BlueGen units from sanevo Lizenz-GmbH & Co. KG. Ceramic Fuel Cells has also signed a distribution agreement with sanevo to market, sell, install and service BlueGen gas-to-electricity products in regions of
Sanevo has placed an initial order for 100 BlueGen units to be delivered in the first year, with a target minimum order of 500 units for delivery in the second year and a target of 2000 units over years three and four.
Provided sanevo orders these agreed minimum numbers of BlueGen units during 2012 to 2014, sanevo has exclusive rights to distribute BlueGen to commercial and residential customers in the German States of Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria, and in Austria. Ceramic Fuel Cells retains full rights to sell BlueGen units to utilities and energy service companies.
The order for 100 units is the largest order so far for the Company's BlueGen product, and builds upon the recent order for 25 units from Ausgrid in Australia. Ceramic Fuel Cells has now received orders for a total of 206 BlueGen units and up to 200 integrated mCHP products.
Based in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, sanevo has substantial experience in marketing and selling new technology power and heating products in Germany through more than 120 qualified sales partners.
Sanevo has partnered with SAG GmbH - one of Germany's largest independent service and system providers for electricity, gas, water and telecommunications products and networks - to provide installation and after sales service for BlueGen products. SAG has more than 8,300 staff in operations across Germany and Europe. With sales revenue of one billion euro, SAG has over 120 locations throughout Germany to provide a high level of service availability.
In April 2011 sanevo and SAG each purchased a BlueGen unit for their own buildings.
BlueGen uses ceramic fuel cells to turn natural gas into electricity and heat for hot water, with each unit capable of producing more than three times the electricity needed to power the average German home. (In Germany the average home consumes an estimated 4,100 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.)
Surplus electricity is sold back to the grid or used in supplementary applications such as charging an electric car. In addition, surplus heat is captured for domestic hot water use. BlueGen units generate electricity with the highest electrical efficiency of any small scale generating technology in the world, reducing energy bills and cutting carbon emissions.
BlueGen customers in Germany are eligible to receive a feed in tariff for the power exported back to the grid.