Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor has developed and is currently testing a stationary power generation system that is fueled by bioethanol.
Trials are underway at the company’s Tochigi plant in Japan with the aim of improving power generation capacity and achieving full-scale operations from 2030. This system builds on Nissan’s 2016 innovation of a vehicular propulsion system powered by a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using bioethanol.
SOFCs can work well with high-temperature reformers and can produce electricity using hydrogen derived from reforming fuels that react with oxygen, such as ethanol, natural gas and LP (liquid petroleum) gas, the company explains.
From 2025, the demo system will be fueled by bioethanol produced from sorghum.
Nissan aims to fully electrify plant equipment by 2050, using renewable energy or onsite fuel cells that use alternative fuels.
