Fuel Cells Seen as a Vital Aid During Natural Disasters
NHA Home • NHA News Index


By Herbert Healy and Richard Morgan
UTC Power

When a natural disaster like hurricane Katrina strikes, the ability to react quickly, responsibly and competently is paramount, and electricity is the key ingredient necessary for communications, replenishment, shelter, transportation, security, etc.

A readily available solution to the type of post-event disaster we are seeing along the US gulf coast is fuel cells - which can be deployed and commissioned in less than two weeks, and positioned closer to the point of critical need, thereby avoiding service interruptions caused by infrastructure breakdowns. (In fact, fuel cells have already played a key role in emergency situations by supplying assured, continuous power during the recent blackouts in Moscow (2005) and New York (2003).)

In disaster relief efforts healthcare services are critical, and UTC Power has deployed PureCell™ 200 Power Solutions at more than 20 hospitals, nursing homes and medical facilities around the globe. In addition, we have installed fuel cells at police stations, a jail, bank, military facilities, armories, research centers and a telephone call routing center - all of which share the need for assured power. When configured to capture exhaust heat to provide heating and cooling, it is possible to refrigerate perishable foods and provide space heating of a shelter during an ice storm, as two examples. If fuel cells had been installed in the areas affected by hurricane Katrina, the hospitals not affected by the floods could have continued to operate and provide emergency care for victims as well as avoid evacuation of critically ill patients due to the lack of power.

In addition, emerging fuel cell applications such as UTC Power's PureCell™ 5 kW units can be deployed at telephone cell towers to support vital communication requirements.

In our home state of Connecticut, the South Windsor high school is designated as a regional emergency shelter and is required to generate electricity continuously, even in the event of a power failure. By using a fuel cell power plant the school plays a key role in protecting the environment during normal conditions, and provides much-needed public shelter in times of emergency. If local high schools in the US gulf coast region had installed fuel cells, they could have operated as emergency shelters, providing a range of facilities.

Hydrogen fuel cell products are commercially available today. Fuel cells chosen by Central Park police station in New York and the Bank of Omaha in Nebraska provide reliability and intolerance to power outages from the utility..




© 2005. All Rights Reserved. A Publication of the National Hydrogen Association.
This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

NHA Home • Return to NHA News Index