Integrated fuel cell and gas turbine product gets a brand name

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) has decided on the series name “MEGAMIE” for its pressurized hybrid power generation system that integrates solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks with micro gas turbines (MGT), developed for the commercial and industrial market. The aim of naming the series is to increase product recognition and strengthen market penetration amid the recent global increase in environmental consciousness.

The name “MEGAMIE” is a combination of “mega,” evoking an image of the high-output fuel cells with stable operating performance, and “megami,” a Japanese word meaning a goddess of the land or beauty. The final “E” represents the three “Es” of Environment (environmental conservation), Energy security (stable supply), and Economy (economic efficiency), thereby expressing the value that MHPS provides to customers, and the role the company plays in society.

MHPS conducted demonstration tests of 250 kilowatt (KW) class hybrid systems through fiscal 2016 with the support of Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Demonstration equipment was installed at four locations in Japan, and stable system operations were verified. MHPS then developed practical models for commercial and industrial applications, and began marketing the system in the summer of 2017. MHPS received the first order for this system at the beginning of 2018 as a distributed power system for the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo, owned and operated by Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. Installation work is currently underway, with full-scale operations scheduled to start in February of 2019.

This hybrid system uses city gas as fuel and generates electricity with both ceramic SOFC stacks that operate at a high temperature of around 900°C, and MGTs. The fuel is not burned, but rather the SOFCs generate electricity from the chemical reaction between oxygen in the air and hydrogen and carbon monoxide extracted from reformed city gas, while the MGTs generate electricity from the post-process. Used in a cogeneration system, the remaining exhaust heat can be recovered as steam or hot water, significantly increasing the combined efficiency. Compared to conventional power generation systems, utilizing this hybrid system reduces CO₂ emissions by nearly half, contributing to the realization of a low-carbon society.

MHPS will utilize the integration of this hybrid system as momentum to advance its proposal-based sales, promote wider adoption of the system, and further enhance overall contribution to developing a highly sustainable, low-carbon society.