JX to Launch World's Smallest Household Fuel Cell

Tokyo, Sept. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japan's JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. said Thursday that it will launch the world's smallest household fuel cell on Oct. 17.
The fuel cell, a new model of the company's Ene-Farm cogeneration system, is also the world's first commercialized solid oxide fuel cell.
The recommended retail price of the new fuel cell will be 2.7 million yen.
The JX Holdings Inc. <5020> unit aims to sell 1,500 units in the current fiscal year ending next March and 4,000 units in the next, including conventional models.
The Ene-Farm system generates electricity through a reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the air. The hydrogen is extracted from city and liquefied petroleum gas.
The system, which can utilize heat for hot water and other purposes, has attracted increasing attention since the March 11 disaster caused power shortages.
The new model is 40 pct smaller than conventional models and takes up only 2 square meters in space.
The power generation efficiency of the new model was increased to 45 pct. It can meet about 70 pct of household electricity consumption.
The company plans to release the new Ene-Farm next summer as a self-contained system that can be used during power cuts in combination with storage and solar cells.
A complete system is expected to cost about 6 million yen, so reducing the price will hold the key to widespread use.