DEMOSOFC [1] is a Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Joint
Undertaking (FCH-JU) funded project which foresees the
installation of the largest biogas fed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
(SOFC) in Europe. The SOFC will be the sole combined heat &
power (CHP) generator within a medium size wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP) located in Torino (IT). Three SOFC
modules, each rated 58 kWe, will supply around 30% of the
internal electrical loads and a variable share of the thermal load
depending on the season. The key objective of the project is to
demonstrate the industrial readiness of SOFC systems, which are
able to guarantee better performance both in terms of electrical
efficiency and emission of pollutants with respect to
conventional internal combustion engines.
SOFC systems have a high potential for integration with
local renewable fuels as biogas and/or bio-syngas from waste
sources. Looking at the biogas potential in EU, the most common
plant size lies in the sub-MW scale.
This work aims to describe the DEMOSOFC concept, the
approach followed for the design of the integrated system.
Energy performance, environmental benefits, underlining
advantages and barriers of this integration are presented and
discussed.