Danbury-based FuelCell Energy announced Wednesday that it has inked a $160 million contract with two utility companies to provide 7.4-megawatts of electricity from a fuel cell power plant it will build in Hartford.
The power plant will be located on an industrial site near Brainard Airport and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
It will use natural gas-powered fuel cells to produce electricity, which FuelCell will sell to Eversource and United Illuminating under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The project is expected to generate more than $160 million in future revenue for FuelCell, the company said.
The announcement comes as the state seeks ways to increase the supply of electricity to help lower energy costs.
FuelCell President and CEO Jason Few said the company appreciates “the state’s goal of increasing ‘always on’ electric supply – especially from sources that use low-emission natural gas and avoid combusting the fuel.”
“Fuel cells are ideal for urban settings because they deliver space-efficient, quiet, and emission-free distributed resilient and reliable energy,” Few said.
FuelCell operates a microgrid at the U.S. Subbase New London, a 15-megawatt power plant in Bridgeport, a 14-megawatt power plant in Derby and a 58.8-megawatt power plant in South Korea.
In 2022, FuelCell shelved a power plant project in Hartford as part of a cost-cutting measure.
