New Haven utility parent UIL Holdings Corp. said it is buying a 3.4-megawatt fuel cell plant to install at a Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. pressure-reduction facility in Glastonbury.
UIL is buying the power generation equipment from FuelCell Energy in Danbury, which will install and maintain it through a long-term contract.
The plant includes a 2.8-megawatt fuel cell and a “turbo expander,” which will produce another 600 kilowatts of renewable power by harnessing energy that isn’t used during the process of reducing natural gas pressure. Natural gas is transmitted at high pressure, but must be “let down” before being piped to homes and businesses.
UIL said it will sell the electricity to Berlin utility Connecticut Light & Power under a 20-year contract. Production is expected to begin late next year.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified CL&P as a subsidiary of UIL Holdings. Hartford-based Northeast Utilities is the parent company of CL&P.
