MHPS & NGK Spark Plug form JV Cecylls for Cell Stack Business

NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. (NTK) and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) today announced the establishment of CECYLLS Co., Ltd., a joint venture company on January 29. 

The two companies had concluded an agreement in July 2019 to establish the joint venture to manufacture and sell cylindrical cell stacks(1) as the power generating elements used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)(2). 

MHPS’ SOFC is the latest in technology to utilize clean hydrogen as a fuel source. The new company will utilize NTK’s mass production technologies of ceramics to produce and sell MHPS’ cylindrical cell stacks that feature long-life and efficient heat utilization capabilities.

(1) Cylindrical fuel stacks are structures of elements (a laminate of fuel electrodes, electrolytes, and air electrodes) on the outer surface of a high-strength ceramic substrate tube, which produces a power-generating reaction. The elements are serially connected by a conductive ceramic interconnector (cylindrical horizontal-stripe cell stack), allowing for efficient generation of low current, high voltage electricity.
(2) Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) generate electricity using oxygen (O2) from the air, along with hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) extracted from reformed town gas or other sources. The cell stacks that are the core component for power generation are composed entirely of ceramic.

About Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS), headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, is a joint venture formed in February 2014 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. integrating their operations in thermal power generation systems and other related businesses. MHPS today ranks among the world’s leading suppliers of equipment and services to the power generation market, backed by 100 billion yen in capital and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide. The Company’s products include GTCC (gas turbine combined-cycle) and IGCC (integrated coal gasification combined-cycle) power plants, gas/coal/oil-fired (steam) power plants, boilers, generators, gas and steam turbines, geothermal power plants, AQCS (air quality control systems), power plant peripheral equipment, digital solutions and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC).

For more information, please visit www.mhps.com.