Plug to provide fuel cells for 8 MW hybrid microgrid project in Calistoga

Plug Power Inc. has announced that it will deliver 8 MW of fuel cell power in the form of 40-foot ISO containers for Energy Vault's hybrid microgrid system for the city of Calistoga in California, USA, integrating an 8 MW hydrogen fuel cell stationary power. This is the largest planned hydrogen-powered fuel cell installation in the country.

Energy Vault’s hybrid microgrid comprises of a small portion of short-duration batteries for support and grid-forming requirements with green hydrogen-fed fuel cells for a 48+ hour storage duration. The system eliminates the need for PG&E to rent mobile diesel generators to provide backup power during Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. Plug’s proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells were chosen for their cleaner, more operationally flexible, and cost-effective power to the microgrid.

Construction of the hybrid system is set to begin in Q4 of 2023, with commercial operations starting in Q2 of 2024.