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CFE, one of the largest utilities in the world, chooses GenCell fuel cell technology to protect its substations against long-term outages
Petah Tikva, Israel – December 21, 2020 – GenCell Energy, GNCL (TASE), a leading Israel-based manufacturer of fuel cell energy solutions, today announces that following participation in an international tender for backup for substations executed by Comisión Federal de Electricidad® (CFE) the state-owned and largest utility in Mexico, GenCell has been selected to deploy its hydrogen-based DC backup solutions for CFE substations. The company has been contracted for delivery and two years of service and maintenance of 37 hydrogen-based fuel cells to substations across Mexico in a deal valued at approximately US$6,000,000. According to the terms of the tender, CFE has the right to purchase up to a total of 74 units according to the same terms, thus increasing the value of the deal to a figure of up to some US$12,000,000. Delivery and deployment are planned for H1 2021.
In 2018 GenCell sent two G5rx backup power solutions for testing and approval by CFE’s technological arm Laboratory of Equipment and Materials Testing (LAPEM). Following receipt of approval from LAPEM, GenCell deployed two units at existing CFE substations. During this testing period the GenCell G5RX units delivered long-duration backup power through an earthquake that reached 0.30 PGA. The backup power units with fuel availability can support long duration backup of as long as 24 hours or more. The solution incorporates GenCell’s IoT Remote Manager software to centrally supervise the optimal performance of the equipment distributed across the substations to enable preventative maintenance and maximize uptime.
One of the largest utilities in the world, CFE provides electricity to some 99% of the Mexican population and has also undertaken to provide telecommunication and internet services for all. The recently announced CFE Business Plan 2021 – 2025 contributes to the fulfillment of international obligations of the Mexican State to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Following a long and thorough examination of our products, GenCell is extremely pleased to have been selected to supply our G5rx solutions to CFE,” commented Rami Reshef, GenCell CEO. “It is an honor to have been chosen to work with the highly professional team of CFE engineers. We believe that by ensuring emission-free, resilient and long duration backup power for critical assets at substations across Mexico, we can ensure higher quality of service to CFE’s customers. We are proud to play a role in the global hydrogen economy and to assist leading utilities and corporations to fulfill their decarbonization objectives. We look forward to carrying out this important project to further demonstrate the abilities of our fuel cells to bring value to the utilities sector.”