By HFT Staff

Kohler Power Systems, part of Kohler Energy, announced it has collaborated with Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) to develop and install a hydrogen fuel cell power generation system at the Klickitat Valley Health hospital in Goldendale, Washington. The fuel cell power system combines Kohler and Toyota technologies to showcase the viability of zero-emission technology for power generation. The system and upcoming installation marks a significant step for Kohler toward offering a commercially available product that will help customers with their decarbonization goals. 

Merging Kohler’s energy management expertise with Toyota’s leading fuel cell technology, the fuel cell power system combines Kohler’s power generation control platform and system integration expertise with a fuel cell module from Toyota for a scalable solution for zero-emission power that can meet the diverse needs of a variety of customers. The resulting new “KOHLER Fuel Cell System” is ideal for prime, peak shaving, and emergency situations. The system can be scaled or customized by application to ensure the delivery of exceptional performance for the specific needs of customers, whether for individual installations or covering entire facility complexes. 

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“Toyota has been exploring various applications of our fuel cell technology and this opportunity with Kohler highlights the decarbonization opportunities that hydrogen as a fuel can provide for customers,” says Chris Yang, group vice president, business development, Toyota. “Our fuel cell technology can be scaled and used to power a wide variety of products beyond transportation, and it does so without any emissions except water.” 

The first KOHLER Fuel Cell System will be installed at Klickitat Valley Health, a hospital that serves as the principle medical center for over 10,000 people in their district. The hospital previously announced plans to reinforce their electrical infrastructure including backup and secondary power generation that included a hydrogen fuel cell to ensure uninterrupted operations. The Kohler system will be used to support their power strategy, helping the hospital to meet its preparedness needs. 

Leveraging decades of experience in energy systems, a Kohler-designed and manufactured controller will continuously monitor and manage operating conditions to harness the reliability, flexibility, and performance of the Toyota fuel cell as well as protect it from damage. The control system is extremely versatile and customizable, so Kohler can provide a system that functions precisely as the customer expects and interoperates with building-management systems (BMS). 

Kohler will also complete the system integration and balance of plant to ensure all supporting components and auxiliary systems needed to deliver energy operate together safely and reliably and within a turnkey package.