C200 enters the European market

Capstone has introduced its new 200 kW micro, the C200, said by its makers to be the world’s largest single-unit air-bearing turbine, to the European market.

Going up in size to the recuperated C200 also means increased thermal efficiency, 33% compared to 29% for the 65 kW C65, while retaining the micro advantages of high speed

(60 000 rpm) and the long life air bearings of the smaller models. It is also claimed by Capstone to exhibit ultra-low emission levels for NOx, CO and VOCs, as certified by the USA’s toughest regulations, (of the California Air Resources Board) compared to natural gas fired recip powered machines, but at a similar first cost and a reduced cost of ownership.

Capstone has recently rebranded itself as green, and is making much of the claimed efficiency and low emissions rating of its micros, especially in cogeneration applications which it sees as an ideal match. The Cossato Spolina site for instance (see below) is expected to contribute a useful tonnage per year of avoided CO2 emissions to the climate control effort.

The 1 MW size is regarded as its best market, for landfill gas, digester gas, natural gas etc, where the Capstone micros with their reliability, fuel flexibility, low emissions, built in digital electronics and low maintenance stand up well against the competition which is all ICE’s. To this end the company plans to market in January 2009 a 1 MW unit, the C1000, consisting of 5 C200s in a single package.

Moreover it has pre-sold $13 million worth of its C200s in Europe, with the first installation at the Cossato Spolina cogeneration plant in Italy scheduled for delivery in September this year. Cossato Spolina is a waste water treatment plant serving a population of over half a million and producing 2600 m3 a day of biogas, 17000 MWh of power and 2.3 MWh of heat.

Up to five of the 200 kW turbines can be bundled in a single 28 ft long ISO container to create the C1000. This turbine system can be multi-packed in its turn to produce up to 5 MWe. Options in 600 kW and 800 kW sizes are also to be made available.

Pre-purchases of the C200

Interest in Capstone’s C200 has increased since the company unveiled the product in the USA last September. Geenvironment Oy, Capstone’s distributor in Germany and Finland, purchased $3.8 million worth of C200 turbine systems for German biogas applications. BPC Energy Systems in Moscow has ordered approximately $3.5 million and Verdesis Suisse SA, Capstone’s Switzerland-based distributor, has ordered systems worth $2.5 million, to be deployed at biogas sites in Austria, Germany and Spain. IBT srl, Capstone’s Italian distributor, has also recently purchased C200s for local distribution.

The C200 is an upsized version of the same technology found in it’s 30 kW and 65 kW products, which have been installed in retail, oil and gas, manufacturing, landfill, wastewater and other commercial applications worldwide.

The company sees the main selling points of these units as their low greenhouse-gas emissions, that exceed some of the world’s toughest emission standards, their air-bearings, ease of installation (a single fuel and electrical connection} and low noise and vibration. They also benefit from Capstone's remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, and integrated utility synchronisation and protection. Five and nine year Factory Protection Plans are also available.

‘We’re extremely pleased with the success of our initial launch of the C200 and C1000 product families’ said Jim Crouse, Capstone’s sales vice president. ‘The volume of initial orders demonstrates the market’s interest in ultra-clean and highly reliable power generation solutions in the 200 kW to 5 MW space.’ Ilario Vigani, President of IBT srl, Capstone’s Italian distributor that has sold several C200s, added, ‘The C200 has opened up new market opportunities for us and we have exciting prospects that we expect will place more orders in the future.’