SFC Energy: EFOY Pro fuel cells deliver reliable off-grid power to seismic monitoring stations

• The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural (BGR) uses EFOY Pro fuel cells for ensuring 24/7 off-grid operation.
• SFC partner Udomi delivers EFOY Pro fuel cells, accessories, fuel cartridges and modules for remote monitoring of the fuel cells.
• Six months power autonomy without user intervention.

EFOY Pro fuel cells by SFC Energy AG (F3C:DE, ISIN: DE0007568578), a leading provider of hybrid power solutions to the stationary and mobile power generation markets, ensure reliable continuous operation of seismic monitoring systems of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural (BGR) during a ten months construction phase.

The seismic systems are part of the German Experimental Seismic system (GERES) network, which BGR operates in the Bavarian Forest in Eastern Bavaria, Germany. GERES is one of 300 installations in a worldwide network, monitoring the compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The systems monitor, localize and identify underground seismic waves created by earthquakes or explosions and report these measurements to the international headquarters in Vienna and the BGR German headquarters in Hanover.

During a ten months construction phase for extensive renewal of supply and data cables at the primary stations, ten temporary measuring stations are maintaining the GERES monitoring tasks.

To ensure 24/7 power supply to these off-grid stations, BGR uses EFOY Pro fuel cells by SFC Energy. The fuel cells are integrated into a weatherproof container together with the monitoring and communication equipment. EFOY Pros, accessories, fuel cartridges plus remote monitoring modules for the fuel cells were delivered by SFC partner udomi GmbH, Neuenstein, Germany, a renowned expert for industrial off-grid power solutions.

“Our customer BGR wanted a silent, reliable power supply to cover the construction phase of the GERES network. They also required six months of power autonomy, as the stations are difficult to access in snow,” says Udo Michelfelder, Managing Director of udomi GmbH. “EFOY Pro fuel cells deliver reliable, environmentally friendly power on demand, anytime, in any weather and season. Thanks to the high-energy density of the fuel, the fuel cells can autonomously operate the seismic systems for six months without requiring any user intervention. This high level of reliability is the reason why fuel cell power solutions by SFC Energy are used in a growing number of security and surveillance applications worldwide.“

Additional information on the SFC Energy’s off-grid power portfolio for defense, security & safety, oil & gas, wind, traffic management, environmental and telecommunications applications at www.sfc-defense.com, www.efoy-pro.com and at www.sfc.com