So reading a range of conference papers today and stumbled...

So reading a range of conference papers today and stumbled across some things that have helped me understand why France and Japan are .. well dead markets for us.

Firstly...why are we not hearing much from GDF Suez, despite the positive test data presented at conferences?

Well Gas and Power Prices

France
Natural Gas - 40.2 €/MWh
Electricity - 125.6 €/MWh

Germany
Natural Gas - 43.6 €/MWh
Electricity - 237.5 €/MWh

Italy
Natural Gas - 47.6 €/MWh
Electricity - 196.7 €/MWh

Spain
Natural Gas - 41.2 €/MWh
Electricity - 172.8 €/MWh

UK
Natural Gas - 31.3 €/MWh
Electricity - 138.6 €/MWh

So presumably beause of the nuclear reactors in France the ratio of gas price to power price means energy effecient mCHPs are not as attractive for their economy. Germany is obviously attractive economically

Japan
The factors that impact market prospects? Subsidies, FIT, CO2 taxation and local grid stability.

Japan does not have a FIT for mCHP. I never realised that they differentiated between mCHPs and likes of solar panels.

Hence why 700W units are normally used as reduces the cost of the unit as the only saving is to be from not using grid power, not selling back

So hopefully Honda, Panasonic etc, have hurt their appeal in Europe for their products as they have been tailored them for the Japanese market.

The electrical output of units in the Japanese Ene-Farm systems was reduced from 1 kW to 0.7 kW – as a result of there not being a feed-in tariff.


BlueGen
During discussions over technical merits of the units, including those on tial in Callux, ENE Farm etc there was this statement on BlueGen

"This is on a par with the latest generation of natural gas based combined cycle power plants in the MW scale. An exemplary system..."

It goes into some economics in Germany and reads well for gas companies who are losing market share due to thermal effeciencies of new buildings and reduction in gas usage.

So coem on Alliander and their need to support the roll out of SOFC mCHPs to protect their gas market by ensuring house holds use gas for heating and power.

After 2-3 hrs of reading I am still sitting here thinking we are in with a good shot here.