Boeing delivered a fuel cell energy storage system to the US Navy for testing.

The system generates, compresses and stores hydrogen. When the grid demands power, it operates as a fuel cell, consuming the stored hydrogen to produce electricity. Boeing’s technology is unique in being able to both store energy and produce electricity in a single system, making the technology “reversible.”

This first unit was commissioned on the Southern California Edison power grid at Boeing’s Huntington Beach, Calif., facility before being installed for further testing on the Navy’s ‘microgrid’ at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center in Port Hueneme, Calif.

“This fuel cell solution is an exciting new technology providing our customers with a flexible, affordable and environmentally progressive option for energy storage and power generation,” said Lance Towers, director, Advanced Technology Programs. “Boeing is known for successful innovation and technology advancement. As the company begins its second century, it’s not surprising that we’d be at the forefront of helping solve the energy and technology challenges of the 21st century.”