Ford to Turn Paint Fumes into Electricity

September 06, 2007

All those shiny new cars, all that glossy paint, all those greenhouse gas-polluting paint fumes, but not for a plant in Ontario.

The company announced it will purchase a DFC300MA fuel cell from FuelCell Energy, Inc. for its Ontario facility that will reduce paint solvent emanating from vehicle painting operations by turning the fumes into 300 kilowatts of electricity. The fuel cell can transform Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from enamel-based paints and clear coat finishes into fuel.

That means thousands of tons of nitrous and sulfur oxides and carbon dioxide will be eliminated.

The fuel cell should be in place and working in early 2008, and over time Ford may rollout the system in its other plants.

It's good news for the environment, and for FuelCell Energy, Inc. shareholders, whose shares rose after the announcement on Aug. 30.