Saint Marys Hospital Installs Fuel Cell Unit

WATERBURY, Conn. -- Saint Mary’s Hospital has installed a fuel cell unit powered on natural gas. The fuel cell unit will not only reduce the hospital’s electric bill substantially, an estimated $1.6 million over a 6-year period, it will also provide a more economically responsible power and address the causes and consequences of climate change.

Once the fuel cell unit is completely online, it will support Saint Mary’s main electrical system, and reduce the hospital’s reliance on the energy company. The unit will deliver power onsite 24/7 without interruption.

The fuel cell unit functions by converting natural gas into electricity through an electrochemical process without combustion at high efficiency. The sustainability benefits include:

• a nearly 13% reduction in CO2 emissions
• a reduction of air pollutants of more than 99%
• the use of less water by nearly 99%

“As a member of Trinity Health Of New England, Saint Mary’s seeks to incorporate technologies, when possible, that align with our core values. In this case the values of stewardship and justice,” said Kim Kalajainen, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer at Saint Mary’s Hospital. “Stewardship is about holding ourselves accountable for the human, financial and natural resources entrusted to our care. And Justice speaks to promoting the common good, including the sustainability of the earth. I’m delighted that we were able to make this a reality.”

Robert White, Director of Facilities for Saint Mary’s Hospital oversaw the project, “this was a great opportunity for us to improve operations here, while also working toward a greener planet with clean energy.”

Saint Mary’s Hospital is the first in the Trinity Health Of New England to install a fuel cell microgrid. It is in the Franklin Street parking lot, sandwiched between the visitor and physician parking lots. The project was completed in early October.