Coherent looking for new hydrogen fuel cell pad in Clinton Township
Clinton Township-based manufacturing company Coherent plans to add a second fuel cell pad to power its facility on Saxonburg Boulevard, a move that would augment the fuel cell pad the company already has.
The second pad would be constructed by Bloom Energy, a company specializing in such projects. The fuel cell system is powered by natural gas, which is converted into electricity through an electrochemical process.
“They currently have a fuel cell in the front of the facility approved in the last few years,” said township director Ashley Kohley. “They are just adding another is my understanding.”
The proposal for the second fuel cell pad came before the Butler County Planning Commission on Wednesday, Sept. 18, which had no objections. The proposal is also currently working its way through Clinton Township’s planning commission.
“This project is not currently approved (by the township) but it’s begun the review process with the planning commission,” Kohley said.
According to Kohley, the fuel cell pad would supply energy to be used only by the Coherent facility.
Coherent, then known as II-VI, installed its first fuel cell pad in 2022 after receiving approval from the township supervisors that May. According to the minutes of that month’s board meeting, the installation is used to power the boilers and chillers on the main campus, and generates 1.5 megawatts of power.
At the 2022 meeting, Coherent plant manager Todd Pfeifer said the facility might need even more power within three years, a prediction which did come to pass.
The company also contracted with Bloom Energy in 2019 to install a 2.5-megawatt “microgrid” power system at their facility in Warren, N.J.
