Renewable power for rebuilt World Trade Centre

Posted: 25 June 2008
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The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has reached an agreement that will make the redeveloped World Trade Centre the site of one of the largest fuel cell installations in the world.

The agreement, valued at $10.6 million, was reached with Connecticut-based UTC Power for equipment purchases to provide heat and power for the new towers.

The fuel cells, with 4.8 megawatts (mw) of generating capacity, will provide an on-site supplement to the renewable power and other clean energy the rebuilt World Trade Centre will receive via power lines from off-site sources.

Together with design measures to minimize energy use, the "green" power arrangements will achieve the goal of making the Freedom Tower and three other towers that are part of the Trade Centre a model for environmentally friendly energy and for energy efficiency.

The Freedom Tower is being developed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the other towers by Silverstein Properties.

"One of the most important building projects in the nation will be equipped with space-age energy technology that uses an electrochemical process to produce clean on-site power," said Governor David A. Paterson.

"The fuel cells and other measures will help make the new World Trade Centre towers an exemplar of environmental sustainability and will signal to the world New York State's commitment to greater energy security and reduced dependence on foreign oil. I can think of few sites in the country where the symbolism of this is more important."

"We are committed to helping make clean energy initiatives at the new World Trade Centre site a reality," said Roger B. Kelley, NYPA president and chief executive officer. "Fuel cells are one of the environmentally beneficial technologies that the Power Authority is investing in under Governor Paterson's leadership to combat greenhouse gas emissions and diversify the state's energy mix. To date, we've installed 15 fuel cells in New York City and other locations, and expect to add to this total in support of the Governor's ambitious goals for significant increases in the state's renewable power."

Fuel cells generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen in a chemical reaction. They require few moving parts, making them a quiet, reliable and safe source of power suitable for around-the-clock operation.

The buildings at the World Trade Centre site will also benefit from wind power-purchase agreements that NYPA reached in late 2006 with two renewable power developers in upstate New York on behalf of various governmental customers in New York City. They include the Port Authority, which is responsible for building several projects at the World Trade Centre site, including the Freedom Tower and Tower 5.

"With construction and real estate accounting for more than half of the region's carbon footprint, making our buildings green is one of the most important steps we can take to preserve our environment – a message we're driving home at every stage of the World Trade Centre project," said Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority.

The first of the fuel cells will be delivered to the Freedom Tower in January 2009. "When 7 World Trade Centre opened in 2006, it was the first office tower in city history to achieve official LEED certification as a green building," said Larry A. Silverstein, president and CEO of Silverstein Properties, citing the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Programme.

"We vowed then that each successive World Trade Centre tower would also be cutting edge in terms of environmental sustainable design, construction and operation.

More broadly, however, these buildings will be part of a new downtown neighbourhood that is fast becoming the greenest community in the city with both commercial and residential buildings that are sustainable, as well as new parks and waterfront access, and generous open spaces."

New York 's Renewable Portfolio Standard Programme seeks to increase to 25% the amount of the state's total electricity generated from renewable technologies such as fuel cells by 2013.