FuelCell to power pasta production

FuelCell Energy, based in Danbury, sold a 300-kilowatt fuel cell generation plant to power the processing facility of Carla's Pasta in South Windsor.

The plant will be operational in 2011 and provide for 60 percent of the energy needs of Carla's Pasta, which has made frozen pasta and pesto products for 29 years. The purchase of fuel cell power plant was funded in part by a $750,000 grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

The fuel cell will generate ultra-clean electricity while recovering the heat from its operations for the facility's heating and hot water.

"We operate our frozen pasta and pesto plant 24 hours per day and were attracted by the fuel cell power plant's reliability and energy security as it generates power right on our property," said Sergio Squatrito, vice president for operations of Carla's Pasta, in a statement.