One Ford factory in Oakville, Canada has created an innovative process to capture harmful gases from their vehicle-painting facility and safely turn the fumes to electricity.
The paint fumes contain volatile organic compounds which act as greenhouse gases and pollutants. Typically, these gases would be incinerated, which while better than leaving the VOC’s alone, still produces excessive amounts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Ford has developed a much cleaner process to dispose of the gases.
Ford’s system converts the gases into fuel then fed through a molten carbonate fuel cell to produce about 300 kw of electricity-about what it takes to power 100 homes. The process reduces carbon emissions by 88 percent and eliminates nitrogen oxides entirely.
“The Oakville stationary fuel-cell system is the first of its kind worldwide to harvest emissions from an automotive facility,” said Matthew Daraskavich, the paint-systems engineer at the factory. “Fumes-to-fuel has the potential to significantly reduce manufacturing’s emissions in an environmentally sustainable process. It is very exciting in terms of its potential future applications to manufacturing.”
Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company
PDF 
“Ford’s system converts the gases into fuel then fed through a molten carbonate fuel cell to produce about 300 kWh of electricity-about what it takes to power 100 homes.”
Kilowatts (abbreviated kW) are units of power, kilowatt-hours (abbreviation kWh) are units of energy. 1 kWh = 1 kW for 1 hr.
So which did you mean? Is this power plant really producing 300 kW? Do you really think it’s possible to power a home on 3kW (less than 30 Amps @ 110V)? Or does the plant produce 300 kWh per … what? Year? Hour? Day?
Please try again.
You’re absolutely right. Thanks for the heads up, it is corrected in the post.
Turn waste pollution into something useful that saves money and is environmentally friendly… these are the solutions we need.
Ford sold me a “Pinto” – “Yankee Toaster” in 1973 – I will never forgive them for this atrocity, and I will never trust them ever again! This paint fumes thing sounds like a publicity stunt for good environmental reviews and is out of Character for this gang of blood-curdling gangsters that kept known deadly vehicles on the road for ROI, year end to year end! They are a “corporation” serving shareholders first, and only! Collateral damage, such as the many folk who were incinerated to yields higher ROI’s for their shareholders are not of consequence to theses guys! Beware! The same factory that cuts pollution in one corner probably commits environmental sins not revealed to and innocent public! There mandate: Server the shareholder! never forget that!
Truthfully, I had this idea years ago for the bodyshop business. In the 80′s when downdraft spraybooths became increasingly popular and everyone was concerned about the emissions and stuff, I thought….. they should feed the air and fumes being sucked out of the booth and run it through the bake apperatus as a fuel additive filtering the exhaust after, not before the floor filters. Thus, burning the waste particles and chemicals. Now I’m no chemical engineer and something would go into the air but I’m sure much less than normal emissions. Booth companies, get to work!