16 November 2009 - Ireland-based Bord Gais has signed a EUR1.8m ($2.7m) deal with UK-based Ceres Power to provide small scale combined heat and power products to the residential market in Ireland.

The small scale combined heat and power (micro-CHP) products are based on fuel cell technology and operate on natural gas. Development and trialing of the products in Ireland and Northern Ireland is expected to begin in 2010 with a full market rollout in 2012.

Ceres and Bord Gais have said that they will provide energy efficient solutions for new homes and the boiler replacement market, enabling convenient, low carbon, cost-competitive energy with this environmentally friendly product.

John Mullins, CEO of Bord Gais, said: "It makes sense to use fuels as efficiently as possible. Micro-CHP uses revolutionary technology that is much more efficient than the current alternative, a combination of heat from a boiler plus power from the mains grid, and will offer customers lower energy costs and reduced carbon emissions."