In energy generation, environmental loads caused by fossil fuels are o
ne of the motivations for the development of effective processes, incl
uding new technologies. According to a present assessment, fuel cell e
ngineering can reserve some niches in this decade from the point of vi
ew of costs. Technically almost mature is especially the phosphoric an
d fuel cell. Its use may make sense in the industrial range, if as an
industrial by-product hydrogen-rich gases are available, which can be
used as fuel for the fuel cell. In the present contribution, an applie
d case is described and some statements on the engineering and cost-ef
fectiveness are made.