Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Vancouver, BC) and Alpha Technologies Ltd. (Burnaby, BC), a supplier of broadband uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems for the Canadian cable television market, have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and field test backup power systems.
The system will consist of Ballard's Nexa® RM Series fuel cell modules and an Alpha Technologies power supply and enclosure. The product will be integrated and tested by Alpha Technologies in 2004, and upon successful conclusion of the testing, will enter into field trials.
"As a leading supplier of UPS systems for the cable industry, we are seeing cable operators continuing their thrust into carrying telephony traffic over existing cable networks, and an increasing demand for reliable, long-duration, environmentally friendly backup powering of networks," said John Lee, vice president and general manager at Alpha Technologies. "Fuel cells offer an attractive alternative to batteries and generators for power protection applications requiring extended run-time capabilities. We are excited to be working with Ballard for the creation of a new backup power solution for CATV."
