News

Ballard Pens Sales Agreement with M-Field for Clean Baseload Power Systems

January 09, 2014 by Jeff Shepard

Ballard Power Systems, Inc. today announced the sale of approximately 400 kilowatts (kW) of the Company's FCgen™-1300 fuel cell stack product to M-Field Energy Ltd., a Taiwan-based leader in the development of stationary fuel cell power systems. M-Field plans to integrate the Ballard fuel cell stacks into multiple 100kW fuel cell systems designed to provide base load power as part of a complete hybrid renewable energy solution, in combination with wind turbines or photovoltaic power. These will be deployed throughout Asia in regions where there is demand for zero emission energy sources as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Bin Hsu, M-Field CEO said, "Highly reliable fuel cell systems are the ideal way to overcome the issue of intermittent power availability often experienced with other renewable energy sources. Hydrogen and fuel cell technology will play an important role in the widespread adoption of alternative power generation."

Surplus solar or wind energy will be stored in the form of hydrogen, which will subsequently produce power when needed, by means of the fuel cell system. Proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems, such as Ballard's FCgenâ„¢-1300, are capable of load following and rapid startup at a low lifecycle cost.

Larry Stapleton, Ballard Vice President of Sales said, "This sales agreement is a positive reflection of the growing demand for clean fuel cell power solutions in Asia. We are pleased to extend our long-standing relationship with M-Field as it pursues larger-scale fuel cell opportunities in the region."

Ballard has supplied fuel cell stacks to M-Field over the past ten years, primarily for lower power backup power systems. Ballard's FCgenâ„¢-1300 fuel cell stack is a low-cost, liquid-cooled proton exchange membrane product specifically designed for stationary applications.