DCH Technology Inc. (Valencia, CA) announced that Daido Metal Ltd., (Nagoya, Japan) DCH's joint venture partner for the manufacture and sale of fuel cells in the Asian markets, has sold its first 12W/12V portable fuel cells to targeted customers in the Japanese automotive, electronics manufacturing and highway sign industries.
The fuel cells were sold through NeWave Fuel Cell Corp., the 50-50 joint venture between DCH and Daido. Daido said they sold nearly two-dozen prototype units for specific applications. Daido anticipates strong long-term demand for the fuel cell and has invested approximately US$1.0 million to date in equipping a development and manufacturing facility to design and handle commercial volumes. They plan to announce a timetable for initial commercial introduction by the end of the year.
"Japan and the rest of Asia are going to be very important markets for fuel cells, and we are pleased to have such a well-respected partner as Daido, their reputation in the region as a responsive, high-quality manufacturer is second to none," said John Donohue, DCH president and CEO. "Since forming our joint venture last November, Daido has worked very aggressively to develop and demonstrate the NeWave fuel cell to their customer base. We are just beginning to see the results."
