EBARA Corp. (Tokyo, Japan) announced plans to sell fuel cells at a discount to university researchers, charging them just 800,000 yen (US$6,717.04) for a 1.2kw-class power module. The sales will be made though Ebara Ballard Corp., a joint venture between Ebara and Ballard Power Systems Inc. (Vancouver, BC). The system that EBARA will sell to university researchers will include only the power module made by Ballard.
Ebara Ballard sells a fuel cell system for use as an emergency power source that is priced at 2.5 million yen, which combines a power module with control equipment, power converter and batteries. Many leading companies are developing fuel cells for vehicles and home cogeneration power systems, but by making it easier for academic scientists to get their hands on fuel cells, Ebara aims to create an environment that can nurture ideas and yield new applications.
