“We are very pleased to receive this very important order that allows us to showcase our technology in a world class company at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” said Frank Trotter, President and CEO of General Hydrogen. “Bridgestone/Firestone has seen the operational and environmental benefits realized from this progressive technology and shown an industry leading initiative to further fuel cells’ commercial entry into the market place through their efforts with General Hydrogen.”

“Our hydrogen-powered Hydricity Packs, utilizing Ballard fuel cells, have shown excellent performance as a replacement for conventional lead-acid batteries and yield surprisingly short payback periods. These Packs will be used in material handling vehicles within the plant as part of the production process.”

“The material handling market, worldwide, employs hundreds of thousands of forklifts and specialty vehicles powered by conventional batteries which have, on average, less than half the operating time, before recharging, of our Hydricity Packs. Our technology can dramatically lower equipment operating costs and improve productivity,” said Trotter.

The Bridgestone/Firestone plant in Warren County produces truck and bus tires. The parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is headquartered in Tokyo and is the world’s largest tire and rubber company.

In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

General Hydrogen is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, near Vancouver. It is a private Delaware-registered company started six years ago by Dr. Geoffrey Ballard and Paul Howard, the original founders of Ballard Power Systems. General Hydrogen develops and is commercializing fuel cell systems and hydrogen fueling solutions for industrial vehicles and other off-road equipment.