FuelCellsWorks

    -   One fuel cell bus will be operating in Palm Springs this year, and
        another in 2011
    -   These contracts are further evidence of growing market demand to put
        Ballard's reliable and durable heavy-duty fuel cell power modules to
        work in mass transit applications

VANCOUVER--Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ: BLDP) announced that it has entered into contracts for the supply of fuel cell power modules to power two different transit bus configurations at SunLine Transit Agency in Thousand Oaks, California. Under the Advanced Technology (AT) program, Ballard, ISE Corporation and New Flyer Industries have struck a deal that will provide SunLine Transit with a 40-foot fuel cell hybrid bus powered by Ballard’s FCvelocity(TM)-HD6 power module, similar to the twenty buses currently being operated in Whistler, B.C. This bus has been delivered and will be entering regular transit service in 2010. Under the National Fuel Cell Bus Program, Ballard will also supply an FCvelocity(TM)-HD6 power module for an El Dorado fuel cell hybrid bus featuring a series hybrid electric drive from BAE Systems, lead integrator for the bus. The fuel cell power module will be delivered this quarter and the bus will be delivered and operational in 2011. “Our goal is to deliver the benefits that fuel cells offer for a clean energy future, with the most efficient possible operation for our customers,” said John Sheridan, Ballard’s President and CEO. “These buses are further evidence of the commercial demand we’re seeing for Ballard fuel cell products. The buses for SunLine are above and beyond the twenty buses currently deployed in Whistler, and others slated for delivery later this year in London, Cologne and Amsterdam.” Ballard’s power module is a ‘plug-and-play’ fuel cell-based product that enables system integrators to build clean energy buses more easily and at lower cost. These power modules incorporate sub-system components addressing humidification, hydrogen pressure regulation, hydrogen recirculation, water management, ventilation and controls. Since these sub-system components and fuel cell stacks are optimized within a power module, they can be more readily integrated with the bus hybrid electric drive system. Ballard has a long history of working with SunLine Transit Agency, having powered a prototype New Flyer Industries fuel cell bus in the Palm Springs region between 1999 and 2002. “SunLine Transit Agency looks forward to adding these innovative new fuel cell hybrid vehicles to our existing fleet of clean, alternative fuel transit buses,” said General Manager C. Mikel Oglesby. “The advanced state of Ballard’s products and high level of performance made them a natural choice.” About Ballard Power Systems Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ: BLDP) provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. – UTC Power, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, today announced that its new 400 kW fuel cell system, the PureCell® Model 400, has been certified to meet the latest emission standards of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the strictest in the United States.

CARB has issued an Executive Order for Distributed Generation Certification to UTC Power for the PureCell Model 400 system. “We’re very pleased that our ultra clean and highly efficient 400 kW fuel cell model can now be sited at businesses in the important and growing California market,” said Neal Montany, director, UTC Power stationary fuel cell business.

The California Distributed Generation certification program requires manufacturers of electrical generation technologies that are exempt from district permit requirements to certify their technologies to specific emission standards before they can be sited in California.  The standards required are expressed in pounds per megawatt-hour and regulate nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds.

Fuel cells are one of the cleanest and most efficient energy-generation sources available and produce electricity, heat and water through an electrochemical process.

“The availability of incentive funding for clean energy alternatives in several states and rising electricity rates are stimulating interest in fuel cell systems,” Montany added. “Businesses that need power 24/7 and that can use the fuel cell’s thermal energy are especially well-suited for our PureCell Model 400 system since they can achieve unmatched overall system efficiencies of up to 90 percent, which translates to energy costs savings as well as reduced carbon emissions.”

In California, a new Whole Foods Market store under construction in San Jose, Calif., will be installing a UTC Power fuel cell system later this year.  And another UTC Power 400-kilowatt fuel cell will soon be installed at St. Helena’s Hospital in California’s Napa Valley.

UTC Power is part of United Technologies Corp. (UTC), which provides energy-efficient products and services to the aerospace and building industries. UTC is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index each year since it was launched in 1999. Based in South Windsor, Conn., UTC Power is the world leader in developing and producing fuel cells that generate energy for buildings and for transportation, space and defense applications. For more information, please visit www.utcpower.com

Wärtsilä and Hitachi Zosen have signed a business development agreement to develop and market fuel cell based power solutions for distributed power generation applications in Japan. The combined heat and power applications, which can be run on either city gas or bio gas, will feature the use of Wärtsilä’s fuel cell technology. The applications will be developed in cooperation by both companies, and marketed by Hitachi Zosen. Wärtsilä and Hitachi Zosen will utilize and combine their vast experience in technology and business development to provide this new and competitive power solution for the Japanese distributed energy markets.

“The co-operation between Wärtsilä and Hitachi Zosen provides an important opportunity to optimise future fuel cell products to meet customer requirements, and to facilitate optimal application development. We are very pleased to start this partnership with Hitachi Zosen in order to develop and introduce Wärtsilä’s fuel cell products to the Japanese market. This is an important step towards the commercialisation of fuel cell technology,“ says Mr. Erkko Fontell, Director, Fuel Cells, Wärtsilä Finland.

Wärtsilä and Hitachi Zosen have enjoyed more than 20 years of close co-operation in developing the sale and construction of Wärtsilä equipment to the Japanese energy market. Numerous Wärtsilä oil and gas fired power plants have been sold and constructed in Japan as a result of this co-operation.

Fuel cell power solutions – close to zero emissions

Fuel cells are considered to be one of the most exciting energy technologies for the future. Since Wärtsilä’s fuel cells can efficiently utilise natural gas, city gas, and biogas as fuel, they produce almost zero nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate emissions, all of which are harmful to the environment.

Wärtsilä places strong emphasis on developing and applying technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its products. The continuous development of more efficient, clean, and sustainable power solutions is an essential part of Wärtsilä’s strategy.  Fuel cell technology development supports this strategy by providing ultra clean and highly efficient solutions to the lower power range of Wärtsilä’s product portfolio.

Expertise in fuel cell technology

Wärtsilä is one of the world’s leading companies in the development of fuel cell products based on SOFC (planar solid oxide fuel cell) technology. The development is supported by close collaboration with Danish Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Wärtsilä has delivered a fuel cell unit producing electric and heating power to the Vaasa Housing Fair site in Western Finland. This groundbreaking Wärtsilä FC20 has proven to be extremely successful. The power generating unit, which runs on landfill gas, has been in operation for more than 1500 hours, producing electricity and heat for local households without creating any significant levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Wärtsilä’s competence centre for fuel cell technology is located at Otaniemi in Espoo, Finland. Operation of the fuel cell unit is supported by personnel from Wärtsilä’s engine laboratory in Vaasa, Finland.

BEND, ORE.,–IdaTech, a global leader in the development and manufacture of clean and reliable extended run backup power fuel cell products, today announced that its fuel cell system provided power to the floating Olympic Rings in Vancouver’s harbor. The power source for the 30-foot tall rings alternated between a bio-diesel generator and IdaTech’s ElectraGen™ H2 zero emission hydrogen fuel cell system providing an environmentally friendly source of power.

During the Vancouver Olympics the Province of British Columbia encouraged the industry to utilize clean energy technology.  IdaTech’s ElectraGen™ H2 fuel cell system was selected as a source of reliable power to serve as an example that clean energy can be generated for applications in remote locations.

The ElectraGen™ H2 is a hydrogen fueled proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system.  Fuel cells are solid state electric generators that combine the best attributes of generators and batteries. PEM fuel cells only emit water vapor and heat, producing zero greenhouse gas.  PEM fuel cells operate quietly and cause almost no vibrations.

IdaTech has recently sold over four hundred of these ElectraGen™ H2 fuel cell units to provide backup power to telecommunications networks in India and Asia, where grid reliability and low emissions are a priority.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will hold a Fuel Cell Pre-Solicitation Workshop on March 16-17, 2010 at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel (PDF 704 KB) in Lakewood, Colo. DOE invites the fuel cell research community and other stakeholders to participate in a discussion of the most relevant research, development, and demonstration topics in fuel cells and fuel cell systems appropriate for government funding in stationary and transportation applications as well as cross-cutting stack and balance-of-plant component technology.

Input from workshop participants and from the DOE Request for Information (PDF 35 KB) will be used to assist in the development of a planned Fuel Cell Funding Opportunity Announcement with awards anticipated in FY 2011.  Interested parties are asked to RSVP for the workshop to FCTfuelcells@go.doe.gov by March 8, 2010. To assist in your travel planning, the following schedule is anticipated: March 16, 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm MST; March 17, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm MST. An agenda will be posted at a later date on the DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Program Web site.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel for March 15 – March 18 at the discounted rate of $129/night. To get this rate, either call the hotel directly at 303-987-2000 and mention the DOE workshop or go to on-line registration and click on “book a room” on the upper right.

For those who cannot attend the workshop in person, a Webinar will be offered on the first day of the workshop (March 16). Those participating via Webinar will be able to submit written questions or comments, which will be addressed as time permits during the open discussion periods of the workshop. Please register online if you plan to participate via Webinar