Ballard To Supply Fuel Cells For Clean BC Hydro Supplemental Power

Tag : power product

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jun 26, 2008 (Marketwire via COMTEX)----Ballard Power Systems (TSX:BLD)(NASDAQ:BLDP), a world leader inclean energy fuel cell products, today announced that it ispartnering with Dantherm Power A/S, a leading global manufacturerof fuel cell systems to provide BC Hydro, through its wholly ownedsubsidiary Powertech Labs Inc., with a 100 kW supplemental powerproduct for deployment in the community of Bella Coola, BritishColumbia. Ballard is supplying 60 units of its Mark1020 ACS(TM)fuel cell product, each sized to deliver 2 kW's of gross power,together with technical support services.
John Sheridan, President and CEO of Ballard, said, "Delivery of aclean supplemental power solution to a major public power utilityis an exciting new opportunity for fuel cell products. We areeffectively building on our partnership activities with Dantherm,with whom we have been providing fuel cell-based backup powersolutions for the wireless telecom industry. This project supportsour ongoing strategy to accelerate fuel cell product adoptionacross a growing range of applications."
The 100 kW supplemental power unit is a key part of BC Hydro'sHydrogen-Assisted Renewable Power (HARP) initiative. The productwill help reduce fuel consumption at the Ah-Sin-Heek diesel powergeneration facility, by increasing the utilization of existingrenewable power at BC Hydro's Clayton Falls hydroelectricgeneration facility near Bella Coola, a community of 2,500 peopleon British Columbia's central coast.
HARP is part of BC Hydro's efforts to facilitate the use ofrenewable power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in remotecommunities. The project is being funded by BC Hydro, GeneralElectric and the federal government through the SustainableDevelopment Technology Canada foundation. In addition to BellaCoola, there are over 50 remote communities in BC, and over 300across Canada, which are not connected to power grids or gaspipelines and could therefore benefit from alternative clean energysolutions.
Dantherm will provide system components and design work, as well asintegration expertise and the supplemental power unit will bedeployed by BC Hydro in 2009. Per Albaek, Managing Director ofDantherm Power A/S, added, "This contract with BC Hydro andPowertech Labs is not only evidence of opportunities for fuel cellsin emerging application areas like supplemental power, it is alsoan important stepping stone for Dantherm's participation in theNorth American marketplace."
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (TSX:BLD)(NASDAQ:BLDP) is recognized as aworld leader in the design, development, manufacture and sale ofclean energy fuel cell products. Ballard's mission is to acceleratefuel cell product adoption. To learn more about what Ballard isdoing with Power to Change the World(R), visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are based onthe beliefs and assumptions of Ballard's management and reflectBallard's current expectations as contemplated under section 27A ofthe Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of theSecurities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such assumptionsrelate to our financial forecasts and expectations regarding ourproduct development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and marketdemand. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that maycause our actual results to be materially different, including,without limitation, the rate of mass adoption of our products,product development delays, changing environmental regulations, ourability to attract and retain business partners and customers, ouraccess to funding, increased competition, our ability to protectour intellectual property, changes in our customers' requirements,and our ability to provide the capital required for productdevelopment, operations and marketing. Readers should not placeundue reliance on Ballard's forward-looking statements and Ballardassumes no obligation to update or release any revisions to theseforward looking statements. For a detailed discussion of the riskfactors that could affect Ballard's future performance, pleaserefer to our most recent Annual Information Form.
Ballard, the Ballard logo and Power to Change the World areregistered trademarks of Ballard Power Systems Inc.
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SOURCE: Ballard Power Systems Inc.