Burnaby-based fuel cell maker Ballard Power Systems Inc. (TSX:BLD) is going bigger than ever before with the recent successful test run of a utility-scale generator using the company’s proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
Ballard said in a release Tuesday that its next steps are to install and commission the system – which was tested recently to a power capacity of one megawatt – for a multi-year demonstration at FirstEnergy Generation Corp.’s Eastlake plant in Ohio.
Ballard said it designed the generator to provide clean energy peaking capacity, which is particularly useful during heavy energy demand periods in the summer months, and as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to diesel and coal power generation.
The generator is transportable so it can be relocated to other sites on a seasonal basis.
Ballard COO Michael Goldstein said the commissioning of the system, which is expected to occur in the third quarter, would be an important first for Ballard.
Once the generator is up and running, it is believed to be the largest PEM fuel cell generator deployed worldwide.
Ballard’s share price range during the past week: between $1.87 and $1.92; 52-week high: $3.45; 52-week low: $1.61.