Burnaby fuel cell maker Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) has landed an order for 102 of its fuel cell power generation systems to be used for backup power by Indonesian telecoms.
The power systems are being sold through Ballard’s new Southeast Asian distributor, Cascadiant Inc., which will deliver them to two Indonesian telecoms.
Ballard did not disclose how much the sale is worth to the company. However, each fuel cell power generator sells for between US$8,500 and US$27,000.
The systems will be used as backup power in the networks of two wireless telecom customers in Indonesia.
Power utilities can be unreliable in some counties (a massive blackout in India at the end of July being only the most recent example), and fuel cells are becoming cost-competitive with diesel generators because of rising fuel costs.
One of the challenges to using fuel cells for backup power has been the challenge of getting hydrogen. Ballard recently solved that problem with the acquisition of reformation technology made by IdaTech in South Africa.
The IdaTech system uses water and methanol to create hydrogen and is now being integrated into the Ballard power systems.
“Backup power solutions are, by their nature, critical elements of telecom networks,” said Marshall Towe, CEO of Cascadiant.
“Therefore, the decision to use fuel cell-based products has certainly been given careful consideration by our customers. Moreover, we are very pleased to be buying systems from Ballard, a clear leader in the fuel cell industry.”
