Dr. Kevin Colbow reports

BALLARD RECEIVES ORDER FOR BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PROJECT WITH NISSHINBO

Ballard Power Systems Inc. has received a purchase order from Nisshinbo Holdings Inc. for the next phase of technology solutions project work related to the development of a breakthrough catalyst technology intended to reduce manufacturing costs of certain proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. The project has now been under way for approximately two years.

Nisshinbo is an energy company providing low-carbon, optimized products across a range of business lines, including chemicals, precision instruments, electronics, automotive brakes, textiles and paper. Nisshinbo has supplied Ballard with compression-molded bipolar-flow field plates for more than 10 years for use in the manufacture of PEM fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies used in various market applications.

In a PEM fuel cell, the MEA is formed by placing a catalyst coated membrane between two flow field plates. When hydrogen gas flows across one side of the MEA and oxygen moves across the other side, an electrochemical (non-combustion) reaction occurs, splitting hydrogen into protons and electrons. The electrons are captured as electricity. Combining fuel cells together to form multilayer stacks increases the amount of electricity that can be produced.

The volume of platinum catalyst coating material used in a fuel cell has been successfully reduced over time, so that today it represents approximately 10 per cent to 15 per cent of total fuel cell cost. The next phase of project work to be conducted jointly by Ballard and Nisshinbo will focus on a new PEM fuel cell catalyst technology that, on implementation, is intended to further reduce the cost of Ballard's air-cooled fuel cell stacks. These stacks are used in various market applications, such as telecom backup power and material handling.

Dr. Kevin Colbow, Ballard's vice-president, technology solutions, said: "At Ballard we are putting fuel cells to work. For over 30 years Ballard has been at the forefront of innovative developments in breakthrough technologies that make PEM fuel cells higher performing and lower cost. We are pleased to continue our multiyear collaboration with Nisshinbo as we work toward cost reduction of the air-cooled stacks used, for example, to provide backup power systems in wireless telecom networks."

Toshihiro Kijima, Nisshinbo's director, managing officer, added: "We are pleased with progress made in our joint work with Ballard and look forward to completing development of this new commercial technology in the forseeable future. This will position Nisshinbo even more strongly in the marketplace, with a unique capability."