Ballard signs $12M agreement for 15 kW fuel cell stacks for commercial bus range-extenders in China
22 January 2016
Ballard Power Systems signed an Equipment Supply Agreement (ESA), valued at $12 million, with Guangdong Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Synergy) to provide FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stacks for use in commercial buses in China. Ballard expects to deliver the stacks in 2016 and 2017.
Each FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stack will deliver approximately 15 kilowatts (kW) of power, appropriate for range-extension applications. The ESA for fuel cell stacks signed today is in addition to agreements that Ballard previously announced for heavy-duty power applications in China. (Earlier post, earlier post, earlier post.)Synergy will collaborate with Dongfeng Xiangyangtouring Car Co., Ltd. (DFAC), which is part of Dongfeng Motor Corporation, a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan. Dongfeng Motor Corporation is the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in China.
The previously announced agreements reflect $27 million in relation to more than 330 buses, and also reflect $9 million in relation to 10 urban trams together with related product development activities.
The momentum we have been experiencing over the past year in China has been primarily driven by heavy-duty motive power applications, specifically to power mass transit buses and urban trams. This ESA builds on that momentum, as Ballard’s leading PEM technology will be deployed for range extension applications in commercial buses.
We are pleased to see DFAC supporting the largest planned deployment of fuel cell hybrid commercial vehicles globally. And, this agreement contributes to a record sales order book for Ballard, as we begin 2016.
—Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and CEO
Ballard’s FCvelocity–9SSL fuel cell stack is a derivative of its work in automotive fuel cell technology. The stack, which offers scalable power output from 4kW to 22kW, is liquid cooled for high durability and is rated at a 10,000 hour lifetime.
The FCvelocity-9SSL fuel cell stack is widely deployed in Plug Power’s line of GenDrive fuel cell systems for electric lift trucks. In addition, this fuel cell stack product is integrated into Ballard’s FCvelocity-HD7 motive module to power transit buses and light rail vehicles.
This is the current sweet spot for fuel cells.
Providing the hydrogen in the bus depot is not difficult, with no need of a widespread infrastructure.
Over an 8 hour day, depending on how the fuel cell is set up regarding maximum versus typical output, then you would get out up to 120 kwh, which would need a stonking great battery to equal.
Many working days for buses are far longer, too.
If refuelling is needed on longer routes then it is also straightforward to set up additional pumps where appropriate, as the French have done in the Alpes Maritime for their substantial fleet of Renault Kangoo ZE postal delivery vehicles with Symbio REs.
In colder climates such as the Alpes Maritime in winter, the excess heat from the fuel cells also keeps the cabin warm and the battery at optimum temperature, further widening the performance gap with what is possible with batteries alone.
Posted by: Davemart | 22 January 2016 at 04:58 AM
You don't need a FC for short run busses; only a quick charge at the end of each leg.
Still got the problems of creating h2 from smog and ghg producing fossil fuel, transporting ultra high pressure gas in poorly maintained pipelines, storing and working with ultra high pressure tanks with h2 which has a propensity to leak away at the atomic level...bad gas to work with.
Posted by: Lad | 22 January 2016 at 07:28 AM
Lad,
Where does the electricity come for the EV?
Mostly "smog and ghg producing fossil fuel".
Posted by: SJC | 22 January 2016 at 11:28 AM
Huh?
Basically taking methane with 20ghg points and turning it into CO2 which is 1 point global warming potential probably should be seen as a good thing... It can fill the status quo too. I don't know where the smog comes from, electrolysis?
Smog I thought came from hydrocarbons escaping gas tanks /pumping stations/ and tail pipes and carburetors.... And then reacted with sunlight... I forget what compound smog is by definition, but I didn't know h2 was a contributor.
I think Dave said it best, it's a good spot for FCs and I've mentioned this before, moderately large battery and tiny fuel cells can enable very large range without turning to incredibly large amounts of batteries.
Posted by: CheeseEater88 | 22 January 2016 at 10:14 PM
NOX comes from gas turbines as well.
Posted by: SJC | 23 January 2016 at 10:27 AM
GHG is mute point for china, They need to stop NOX and particulate matter in their cities
and stop the growth of individual cars. The hydrogen economy will come when the demand is there from FC buses and cars. FC is much better then lawn mower 2 stroke engines like the Chevy Volt hybrid. Hyper solar will enable bus depots to make 100's of kg of hydrogen through out the day for nightly refills. math should be around 10 kg per acre of solar collectors per Hr. They will be buoyant like a balloon.
Posted by: solarsurfer | 24 January 2016 at 02:18 PM
Capstone turbines can actually eat smog. Where natural gas is available, Large business buildings could use the turbines to supply cleaner air directly with the cooled exhaust of the turbine. Turbines use only a small part of the oxygen in the air so that the machine does not melt. Turbines produce only very small amounts of nitrogen oxides but decompose most of those in the intake air along with many other smog producers. Hydrogen can power turbines easily.
I once proposed that Hydrogen be piped to all fuel users in a city because it could be made from coal cheaply and it still can and is. It only has one third the volume energy density of methane but flows easier.
This does not compensate fully perhaps, but new plastic pipes can be made very large and can be installed for the same excavation cost as a small pipe. A century ago coal gas was a mix of hydrogen and carbon-monoxide and also had only the energy density of hydrogen but did not flow as well. Hydrogen does not need a pilot light in gas appliances, as a small bit of platinum sponge will light it. The CO2 made when producing hydrogen from coal or gas can be captured easily when so concentrated.
Vehicles can be fueled with ethanol or butanol or dimethylether in diesels for much cleaner air. Propane can be added to the intake air of Diesel engines up to 90 percent of the fuel required for much cleaner exhaust without much modification of a vehicle.
Series Artemis Intelligent Power hybrid automobiles can reduce fuel use by half and pollution production the same or more. This would be far less costly than electric motor hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and more fuel efficient and can still even burn hydrogen. Some internal combustion engines have efficiencies close to fuel cells, and better if conversion from hydrocarbon is used. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 26 January 2016 at 10:39 AM