Ballard Supplies Fuel Cell System for Innovative H2 Evora Project in Portugal
Vancouver, Canada - As global activity to build the hydrogen economy increases, so does the pace of development of technological solutions. Ballard Power has now received an order for a fuel cell module for a pilot project that will use solar-generated hydrogen.
Ballard supplies fuel cell for use of solar-generated hydrogen
Ballard Power Systems has received an order from Fusion-Fuel, a green hydrogen solutions company headquartered in Portugal, to supply a 200-kilowatt (kW) FCwaveTM fuel cell module.
The fuel cell module will be integrated into Fusion-Fuel's H2 Evora project in the Evora region of Portugal. The project will use Fusion-Fuel's new HEVO electrolyser combined with a solar unit to produce green hydrogen, part of which will be recycled back into electricity via the Ballard fuel cell module. Ballard plans to deliver the module later this year.
The H2 Evora project will be Fusion-Fuel's first solar-hydrogen plant, consisting of 15 HEVO solar generators with Fusion Fuel's latest generation HEVO electrolyser. Nearly 15 tonnes of green hydrogen will be produced annually. Part of this hydrogen will be used to produce more than 240,000 kilowatt hours of electricity generated by the Ballard fuel cell module, which will be fed into the Portuguese grid during periods of peak demand. In addition to being used for electricity generation via the fuel cell, the hydrogen will be used for proportionate blending into the natural gas grid and for industrial applications.
Fusion Fuel's electrolyser solution simultaneously uses solar power and heat for H2 production
Fusion Fuel's HEVO electrolyser is small, lightweight and can be mass produced. It is combined with a highly efficient solar cell. More than 100 of these HEVO electrolyser units are combined with a specially designed CPV (Concentrated Photovoltaic) solar panel to create the HEVO Solar product, which can harness solar energy - both electrical and thermal - to produce green hydrogen. According to Fusion Fuel, the system can convert more than 40 per cent of the solar energy into electricity and use the remaining 60 per cent as thermal energy, which improves the efficiency of the HEVO electrolyser.
"Collaboration with Ballard Power Systems is an exciting and strategic development, since the combination Fusion Fuel’s technology with Ballard’s market-leading PEM fuel cell system can provide an interesting off-grid power solution," said Fusion Fuel's head of business development João Wahnon. "Fusion-Fuel’s H2Evora project is an exciting step in the demonstration of sustainable electricity generation at competitive cost," said Ballard CCO Rob Campbell, welcoming the collaboration.
Ballard share must give back some of the gains
Following the announcement of the order, Ballard Power's share price was among the best performing RENIXX stocks on Wednesday, rising 8.8 per cent to 13.82 Euro (closing price 28.07.2021, Stuttgart Stock Exchange). In yesterday's trading, the share had to give back some of its gains. The share price fell by 2 per cent to 13.55 Euro (closing price, 29.07.2021, Stuttgart Stock Exchange).
Source: IWR Online, 30 Jul 2021
