Ballard in High-Volume Development and Supply Agreement for Fuel Cell Telecom Backup in India
09 October 2008
Ballard Power Systems has entered into a high volume development and supply agreement with an affiliate of the ACME Group and IdaTech LLC to supply net 5kW natural gas fuel cell products. The systems will be deployed by ACME, primarily for telecom backup power applications in India.
Ballard will supply these fuel cell products to IdaTech for integration into natural gas-fuelled systems. ACME and IdaTech will enter into an agreement to form a joint venture in India for the manufacture and assembly of this system. Ballard will be the exclusive supplier of fuel cells to this joint venture.
This agreement provides a binding commitment for the purchase of approximately 1,000 units in 2009 and 9,000 units in 2010, subject to meeting product design and acceptance specifications.
ACME, an infrastructure provider to telecom network operators, intends to deploy these systems for extended backup power for wireless base stations throughout India.
In consideration of ACME’s minimum 10,000 unit purchase commitment and its agreement to develop the market for fuel cell systems in applicable territories, Ballard has granted ACME exclusive rights for the sale and use of Ballard’s fuel cells for stationary power applications in the Indian subcontinent and for telecom backup power applications in the Middle East and Africa (excluding South Africa) through to mid-2011. The agreement provides options for extending these exclusivity provisions into 2011 and 2012, subject to additional binding orders by ACME for at least 10,000 units per year.
These agreements replace Ballard’s existing supply agreement with ACME and represent an increase in volume of at least three times. These agreements do not impact Ballard’s existing supply agreements with IdaTech for its iGen and ElectraGen products.
It might be a lot cheaper to us HCCI combustion engines..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 09 October 2008 at 06:57 PM
A 5kW NG fuel cell for use as stand-by power in India? I would interpret this to mean it must be low-cost, durable and reliable.
Sounds like Ballard is going to lose their shirt on this deal. Especially a few years down the road, after they've replaced most of the units 2 or 3 times under warranty.
I guess that's why they went bankrupt in the first place.
Posted by: terry | 10 October 2008 at 08:21 PM
The Honda combined heat and power units should be sold in a three pack engine unit for this use. Computers could sequence the load between the engines so that they all had long lives at much lower cost and complexity than fuel cells. The repair man could be called when the last one of the three was still running. The German Lion free piston steam alternator unit is interesting as well. I have liked fuel cells since the first were used but I have never seen a working one. There is now no reason not to fit an exhaust gas turbine-generator on any fuel burning engine. And stationary ones can have micro-geothermal units to get more electricity. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 10 October 2008 at 09:58 PM
Heh no as I said months ago the fuel cells are making massive progress. Most likely this contract is using thier latest gen of stack and thus has near a 10000 hour operating lifespan. Thus as backup it would need replacing about .... 2040.... In that large a number they should even be fairly cheap too and low low maintenance.
Posted by: wintermane | 11 October 2008 at 05:54 AM