Element 1 Corp and Ballard Power Systems have joined forces to accelerate the adoption of sustainable hydrogen energy solutions. Specifically, the joint effort successfully paired Ballard’s FCwave 200-kW fuel cell module with Element 1’s M/L18 hydrogen generator (235 kg hydrogen per day), producing high-purity hydrogen in the range of 0.7 to 2.2 barg (bar gauge, which measures gauge pressure relative to atmospheric pressure).

This is a major breakthrough, since the typical FCwave hydrogen supply pressure range is 3.5 to 6.5 barg. This low-pressure result was achieved with Ballard-developed software modifications to the operation of the FCwave; no hardware modifications were implemented.

Element 1’s generators produce hydrogen that meets ISO 14687-2019 standards for PEM fuel cells. Using a feedstock comprising methanol mixed with water, the M/L18 hydrogen generator produces hydrogen on demand and at the point of use for a fraction of the cost of compressed or liquid hydrogen.

Additionally, the infrastructure and transportation challenges associated with handling compressed and liquid hydrogen are eliminated with methanol/water mix that may be handled, shipped, and stored using the same infrastructure developed over decades for handling other liquid fuels.

With a simple software upgrade, any deployed FCwave may be coupled to an M/L18 hydrogen generator to achieve immediate savings on operational costs. And if renewable methanol is used, the carbon intensity of the resulting electrical power will be very low.

—Dave Edlund, co-founder and CEO of Element 1 Corp

With expertise in small-scale reactor design and membrane-based hydrogen purifiers, Element 1 offers solutions for on-site hydrogen generation, grid-independent electrical power generation to support BEV charging and microgrid applications, and mobile (onboard) hydrogen generation (fuel cell electric vehicles).