Greentech Lead Canada: Ballard Power Systems has
commissioned a 1.1-megawatt ClearGen fuel cell system installed at the Toyota
Motor Sales U.S.A. (TMS) sales and marketing headquarters campus in Torrance,
California.
Powered by Ballard’s proprietary proton exchange membrane
(PEM) fuel cells, the ClearGen system enables Toyota to satisfy peak and
mid-peak power needs using electricity from either the clean energy fuel cell
system or from the power grid.
Project funding is also being provided through
California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).
Hydrogen fuel is delivered directly to the system by means of an existing
pipeline, which also supplies a local fuel cell vehicle fueling station.
Pipeline hydrogen used on Toyota’s campus will be offset with the purchase of landfill
generated renewable bio-gas.
“Toyota is taking advantage of the inherent load-following capability of PEM
fuel cells,” said Paul Cass, Ballard vice president of Operations. “The
flexibility of our scalable ClearGen system is such that it can operate
intermittently to provide peak power during times of high demand or
continuously to meet baseload power needs.”
This project represents the first deployment of a Ballard stationary fuel cell
power generation platform, the development of which was supported by funding
from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), an arm’s-length,
not-for-profit corporation funded by the Government of Canada that helps
commercialize Canadian clean technologies, readying them for growth and export
markets.
“This announcement clearly shows the bottom-line impacts of clean technologies:
saving money, improving efficiency and making the most of resources,” said
Vicky Sharpe, president and CEO of SDTC. “We congratulate Ballard on reaching
this important milestone and Toyota on showing leadership through early
adoption.”