ESG: Enabling the circular economy with effective materials management

As a long-term exponent of sustainable business practices, Ballard supports the circular economy, which builds economic, natural, and social capital by designing out waste and pollution, and keeps products and materials in use. Ballard works to reduce waste in operations, and to reuse the materials in its products as they reach end-of-life.

Ballard seeks to keep every one of its fuel cells in use for as long as practically possible. When products ultimately reach end-of-life, the company proactively seeks to keep its fuel cells out of landfills.

Every year, Ballard recycles and thoroughly refurbishes thousands of fuel cell stacks. Each stack is comprehensively refurbished re-using as many original components as possible to achieve the same performance specifications as new stacks. They are then shipped back to Ballard's global customers.

Engaging in innovative design to reduce raw material usage, Ballard's 8^th generation heavy-duty fuel cell engine, the FCmove^®, is designed with 50% fewer components than the previous generation, which also results in a smaller carbon footprint. When compared to the previous generation, the FCveloCity™, there is a reduction of 1,243kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (kgCO₂e), or a 20% reduction in a single unit’s carbon footprint.

To find out more about Ballard's ongoing ESG impact, download the company's full 2022 report here.