Revolutionizing hydrogen power generation with Ballard and Element 1

Ballard Power Systems and Element 1, a pioneer in on-demand hydrogen technology, have engaged in a new collaborative project to develop hydrogen power initiatives and bring sustainable energy solutions to wider global markets incorporating heavy-duty transportation, off-road, and marine. 

The partnership aims to revolutionize the way industries generate and utilize hydrogen for a variety of applications, across mobility, stationary and maritime spaces by utilizing the partners' proprietary solutions and software to deliver long-term cost-effective operations. 

The program’s initial focus has seen the successful pairing of Ballard’s FCwave™ 200kW fuel cell engine with Element 1’s M/L18 hydrogen generator – which can produce 235kg of hydrogen daily. With the two solutions working in tandem, the result will deliver high-purity hydrogen in the range of 0.7-2.2 BarG.

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


The advanced fuel reforming and hydrogen purification technology converts the input into fuel cell grade high-purity hydrogen, on-site and on-demand, delivering the lowest total cost of hydrogen for refueling solutions.

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

Element 1's M/L series was designed to displace expensive and power-hungry electrolyzers with an affordable and scalable alternative that provides a significantly lower capital cost entry point for fuel cell-powered vehicles and material handling refueling applications.

"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 CEO & Co-Founder, Element 1

Ballard’s FCwave™ fuel cell module is the culmination of nine generations of product development and extensive field experience, and is tested and certified by DNV, Lloyd's Register and ABS for operation in marine environments. The module is scalable from 200kW to megawatts to suit a broad range of marine and stationary applications.