VANCOUVER, BC, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Ballard Power
Systems (TSX: BLDP) (NASDAQ: BLDP) today announced the
Company's plans to provide fuel cell modules to Sierra Northern
Railway (Sierra; www.sierranorthern.com) – the freight division of
privately-owned Sierra Energy Corporation, operating in
Northern California – to power a
zero-emission switching locomotive. A purchase order for the fuel
cell modules is expected to be issued by Sierra by mid-year 2021.
The pilot program will be partially funded by a $4-million award from the California Energy
Commission.
Sierra plans to retire a diesel locomotive and replace it
with a zero-emission switching locomotive powered by 200-kilowatts
of Ballard's FCmove®-HD
fuel cell module and involving the integration of hydrogen storage
together with advanced battery and systems control technologies.
Ballard plans to deliver
FCmove®-HD fuel cell modules to Sierra by 2022, and
Sierra intends to put the locomotive into service in
2023.
The new hydrogen-fueled switching locomotive will displace the
need for conventional diesel fuel and will facilitate the
improvement of local air quality as well as a reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions, noise and odor. The program will
establish a platform for widespread deployment in California, where more than 260 switching
locomotives and up to 500 intrastate locomotives are currently in
service.
Ballard will participate in the
program with a multi-company team and will provide applications
engineering and field support throughout a 6-month demonstration
period. The switching locomotive will be refueled at a new hydrogen
station to be constructed by Royal Dutch
Shell plc.
"We are pleased to partner with this great team to build and
test this innovative zero-emission switching locomotive. We believe
this project will help lead the switching locomotive industry to an
emissions free pathway in all ports in the State of California", said Kennan H. Beard III, President of Sierra Norther
Railway.
Tim Sasseen, Ballard Sales
Manager for California said, "We
are excited to be working with Sierra Northern Railway toward
demonstration of a fuel cell-powered switching locomotive at the
Port of West Sacramento. This is
another sign of increasing momentum in the deployment of
zero-emission fuel cell propulsion solutions in the rail industry
across numerous geographies, including North America. Fuel cells offer a compelling
value proposition for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Motive applications,
including rail, bus, truck and marine vessels, which we are keen to
demonstrate for a switching locomotive, in addition to our work
powering passenger and freight trains."
Short-line and switching locomotives account for a significant
share of the total locomotive energy use within the State of California, making short-line
operation an excellent testbed for the demonstration of
zero-emission technology. Most switching locomotives in
California use an average of
50,000 gallons of diesel per year, leading to a potential reduction
of more than 12-million gallons of diesel annually – approximately
equivalent to the fuel used by 20,000 light-duty vehicles.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems' (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) vision is to
deliver fuel cell power for a sustainable planet. Ballard zero-emission PEM fuel cells are
enabling electrification of mobility, including buses, commercial
trucks, trains, marine vessels, passenger cars and forklift trucks.
To learn more about Ballard,
please visit www.ballard.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning the
development, and delivery of the fuel cell products, and the
benefits and anticipated market adoption of them. These
forward-looking statements reflect Ballard's current expectations as contemplated
under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any
such forward-looking statements are based on Ballard's assumptions relating to its
financial forecasts and expectations regarding its product
development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market demand.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
Ballard's actual results to be
materially different, including general economic and regulatory
changes, detrimental reliance on third parties, successfully
achieving our business plans and achieving and sustaining
profitability. For a detailed discussion of these and other risk
factors that could affect Ballard's future performance, please refer to
Ballard's most recent Annual
Information Form. Readers should not place undue reliance on
Ballard's forward-looking
statements and Ballard assumes no
obligation to update or release any revisions to these
forward-looking statements, other than as required under applicable
legislation.
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SOURCE Ballard Power Systems Inc.