June 17, 1994 88 puges

OF NORT

Office, Editorial 985: 2131

Ballard Power Systems
lands $3.7M sub contract

NORTH VANCOUVER’S
Ballard Power Systems has
signed a $3.7 million con-
tract with the Canadian
Department of National
Defence (DND) to develop
and build a Ballard Fuel Cell
power plant demonstrator
for a submarine with
increased endurance and
stealth capability.

By Kate Zimmerman
News Reporter

The prototype 40-kilowatt
power plant should be completed
by December 1996.

Ballard and DND have been
working together since 1990 to
determine whether Ballard’s propri-
etary Proton Exchange Membrane
(PEM) fuel cells could be used in
submarine power plants. Their
research indicates that the integra-
tion of the non-polluting PEM fuel
ceils could extend submerged
endurance ten-fold.

Use of the fuel cell would also
cut the heat and noise produced by
submarines thereby improviny their
stealth characteristics,

Though the monetary value of
the contract is about average for
Ballard, the arrangement is a coup
for both the power systems compi-
ny and DND. Only Germany has a
similar power plant prototype.

As a result of the agreement
with DND, Ballard could land con-
tracts from other countries to build
power plants for their submarines
and naval vessels.

“We are excited about this
opportunity to expand our work
with the Canadian Department of
National Defence.” said Mossadiq
Umedaly, Ballard’s vice-president

and chief financial officer.

“In addition to providing strate-
gic advantages over diesel sub-
marines, Ballard PEM fuel celts
could provide conventional sub-
marines with many of the advan-
tages of nuclear-driven vessels with
far lower infrastructure und waste
disposal requirements, less environ-
mental risk, and at lower cost.

“This project positions Ballard
for export of these power plants to
other navies and it has clear bene-
fits for Ballard’s product develop-
ment in our primary stationary and
transportation markets.”

Umedaly said a team of six will
work on the project: the company
will be hiring two mechanical engi-
neers to uuginent existing staff.

Ballard Power Systems is a

world leader in the development of

fuel cell power systems, ft began
developing its environmentally
friendly power technology on the
North Shore [1 years ago.

The Ballard fuel cell is a propri-
etary zero-emission engine that
converts natural gas ar methanol
fuel directly into electricity without
combustion,

Daimler-Benz, General Motors
and The Dow Chemical Co. are
some of the leading international
companies that are using Balla'd
fuel cells to develop zero-emission
vehicles (ZEV) and clean stationary
power plants that would generate
electricity for buildings.

Last June, Ballard unveiled a
ZEV bus powered by 24 fuel-cell
stacks, which convert hydrogen and
air into heat, pure water and the
electricity that drives the bus’ clee-
tric motor. The bus was built for
B.C. ‘Transit, A demonstration feet
bus as expected to be completed by
1996 and a commercial version,
which would carry 75 passengers,
should be ready by 1998,

index

Classified.
@ Comics

B Crossword ...
B Insights...

Trevor Lautens ee

@ Mailbox.

@ News of the Weird.

Lagaitetn my,
‘ er
Btn

ae Meawsaanine,

Display Advertising 980-0511 i

eae

So eee

aon

‘SDS

FRIDAY

SITTING PRETTY

While gardeners stant to enpos
the tests of them ethos,
there's still much to be done

Classifieds 986-6222

THE = DISCOVERY

[and Rover's new
sportutility vehicle ts
retthiscent af the past

Distribution 986-1337

Weather

Saturday: cloudy with sunny periods, JOG clrince of showers
high 20'C, low EEC

NEWS phnto Mike Wakefield
CHAIN OF protest: North Vancouver businesswoman Andrea Scotland sips
Perrier water while chained to a logging truck Wednesday. Scotland claims the
GVRD is misleading people when it says logging is necessary in the water-
shed. See story page 5.

Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238