National Research

From page 27

Industries Inc. will be receiv:
ing a $5 million joan, part of a
S$t4 million project through
the federal, government's
Climate Change Action Fund,
designed to develop Questor’s
Pulsar technology — further
applications for the industrial
gas market.

Ballard Power Systems, for-
mally located in North
Vancouver, is co-operating
with Questor in its fuel cell
research which has helped pro-
pel Canada as a world leader in

environmentally clean energy
products. Ballacd hay been a
key private partner, which has

helped tead the last 18 vears of

tue! cell research in Canada.

in its 20 years of operation.
Ballard has become an anchor
partner with the NRC in
developing fuel cell technoio-
gy; most notably lowering
vehicle emissions by designing
fuel cell powered buses used in
both Chicago and in
Vancouves.

Ballard is currently part
nered with Dainaler-Benz
(now DaimlerChrysler and has

THE Nationai Research Council’s innevation Centre
at UBC where a new $30 million fuel cell facility wiit

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north shore news

(ons os,

20% ownership) and Ford
(125% ownership) to develop its
own proton exchange mem-
brane tuei cells for heavy and
light duty transportation
couipment. The — research
aliiance has created Ecostar
Electric Drive Systems, Ballard
Automative and a fuel cell
engine company jointiy owned
by all three.

Rallard’s proton exchange
membrane (PEM) fuel cell,

UTO

which ix less complex than
those incorporating a fuel
Processor, weighs and costs
iess. The PEM) fue! cell has
been purchased by Nissan,
Honda, Volvo, ‘TransLink,
Volkswagen, the Chicago
Transit Authority and General
Motors.

TransLink is operating
taree fuel-celled buses in the
Lower Mainland. The buses,
along with three counterparts

Friday, August 13, 1999 ~ North Shore News — 23

in Chicago, are in the middle
of a two-year evaluation period
that ends neve fall.

Up uan! now the federal
government has invested over
$100 mitlion in fuel cell sys-
tems development, although
the private sector, whose finan-
cial stake is considerably larger,
has committed over ten dimes

that amount. The high costs of

developing fuel cell technology
are viewed as a worthy risk.

cuncil unveils new research wing

Once  compames like
Questor and Ballard can
reduce unit costs, improve the
power output aid mass pro-
duce fuel cell engines, then the
consumer can benefit by hay-
ing available affordable energy
efficient cars.

With energy in high
demand in many parts of the
world and rising global tem-

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