Element 1 Corp, the developer of on-demand hydrogen generation technology, and Ballard Power Systems, will collaborate to accelerate the adoption of sustainable hydrogen energy solutions, according to a news release.
The joint effort successfully paired Ballard’s FCwave™ 200-kW fuel cell module with Element 1’s M/L18 hydrogen generator (235 kg hydrogen per day), producing high-purity hydrogen in the range of 0.7 to 2.2 barg.
“This is a major breakthrough, since the typical FCwave™ hydrogen supply pressure range is 3.5 to 6.5 barg,” the release states. “This low-pressure result was achieved with Ballard-developed software modifications to the operation of the FCwave™; no hardware modifications were implemented.”
Element 1’s generators produce hydrogen that meets ISO 14687-2019 standards for PEM fuel cells. Using a feedstock comprising methanol mixed with water, the M/L18 hydrogen generator produces hydrogen on demand and at the point of use for a fraction of the cost of compressed or liquid hydrogen.
Additionally, the infrastructure and transportation challenges associated with handling compressed and liquid hydrogen are eliminated with methanol/water mix that may be handled, shipped, and stored using the same infrastructure developed over decades for handling other liquid fuels.
Dave Edlund, co-founder and CEO of Element 1 Corp: “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.”
