FUEL CELLS - THE ROAD TO COMMERCIALIZATION- Advances, Strategies Commercialization of PEM Stationary Fuel Cell Power Plants

摘要

Among the significant challenges that new technology companies in transition from an R&D focus to a product commercialization one, is the market acceptance of the technology itself. In fuel cells, there have been many major advancements in performance that have led to a significant shift in industry support for fuel cell technologies. While there will always be a need to promote the technology as is done in any industry, the key focus is now on bringing the product to market that meets customer performance, cost and reliability needs and requirements. This paper will present the steps that Ballard is taking in its efforts to commercialize fuel cells. It will discuss the challenges in integrating the various requirements of the customer, the manufacturing process and the fuel cell technologies themselves into a product. This will include a review of the organizational impacts along with the development of needed business processes and quality systems. The subject is uniquely reflected in the business and product development activities at Ballard Generation Systems, Ballard's stationary power subsidiary, as these activities incorporate a significant core technology strength and converges it with market vision as implemented by current strategy in the emerging stationary power market. Ballard Generation Systems (BGS) was formed in late 1996 as a venture between Ballard Power Systems and GPU International, an international energy company based in Parsippany, NJ. The focus of this venture is to commercialize fuel cell power plants for stationary applications using Ballard's PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell. This focus has gained increased momentum through the recent closing of the agreement with Alstom, an international energy equipment supplier headquartered in Paris, and signing of a detailed memorandum of understanding with EBARA Corporation, a developer, manufacturer and distributor of fluid and precision equipment, environmental engineering systems and a leader in zero emission energy technology, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. These strategic partnerships strengthen and add depth to BGS's global commercialization strategy and represent an additional infusion of manufacturing and marketing know-how into BGS, resulting in the achievement of yet another critical milestone in the pursuit of cost reduction, manufacturing and commercialization targets. Most recent and significant among these met milestones is the groundbreaking, earlier this summer of BGS's first commercial manufacturing facility in Burnaby, BC. It is this initial 110,000 sq. ft. facility that will manufacture BGS' stationary commercial product line to be launched into the market in the year 2001.