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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: BLDP, TSX: BLD) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Burnaby, British Columbia |
| Key people | Ian A. Bourne, (Chairman), John Sheridan (President and CEO) |
| Industry | Alternative energy |
| Products | Fuel cells |
| Revenue | ▲$66 million USD (2007)[1] |
| Net income | ▲$-57 million USD (loss) (2007)[1] |
| Employees | 699 (2008)[1] |
| Website | www.ballard.com |
Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD, NASDAQ: BLDP), located in Burnaby, British Columbia -- a suburb of Vancouver -- is a company that designs, develops, and manufactures zero emission proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. This company has made a bus that uses only hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. No pollution is produced by this process, and the water is good enough to drink.
Ballard Power Systems was originally founded as Ballard Research by Dr. Geoffrey Ballard. The company went public in 1993 on the Toronto Exchange, and in 1995, listed on NASDAQ.[2]
Some of the work performed by Ballard has included commercialization of:
Ballard is a member of the British Columbia Technology Industry Association.
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Ballard Power Systems' main objective is to develop fuel-cell technology. Previously, Ballard had its focus within the automobile market, and fleet services, as well as co-generation systems and the manufacture of materials for the fuel-cell sector. However, in late 2007, Ballard pulled out of the hydrogen vehicle sector of its business to focus on fuel cells for forklifts and stationary electrical generation. The company sold its automotive fuel cell assets to Daimler AG and Ford Motor Company.[3] Research Capital analyst Jon Hykawy concluded that Ballard saw the industry going nowhere and said: "In my view, the hydrogen car was never alive. The problem was never could you build a fuel cell that would consume hydrogen, produce electricity, and fit in a car. The problem was always, can you make hydrogen fuel at a price point that makes any sense to anybody. And the answer to that to date has been no."[4]
Another perspective on the problems that companies seeking to commercialize Hydrogen fuel cell technology have faced, is that the technology would only be economical in a regulatory regime that imposed a significant price on fossil-fuel-generated carbon emissions, with a goal of effectively reducing such emissions and slowing global warming trends. Such regulation would render clean-source hydrogen technology economically viable, because carbon tax and emissions caps would not apply to it.
Unfortunately for the Energy R&D sector of which Ballard Power Systems is a part, no government has yet been willing to price Greenhouse gas emissions at any level that would have a material effect on fuel choice.
Although Ballard Power Systems is one of the larger companies developing fuel cell technology, its chief competitors include:
   | Official site - Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology, Hydrogen Power in Buses | Ballard Power |
| | Is Ballard a breaker? - Fool.com: Is Ballard a Breaker?[Rule Breaker] June 7, 2000 |
| | Article on Ballard's exit from the hydrogen vehicle industry - Hydrogen highway hits dead end |
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