Ballard and Chart Industries join up on liquid hydrogen tech

Ballard Power Systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chart Industries for the joint development of integrated system solutions, including a fuel cell engine with onboard liquid hydrogen storage and vaporization for the transportation industry.

Both companies have provided hydrogen solutions and equipment to industry for multiple decades. This collaboration is to enable accelerated adoption of hydrogen in heavy-duty transport applications requiring long range, rapid refueling and lowest total cost, including marine vessels, buses, trucks and rail.

Liquid hydrogen is well-suited for the transportation industry as its higher density, lower pressure, and ease of filling via liquid hydrogen pump contribute to the ability for larger mobile equipment to travel longer distances similar to what is possible today with diesel fuel. As part of the development agreement:

Chart agreed to provide liquid hydrogen expertise from liquefaction plant to storage, fuelling and onboard tanks; extensive truck LNG tank experience; an existing liquid hydrogen onboard vehicle tank prototype design; fuel to vehicle connection/interface experience; LH2 test lab in Minnesota, US.

Ballard will provide Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology expertise; PEM fuel cell stacks, modules, and systems; fuel cell mobility experience with over 70m km of vehicle operation; market access to System Integrators and vehicle OEMs; fuel cell testing facilities in British Columbia, Canada, and Denmark.

Jill Evanko, Chart’s CEO and president, said: “Given both of our companies’ extensive experience in the Class 8 long haul truck, bus, rail and marine areas of transportation as well as hydrogen, this combination of expertise will create a unique, differentiated and cost effective solution for transportation customers as the industry moves to cleaner power.”

Randy MacEwen, Ballard president and CEO added: “Together with Chart, we intend to help simplify customers’ buying decisions, regardless of the specific Heavy-Duty Motive application being addressed.”