Ballard Power Systems has received an order from Weichai Ballard Hy-Energy Technologies Co. Ltd. for fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) under a long-term supply agreement.
Weichai Power Co. Ltd. is an investor in and strategic partner with Ballard. Under terms of a strategic collaboration between the companies, Weichai Power holds a 51% ownership position and Ballard holds a 49% ownership position in the Weichai-Ballard joint venture. The Weichai-Ballard production facility, located in Shandong Province, China, is expected to be commissioned and operational in the first half of 2020.
Once operational, the Weichai-Ballard production facility will begin the manufacture of next-generation LCS fuel cell stacks and LCS-based modules to power fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for the China market.
The Weichai-Ballard joint venture is expected to have initial production capacity of 20,000 fuel cell stacks, or 10,000 modules, based on a two-shift operation.
The purchase order, together with a fully operational fuel cell module factory, is expected to enable large-scale manufacturing of fuel cell products by the Weichai-Ballard joint venture in 2020.
