(Vancouver, Canada / Bolechowo, Poland) – Canadian company Ballard Power Systems Inc. is to deliver a total of 1.000 fuel cell engines to Polish bus manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. by 2027. According to Ballard, this is "the largest order in the company's history".
80 percent are 70 kW motors
The supply agreement consolidates existing orders for approximately 300 engines and adds expanded services to these existing orders. The 1.000 units include around 80 percent engines from the “FCmove-HD” series (70 kilowatts) and 20 percent “FCmove-HD+” (100 kilowatts) to cover both the 12-meter and 18-meter bus markets to serve throughout Europe.
The agreement begins “the next phase of Ballard and Solaris’ partnership to accelerate the deployment of fuel cell buses in Europe,” said Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and Chief Executive Officer.
Solaris sold a good 2023 vehicles in 1.450
According to its most recent annual report for 2023, Solaris sold a total of 1.456 vehicles. The company's sales amounted to 819 million euros, which corresponds to growth of over 18 percent compared to 2022.
The share of alternative drives at Solaris was around 2023 percent in 82. © Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z oo
The manufacturer had a cumulative market share of 2012 percent for zero-emission vehicles between 2023 and 14,5. Hydrogen, battery, trolley and hybrid buses exceeded 80 percent of the share of the sales mix last year for the first time in the company's history.
According to Solaris, it has a 14,5 percent share of electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles in Europe. © Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z oo
Last year, 44,5 percent of all hydrogen buses registered in Europe came from the Solaris factory. In 2023, the company also launched its products in Canada as part of its strategy to enter the North American market.
By the end of 2023, Solaris has received orders for 535 hydrogen-powered vehicles, with delivery dates between 2024 and 2026. In order to meet growing demand and increase production capacity, the manufacturer has just inaugurated a new hall for the production of hydrogen vehicles.
The bus manufacturer has already reported a number of orders for the hydrogen types Urbino 2024 and Urbino 12 for the first quarter of 18. For example, 20 will go to the German Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), five to APAM Esercizio SpA in Mantua (Lombardy, Italy). , 22 to Île-de-France Mobilités (France) and 23 to the German Lokale Nahverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Kreis Groß-Gerau (LNVG).
100 fuel cell engines for NFI
Just this January, Ballard announced a new long-term agreement to supply fuel cell engines to NFI Group Inc. , a bus manufacturer active in North America and Europe. This agreement covers all of NFI's major brands, such as New Flyer, Alexander Dennis, and MCI. Initially, at least 100 "FCmove-HD+" modules will be delivered this year, primarily manufactured at Ballard's Bend, Oregon, factory. These modules are designed for New Flyer's "Xcelsior CHARGE FC" fuel cell buses for use in Canada and the US states of California, Nevada, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Ballard headquarters in Burnaby near Vancouver, Canada. © Ballard Power Systems Inc.
Ballard is currently planning to build a fuel cell gigafactory in Rockwell, Texas. A few days ago, Ballard announced that it had received tax credits totaling $54 million (50,1 million euros) from the US Internal Revenue Service. These should flow into the construction of the new factory. This brings the investment funds to $94 million, after the company was able to book grants from the US Department of Energy totaling $40 million in mid-March. “We plan to start production of next-generation fuel cells by the end of 2027,” says Ballard. At that point, “due to our forecast growth and production volume, we are likely to reach the capacity limits of the existing North American production facilities.”
“Ballard Rockwall Giga 1” will be built on a 22-acre industrial site in Rockwall Technology Park. In Phase I, Ballard plans to invest approximately $2024 million from 2027 to the end of 160 in the construction and commissioning of the new production facility for membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), bipolar plates, stacks and motors. “We expect this to enable an annual production capacity of eight million MEA, eight million bipolar plates, 20.000 fuel cell stacks and 20.000 fuel cell motors per year, or the equivalent of three gigawatts of fuel cells,” says Mark Biznek, Ballard’s chief operating officer. The final investment decision will be made in the course of 2024.
Photos
“Jeżdżę na wodór” – “I run on hydrogen,” announces the “Urbino12” fuel cell bus from the Polish manufacturer Solaris in Poznan (Posen). The bus manufacturer has now ordered a total of 1.000 hydrogen engines from Ballard Power. © Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z oo
