Doosan and Ballard partner for hydrogen fuel cell system development
May 3, 2022The companies are collaborating to develop units that will be appropriate for mobility applications.
Doosan Fuel Cell has entered into a partnership with Ballard Power Systems for the development a hydrogen fuel cell system for mobility.
Doosan will be working with the Canadian polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) manufacturer.
The PEMFC will be developed primarily for mobile applications such as transport, in addition to certain portable and stationary hydrogen fuel cell system applications. The reason it is suited to those applications is that it features high energy efficiency, substantial durability, and simple structure.
The smaller-sized units are installed into eco-friendly vehicles such as full-size sport utility vehicles (SUVs). On the other hand, the larger units are meant for applications such as in power generators.
Doosan and HyAxiom, its US subsidiary, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ballard in Connecticut at the HyAxium headquarters.
The Ballard PEM hydrogen fuel cell system provide units particularly suitable for mobile.
The PEM units use a solid polymer membrane, which is essentially a thin film of plastic. It allows protons – positive particles – to pass through it when it is saturated with water. That said, it does not allow electrons – negative particles – to pass through. HyAxiom works in phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC), which use an electrolyte in the form of liquid phosphoric acid.
According to Doosan, the three companies are seeking to preoccupy the global market with considerable growth potential by working together in the development and mass-production of PEM hydrogen fuel cell system units for mobility, as well as to sell H2 buses and supply H2 and electric charging stations. In South Korea, they are aiming to pilot a domestic H2 bus business next year, and plant to launch buses equipped with the HyAxiom units for mobility by the year after that.
“This agreement is meaningful in that it is a strategic alliance in which the three companies enter not only domestic but also global markets together,” said Chung Hyung-rak, CEO at Doosan in an April 28 statement. “We will actively foster PEMFC for hydrogen mobility as Doosan Fuel Cell’s new growth engine along with solid oxide fuel cells for marine mobility that is currently being developed.”
Ballard has huge experience in the manufacture of heavy duty PEM fuel cells for transport, but they are still a relatively small company, so I hope that Ballard’s legal department are aware of the dangers of “memorandums of understanding” to avoid having their technology and experience stolen from them by big Doosan. It would have been safer for Doosan to have invested money in Ballard.