Ballard Power Systems has received a purchase order for one of its 200-kW FCwave fuel cell modules from Fusion-Fuel to be integrated into Fusion-Fuel's H2Evora project in the Évora region of Portugal. The H2Evora project will use Fusion-Fuel's new HEVO electrolyzer design to produce green hydrogen that will power the FCwave module for generation of zero-emission electricity. Ballard plans to deliver the FCwave module to Fusion-Fuel this year.

Fusion-Fuel's HEVO electrolyzer is small, lightweight, able to be mass produced and can be combined with a high-efficiency solar cell attached to a specially designed concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar panel in order to leverage the sun's energy – both electrical and thermal – for production of zero-emission green hydrogen. By attaching the HEVO electrolyzer directly to the CPV solution, high solar-to-electric conversion is enabled, while also generating heat that improves efficiency of the HEVO electrolyzer.

The H2Evora project will be Fusion-Fuel's first utility-scale solar-to-hydrogen plant, ultimately consisting of 15 HEVO electrolyzers producing close to 15 tons of green hydrogen annually. A portion of this hydrogen will enable generation of over 240 MWh of electricity from Ballard's FCwave module, which will be fed into Portugal's grid during periods of peak demand. The project will permit evaluation of a number of use cases, including: conversion of hydrogen into electrical energy through a fuel cell; hydrogen blending in the natural gas network; and compression and bottling of hydrogen for industrial applications.

"We have developed the HEVO as a modular miniaturized electrolyzer that can support a range of applications, from large-scale hydrogen generation to smaller-scale onsite hydrogen production. Collaboration with Ballard Power Systems is an exciting and strategic development, since the combination Fusion Fuel's technology with Ballard's market-leading PEM fuel cell system can provide an interesting off-grid power solution," said João Wahnon, Fusion-Fuel Head of Business Development.