Ballard to Supply ElectraGen™-ME Fuel Cell Systems to to Idea Cellular in India

Ballard Power Systems

will be supplying ElectraGen™-ME fuel cell systems for a pilot project in Idea Cellular's India telecom network. The fuel cell systems will be utilized in combination with solar technology to generate continuous power at five wireless base station sites. Funding for a feasibility study as well as the pilot project has been made available through a grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). This project will support Idea Cellular's efforts to find clean energy solutions to replace the use of diesel generators in its network throughout India. The trial is scheduled to take place in early 2014 utilizing Ballard ElectraGen™-ME 2.5 kilowatt methanol-based fuel cell systems, which will be deployed in combination with solar power technology the five Idea Cellular tower sites. "Idea Cellular, an Aditya Birla Group Company, has been a pioneer in renewable energy technologies deployment to power telecom sites in India, for the past several years," said Mr. Himanshu Kapania, Managing Director at Idea Cellular. "The grant offered by USTDA will further spur our efforts towards reducing carbon emissions from telecom infrastructure in the country." Karim Kassam, Ballard's Vice President of Business Development added, "We