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Technology Stocks : Ballard Power -world leader zero-emission PEM fuel cells -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim who wrote (4182)	5/16/1999 9:25:00 PM
From: Jim	Respond to of 5827

My apologies, I should have noted in my previous post that the fuel cell was installed at the Doubletree Hotel behind th e banquet room. It's foot print about the size and looks of a cargo container.

To: Jim who wrote (4182)	5/17/1999 11:13:00 AM
From: Sid Turtlman	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 5827

Jim: If the unit was made by ONSI, then it is a phosphoric acid fuel cell, which is a different type than the PEM ones made by Ballard. Phosphoric acid fc's run a good bit hotter than PEM ones, but not so hot that can do away with a reformer, the way a carbonate or solid oxide fc can. They are probably inherently higher cost than PEM in terms of the fc itself, but they can get away with a much cheaper reformer because phos acid fc's don't require as pure a hydrogen stream as PEM cells do. It is interesting that it was installed by Washington Water Power. That company has since changed its name to Avista and has been working on its own design of PEM fuel cells for stationary power, in its Avista Labs subsidiary (http://www.avistalabs.com). Avista seems to be aiming more at household size units, similar to the Plug Power approach.