Canada / Poland / Belgium  – Hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer, Ballard Power Systems is to expand the manufacturing capacity of its proprietary membrane electrode assemblies, or MEAs– a critical component of every fuel cell – by a factor of six in early 2021 at its headquarters in Vancouver. The upgraded capacity for production of six million MEAs annually, equivalent to approximately 1.66 Gigawatts of product, will make Ballard’s Vancouver facility the largest fuel cell MEA production operation globally for commercial vehicles.

Dr Lee Sweetland, Ballard Director of Advanced Manufacturing, said: “Capacity expansion is being enabled in part through investment in advanced manufacturing technology, together with the extensive use of automation and in-line quality control to drive high yields for product assembly. We are also integrating systems, from the supply chain throughout our manufacturing process, including a Manufacturing Execution System to enhance available data and streamline production.”