EnerSys fuel cell backup power for Time Warner in California

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 68 KB
• Volume: 2010
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1464-2859
• DOI: 10.1016/s1464-2859(10)70346-1

✦ Synopsis

Corporation has entered into a collaboration agreement with Altergy Systems in California, under which TransAct will distribute Altergy's hydrogen PEM fuel cell backup power systems for the telecoms industry in India. Altergy has also increased its production capacity, as it experiences growing global demand for its fuel cell systems.

The total distribution license with TransAct Energy is valued at $10 million, with the provision to offset this with an order for 10 000 Altergy systems. TransAct will also have the option, under a separate license agreement, to manufacture its own hydrogen fuel cell generators in India using the Altergy technology.

India currently has well in excess of 250 000 cell phone towers in operation, each using 3-5 kW of electric power. Mostly this is provided by diesel generators, leading to substantial diesel consumption and significant air pollution. The Indian government plans to make it mandatory to replace diesel generators with clean power sources, with solar power systems currently in testing. IdaTech has been working with ACME Group and Ballard Power Systems to develop and supply fuel cell systems for telecoms backup in India [FCB, December 2009], and has recently taken over Plug Power's stationary product line, which is also targeted at this market [FCB, November 2010].

Meanwhile, Altergy has expanded the capacity of its automated fuel cell assembly line, to support increasing global customer demand and continuing growth into new international markets. These assembly-line enhancements increase the company's annual production capacity to approximately $370 million worth of fuel cell systems.

Altergy recently announced a partnership with the South African government and Anglo Platinum, to build an additional Altergy manufacturing and assembly plant there to serve South Africa and other sub-Saharan African markets [FCB, September 2010].