Site preparation has commenced for the installation of a Ballard supplied 1-megawatt (MW) fuel cell generator at the Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) sales and marketing headquarters campus in Torrance, California.

Site preparation has commenced for the installation of a Ballard supplied 1-megawatt (MW) fuel cell generator at the Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) sales and marketing headquarters campus in Torrance, California.

On June 13th Toyota held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site that will house Ballard's CLEARgen™ fuel cell system. The system will provide peak electrical power and heat to a number of locations on Toyota's multi-building campus, utilizing hydrogen produced by steam-reformation of renewable bio-gas generated at a landfill. The ability to offset peak electricity usage with an emission-free fuel cell system will create significant savings for Toyota, while reducing the facility's environmental footprint.

Delivery of the CLEARgen™ system is planned for July 2012, with commissioning planned for completion in August. Project funding is being provided through California's Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).

Powered by Ballard's proprietary proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, the CLEARgen™ system is a complete solution designed to generate clean energy from hydrogen. Modular 500 kilowatt (kW) PowerBanks are combined to produce multiple megawatts of zero-emission electricity, with heat created by the system also providing the opportunity for hot water and space heating. The system can operate continuously to meet base load power needs, or intermittently to provide peak power during times of high demand.

About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) (NASDAQ: BLDP) provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications. Products are based on proprietary esencia™ technology, ensuring incomparable performance, durability and versatility. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.