Ballard & First Mode sign order for hydrogen fuel cell mining trucks

Ballard Power Systems and global carbon reduction company First Mode announced a purchase order for Ballard to supply First Mode with 60 hydrogen fuel cell modules – totaling 6 megawatts – for delivery in 2024. The order represents an expansion of the relationship, following the order of 35 modules year-to-date in 2023, to power hybrid hydrogen and battery ultra-class mining haul trucks.

Ultra-class haul trucks have high payload and energy requirements, while also needing to meet high uptime metrics to maintain existing operating practices. Ballard’s fuel cell modules integrated into First Mode’s nuGen™ solution deliver the duty cycle performance mining operators require.

First Mode is working to scale production for the next generation of the nuGen™ solution, including fuel cell and battery powerplant and related infrastructure. First Mode has begun integrating Ballard’s fuel cells from the previously announced orders and will continue to bring an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles to the field with the order announced today. The next several engines will be demonstrated at First Mode’s Proving Grounds in Centralia, Washington, USA starting in 2024.