Ballard Announces Fuel Cell Supply Agreement with Baxi Innotech for German Callux Project

    VANCOUVER, March 11 /CNW/ - Ballard Power Systems Inc. (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ:
BLDP) announced today that it has entered into a three-year supply agreement
with Baxi Innotech GmbH, the leading European developer and manufacturer of
fuel cell micro combined heat and power (mCHP) units. Under the agreement,
Baxi Innotech agrees to exclusively purchase Ballard fuel cells through to the
end of Phase 2 of the German Callux Project, scheduled to conclude in 2012.
    The Callux Project was launched in September 2008 as part of Germany's
national innovation program for hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The project
represents Germany's largest demonstration project of combined heat and power
fuel cell systems for domestic use. These systems provide decentralized power
to the home at a high level of energy efficiency.
    Ballard brings its extensive experience in the Japanese residential
cogeneration market to the European market with its FCgen(TM)-1030 fuel cell
product, which Baxi Innotech, a division of leading European heating equipment
company the Baxi Group, will integrate into its 1 kW GAMMA 1.0 natural gas
pilot production series. The performance and durability Ballard's products
have demonstrated in Japan will prove invaluable, particularly when partnered
with Baxi's broad experience and channel strength supplying heating equipment
in Europe.
    "We are very pleased to be working with Baxi, a strong system integrator
and respected leader in the European heating industry," said John Sheridan,
President and CEO. "This partnership represents a win-win opportunity for both
parties to successfully participate in the Callux project."
    "The close cooperation, along with Ballard's position as the world wide
most experienced fuel cell maker, will set a benchmark for all other fuel cell
technologies and system manufacturers," said Guido Gummert, Managing Director
of Baxi Innotech.
    In consideration of Baxi Innotech's agreement to exclusively purchase and
use Ballard fuel cell products for the Callux Project, Ballard has in return
agreed to exclusively supply fuel cell stack products to Baxi Innotech for the
same project. The supply agreement also provides for joint product development
efforts, and lays the groundwork for future collaboration beyond the scope and
timing of the current project.

    About Ballard Power Systems

    Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ: BLDP) is recognized as a world
leader in the design, development, manufacture and sale of clean energy fuel
cell products. Ballard's mission is to accelerate fuel cell product adoption.
To learn more about what Ballard is doing with Power to Change the World(R),
visit www.ballard.com.

    About the Baxi Innotech GmbH

    BAXI INNOTECH has been a subsidiary of the British BAXI Group - one of
the leading heating equipment manufacturers in Europe - since 2002. BAXI
INNOTECH is the brain pool of the Group for innovative product developments
based on combined heat and power technology. Since it was founded ten years
ago, the company has been developing a fuel cell heating unit for
single-family homes - in close dialogue and in partnership with suppliers,
utility companies and the specialist trade - to meet the needs of the European
market. Additionally, since September 2008, this Hamburg-based company has
been participating in the Callux Project, the practice test of the German
Federal government and industry in preparation for the market launch of fuel
cell heating units. www.baxi-innotech.de

    This release contains forward-looking statements, including estimated
future revenue and operating cash consumption contained in our outlook, which
are provided to enable external stakeholders to understand our expectations as
at the date of this release and may not be appropriate for other purposes.
These forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of
Ballard's management and reflect Ballard's current expectations as
contemplated under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such
assumptions relate to Ballard's financial forecasts and expectations regarding
its product development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market demand,
and include matters such as generating new sales, producing, delivering and
selling the expected number of units, and controlling its costs.
    These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause Ballard's
actual results to be materially different, including, without limitation, the
rate of mass adoption of its products, product development delays, changing
environmental regulations, its ability to attract and retain business partners
and customers, its access to funding, increased competition, its ability to
protect its intellectual property, changes in its customers' requirements,
foreign exchange impacts on its net monetary assets and its ability to provide
the capital required for product development, operations and marketing. For a
detailed discussion of these risk factors and other risk factors that could
affect Ballard's future performance, please refer to Ballard's most recent
Annual Information Form.
    Readers should not place undue reliance on Ballard's forward-looking
statements and Ballard assumes no obligation to update or release any
revisions to these forward looking statements, other than as required under
applicable legislation.

    Ballard, the Ballard logo and Power to Change the World are registered
    trademarks of Ballard Power Systems Inc.

For further information: or to arrange an interview with a Baxi Innotech
spokesperson, please contact Claudia Palozzo of IMA Institut GmbH at telephone
number +49-0-40-30-96-96-0 or on e-mail c.palozzo@ima-gination.de; to arrange
an interview with a Ballard spokesperson, please contact Amy Harada Bradley at
telephone number (604) 412-7913 or on e-mail amy.harada@ballard.com