Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG, an energy management specialist, will deliver a further 22 fuel cell emergency power systems to provide back-up power for Germany’s BOS digital radio network in a fourth federal state.
The order is part of a programme to ensure that the network's TETRA network stations can remain operational for up to 72 hours in the event of a grid power failure. The number of digital radio network stations equipped with Heliocentris' solutions will now rise to more than 130 in Germany. The order, including associated services, adds a revenue stream of about EUR 1.5 million (£1.17 million) for Heliocentris in the upcoming months.
The upgrade of these stations with emergency power systems was co-financed by means of the national innovation program Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. Four federal states of Germany now use Heliocentris' fuel cells in their radio networks. This makes Heliocentris the biggest provider of fuel cell emergency power systems for digital radio networks of public authorities in Germany.
The company has stated that further turnover is expected over the “coming years” in Germany from other segments of critical infrastructure such as railways and utilities.
"Our fuel cell solutions clearly outclass the emergency power solutions based on diesel generators used so far for example in terms of reliability and operating expenses,” said Henrik Colell, CTO of Heliocentris Energy Solutions AG. “Our customers also confirm this advantage and the competitiveness of our solutions. The order is a further signal that we are on the right track with our strategy to develop and market hydrogen and fuelcell based back-up and storage solutions. In 2016, we will also demonstrate this by installing our first systems in our core market - the energy supply of mobile base stations outside of Europe."