VANCOUVER, CANADA and NANJING, CHINA – Ballard Power Systems’ (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) President and CEO, Randy MacEwen, had an historic meeting late last week with Mr. Li Qiang, Party Secretary of China’s Jiangsu Province.
Other Chinese government officials in attendance at the meeting included Mr. Fan Jinlong, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary General of CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Mr. Chen Zhenning, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province and Mr. Ma Minglong, Director General of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Commerce.
“It is an extraordinary honor to have the opportunity to meet with the most senior government officials of one of China’s most important and progressive Provinces,” said Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and CEO. “We are delighted with the interest expressed in new energy vehicles and Ballard fuel cell technology, as part of the Jiangsu Provincial government’s plan to address its clean energy transportation needs. Indeed, it is a tremendous sign of commitment that this meeting with the Party Secretary was held just one month after Ballard hosted our first-ever meeting with Mr. Chen Zhenning, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, which was held at our corporate offices in Vancouver.”
In late-July 2017 Mr. Chen Zhenning, Mr. Ma Minglong, senior management from bus OEM Nanjing King Long, along with other Chinese government delegates met with Mr. MacEwen and Ballard executives at the Company’s HQ facility. The meeting included a tour of Ballard’s product testing and manufacturing operations.
During last week’s discussions with Party Secretary Li Qiang, Mr. MacEwen made several recommendations. These included the establishment of a “30 by 30” fuel cell policy for Jiangsu Province – meaning that 30% of all mass transit buses and commercial trucks will be Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV’s) by the year 2030 – as well as the formalization of appropriate policies and funding support for hydrogen fueling infrastructure in the Province. Mr. Li Qiang noted that these recommendations would be taken under advisement.
Jiangsu Province, with its capital city of Nanjing, is located in eastern China with more than 600 miles of coastline along the Yellow Sea. With a population of more than 78 million, it is the most densely populated of China’s Provinces and has the second-highest Gross Domestic Product, underpinned by manufacturing of electronics, chemicals and textiles.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLDP) provides clean energy products that reduce customer costs and risks, and helps customers solve difficult technical and business challenges in their fuel cell programs. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.