Business
Manufacturing scale-up award
Manufacturing scale-up award.
About this update from Ceres Power Holdings Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Ceres Power Holdings plc\n07 September 2006\n\n\n \n Ceres Power Holdings plc\n ('Ceres', 'Ceres Power' or the 'Company')\n\n Ceres secures regional support to help drive manufacturing scale-up\n\nCeres Power, the AIM-quoted fuel cell group, today announces that it has secured\na Grant for Research & Development from the South East England Development\nAgency (SEEDA), funding one third of a £600,000 programme to support the\nscale-up of key processes for the manufacturing of its unique fuel cells.\n\nCeres will work with supply chain partners to apply and integrate technology\nsuitable for high volume production of the metal supported cells. The production\nprocess will include fully automated techniques with parts handled robotically\nto maximise throughput, minimise costs and ensure quality.\n\nThe fuel cells themselves are suitable for multiple market applications by\nvirtue of their performance, durability and costs. The programme will therefore\nhelp to deliver production capability for multiple Ceres products, from domestic\ncombined heat and power (CHP) units, through off-grid generators to vehicle\nauxiliary power systems.\n\nThe programme is part of a comprehensive set of measures being put in place by\nCeres to ensure production and assembly methods deliver consistent, low cost,\nhigh quality output, as the Company targets both niche and mass market\nopportunities. These measures are designed to allow manufacturing capacity to\nscale in line with anticipated demand for Ceres products.\n\nPeter Bance, Chief Executive of Ceres Power, commented:\n\n'We are delighted to be working with SEEDA for the first time and to have been\nawarded a Grant for Research & Development which will enable us to significantly\nscale up our automated production techniques. We very much look forward to\nworking with SEEDA over the coming months and years as we continue to develop\nour engineering and manufacturing capabilities.'\n\nSEEDA's Executive Director of Business & International, Jeff Alexander, added:\n\n'We are very excited about this opportunity to support a leading company with\nits growth plans in the alternative energy sector, which we believe has truly\nglobal potential and represents a chance for the UK to take a leadership role on\nthe international stage. As a key element of its commercialisation plans, Ceres\n...