Hydrogen Central

BMVI Founding Fraunhofer with 80 Million Euros for Fuel Cell Production

bmvi fraunhofer fuel cell production

BMVI founding Fraunhofer with EUR 80 Million for fuel cell production.

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure is funding the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s National Action Plan for Fuel Cell Production with 80 million euros. The financing is provided by the Future Fund of the “Concerted Action Mobility” and is intended to promote the transformation of the automotive industry – in particular the supplier industry.

Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure:

The alliance with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a new dimension for advancing fuel cell production.

“With the nationwide establishment of a research network specifically for the fuel cell, we want to significantly reduce the costs for hydrogen vehicles on the one hand and on the other hand position the German supplier industry well for the future with a fuel cell made in Germany. I am firmly convinced that we are making Germany a hydrogen country.”

Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft:

Hydrogen is a decisive factor for the energy transition that society as a whole is striving for.

“Hydrogen technologies play a key role in the transformation of industry towards sustainable value creation. For a targeted technological and economic implementation, however, the development of new production technologies for high market volumes is necessary – especially with regard to fuel cells as one of the essential core elements of a hydrogen economy.”

“In our opinion, cost-optimized, demand-oriented, scalable series production is just as much a core pillar of the National Action Plan for Fuel Cell Production as the optimization of the technological potential of fuel cells – in order to ultimately significantly accelerate the structured rollout in industry and society.”

To the National Action

Plan for Fuel Cell Production: The National Action Plan develops technological solutions that enable substantial cost reduction and upscaling of fuel cell production. The addressees are companies of various sizes that represent the value chain of fuel cell production as well as the necessary mechanical and plant engineering.

The foundation is formed by 20 Fraunhofer Institutes, which will form regional technology hubs at 25 locations with their research competencies and infrastructures as well as local networks. These are divided into the following five clusters:

  1. NORD Niedersachsen & Bremen: Circular production technologies; Function-integrated components with thin-film sensors
  2. WEST Nordrhein-Westfalen: Membrane unit (MEA): roll-to-roll plant technology, bipolar plates (BPP): production strategies for metals and composites,
  3. OST Sachsen & Sachsen-Anhalt, Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: BPP: High-rate integration system, quantity-scalable technology kit, quality monitoring,
  4. SÜD Bayern: Electrical integration, cognitive sensor systems, technical cleanliness,
  5. SÜD Baden-Württemberg: MEA: Roll-to-roll manufacturing methodology.

Each cluster is specifically strengthened in the pursuit of its specific research topics. The results of the research on the individual production steps are available to the entire network.

Scheuer: BMVIAlliance with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft on Fuel Cell Production, September 17, 2021

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