JAMES CROPPER & HOERBIGER Launch High-Performance Drop-In Bipolar Plates

JAMES CROPPER & HOERBIGER Launch High-Performance Drop-In Bipolar Plates

JAMES CROPPER is pleased to announce a strategic partnership between its Advanced Materials division and global industrial leader HOERBIGER. Together, they have launched Ready2Stack™ — a revolutionary new bipolar plate (BPP) solution, designed both for optimum performance and ease of use.

Ready2Stack™ is a complete, drop-in solution for electrolyser OEMs, developed to address the industrialisation of BPP manufacturing and simplify the supply chain. It overcomes the challenges of inefficient sourcing and poor part compatibility, as well as simultaneously delivering outstanding in-stack performance, stability and lifetime.   

Leveraging decades of manufacturing and electrochemical expertise Ready2Stack™ is engineered to optimise and scale BPP production. Its design combines advanced automation with high-performance coating technology, stringent quality control and a fully integrated supply chain. This comprehensive approach delivers ready-to-use, fully assembled BPPs, significantly simplifying one of the most complex aspects of PEM electrolyser manufacturing with a solution that is also rapidly scalable to meet future industry demand.    

The high performance BPPs incorporate JAMES CROPPER’s Resillion™ coating technology, which has been used by customers for over a decade to combat degradation mechanisms faced by PEM Electrolysers. The partnership with HOERBIGER enables a step change in BPP design, combining an optimised Resillion™ coating with advanced metallurgy and precision engineering to deliver exceptional in-stack performance and durability. This results in lower hydrogen production costs and ensures long-term operational reliability — making green hydrogen more accessible and commercially viable. 

In addition to optimising BPP performance, the partnership between JAMES CROPPER and HOERBIGER also facilitates the future growth of PEM electrolyser industry, with the capability to rapidly scale Ready2Stack™ production. JAMES CROPPER operates multiple coating lines in Europe and the United States utilising Resillion™ technology and HOERBIGER’s Schongau team is leveraging state-of-the-art metal forming strategies — originally developed for the automotive sector and capable of large scale production of up to 8 million BPPs per annum.

David Stirling, James Cropper Chief Executive Officer, said:

We are delighted to partner with HOERBIGER in this strategic collaboration, which brings together complementary expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a shared vision for a sustainable future.

“Ready2Stack™ could be pivotal in the race to net zero, addressing key challenges in the hydrogen industry and the broader energy transition.By combining advanced metallurgy, electrochemistry, and precision engineering, we are driving efficiency, reducing costs, and enabling the rapid scaling of PEM electrolyser production accelerating the shift to a cleaner, more sustainable energy landscape. ”

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JAMES CROPPER & HOERBIGER Launch High-Performance Drop-In Bipolar Plates, source