Through the European GAIA consortium, Johnson Matthey (JM) has announced that it has helped to deliver a fuel cell power density of 1.8W/cm2 at 0.6V, representing a 20% increase compared with similar types of technology. The result marks a milestone for the company’s fuel cell technology and its net zero aims.
Working in collaboration with JM, several companies including BMW, Freudenberg and 3M supplied components for the fuel cell stack and the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) to help deliver the step-change.
The increased power density is claimed to reduce overall stack cost and help advance the commercialization of fuel-cell-powered vehicles. As a result, the entire transport sector will contribute to decarbonization, with all light-duty vehicles, HGVs and trucks contributing zero emissions.
Subsequently, JM will help customers meet the EU’s Fit for 55 proposals, which seek to reduce CO2 emissions in Europe by 55% by 2030. The company also predicts it will help customers in the UK as the country sets out its Decarbonizing Transport roadmap, a project that, from 2035, aims to phase out vehicles that weigh between 3.5 tons and 26 tons and produce high levels of pollution.
“Developing a robust fuel cell powertrain solution to decarbonize transportation will be critical to achieving net zero goals around the world,” commented Jo Godden, managing director of Johnson Matthey’s fuel cells business. “These fuel cell stacks could be powering trucks on our roads in five years’ time and will be the best-in-class fuel cell technology currently available. JM is proud to play a key role in the GAIA project and leverage our extensive fuel cell experience to benefit all.”
Started in 2019, the GAIA project will last for three and a half years and aims to develop advanced critical proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell components capable of being integrated into a fuel cell to meet performance, cost and durability targets for large-scale automotive fuel cell commercialization.