Johnson Matthey response to the UK Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution

Robert MacLeod, Chief Executive of Johnson Matthey said:

We welcome the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution announced today by the UK’s Prime Minister, which sees the country take a leading position in tackling climate change. The commitments come at an important time as we look to a post COVID-19 future, where we have the opportunity to rebuild the UK economy, create jobs in the places that need them most, and safeguard our planet for the next generation.

To achieve that, we must act now to decarbonise society and an important part of that will be the shift to battery electric cars and fuel cell trucks, and through using clean hydrogen to power our industrial processes and homes. Johnson Matthey’s science and technologies are at the heart of turning these ambitions into a reality, with:

• next generation battery materials that will enable your electric car to drive further and recharge faster;
• technologies for producing clean hydrogen at the scale needed for widespread decarbonisation;
• fuel cell components to convert that hydrogen into zero emission power for trucks, buses, trains and some cars. 

The commitments in the Ten Point Plan are a significant step forward which we hope marks the start of accelerated action towards achieving the UK’s net zero ambitions.  We see an exciting opportunity for the UK to link innovative technology from companies like Johnson Matthey with infrastructure developments, supported by investment.  We look forward to working together across industry to make the world a cleaner, healthier place. 

Johnson Matthey: the technology partner for reaching net zero

Johnson Matthey is a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world. Our science has an impact in areas such as low emission transport, pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet’s natural resources, and we are a key partner behind many of the technologies that are helping to decarbonise transport and industry.

Today more than 14,000 Johnson Matthey professionals collaborate with our network of customers and partners to make a real difference to the world around us.

Hydrogen

An important piece of the puzzle to reaching net zero commitments will be unlocking the huge potential of hydrogen as a low or no carbon energy carrier, produced either with carbon capture and storage (blue hydrogen) or via electrolysis using renewable energy (green hydrogen). JM is working with partners to make both a reality, and in fact our LCH^TM blue hydrogen process is the best in the world, reducing carbon emissions by 98%. And with our expertise in electrochemistry, platinum group metals and surface chemistry, and our understanding of fuel cell technologies, we’re well positioned to take the lead in green hydrogen as well.

Current estimates show that production will need to increase ten fold by 2050 if it's to fulfil its potential as a clean transportation fuel, as a cleaner industry feedstock, and for domestic heat and power, so both blue and green hydrogen will be required in the new energy mix.

Battery materials

The automotive industry is at a tipping point, poised on the edge of a once in a generation transition from internal combustion engines to cleaner solutions such as battery electric vehicles. Consumers are looking to automotive OEMs to provide vehicles that meet their sustainability expectations while also doing what they need their vehicles to do in terms of power, range or recharge rates. Cathode materials are the key to unlocking this puzzle. Johnson Matthey has developed a family of nickel-rich advanced cathode materials, eLNO®, to meet this challenge. We’re working with customers to tailor their battery cathode materials of the future today, and expect to enter full commercial production of eLNO in 2024.

Fuel cell technology

Fuel cells are an attractive solution as societies take action to decarbonise emissions from transportation – one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions globally. They use clean or low carbon fuels, such as hydrogen, to generate power and produce no harmful emissions, with water as the only by product. JM’s fuel cell technology has moved the industry forward for over two decades. We provide solutions to problems for some of the world's most established fuel cell players and automotive OEMs, expanding our reach globally and investing in research and development along the way. Ensuring exceptional performance and durability, we are continually developing the next generation of the technologies that are key to driving the performance of a fuel cell, including membrane electrode assemblies, catalyst coated membranes and fuel cell catalysts. 

For further information, please contact:

Rebecca Williams

jmpr@matthey.com