Johnson Matthey and SFC Energy AG sign multi-million pound deal and joint development agreement for the supply of more sustainable fuel cell components

• Johnson Matthey and SFC Energy AG sign new multi-million pound three year agreement for the supply of Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs).
• JM will supply at least 400,000 Membrane Electrode Assemblies.
• Joint development of next generation MEA through a more efficient process and reduction of resource consumption for more overall sustainability.

Johnson Matthey (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies, has won a new multi-million pound agreement to provide 400,000 Direct Methanol MEA fuel cell components to SFC Energy AG (SFC), a global leader of hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells for stationary and mobile hybrid power solutions. The agreement is starting in February 2021 for a duration of over three years.

Additionally, both partners sign a joint development agreement to further deepen their collaboration. Within the framework of the development partnership, both companies want to combine their complementary know how as well as their respective technology expertise. In this way, processes are standardised, set up more efficiently, and resource consumption is significantly reduced.

JM has been working with SFC for almost 20 years with the goal of creating versatile fuel cell solutions. As societies move to reduce carbon emissions – one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions globally, fuel cells are playing an increasingly important part. They use clean or low carbon fuels, such as hydrogen and methanol, to generate power and produce few or no harmful emissions. Fuel cells are ideally suited for heavy duty, mobile, continuous, and high usage applications such as the ones provided by SFC.

In SFC’s customers’ applications equipment needs to operate reliably and quietly around the clock, in an eco-friendly way – replacing conventional diesel generators. They are often used in more discreet applications such as cameras, measuring devices, sensors, data recording systems or remote control installations. SFC’s fuel cells provide virtually noiseless and emissions-free electricity for days on end without any intervention from the user.

Typical applications for SFC Energy fuel cells technology are either back-up or off-grid power sources and operate as hybrid systems in combination with batteries and solar. They provide clean and efficient energy in a wide range of applications such as:

• Radio tower sites and critical infrastructures as reliable and sustainable back-up power supply.
• On- and offshore measurement systems for the global wind industry.
• On-board power supply for mobile homes and authority vehicles.
• Smart traffic applications.
• Measuring stations and many others in the field of Surveillance and Environmental Technology.

Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC said: “We have been working together with Johnson Matthey for almost 20 years. Through our combined expertise we will further enhance the performance of our product family and increase our contribution to a greener energy supply.”

Jo Godden, Managing Director, New Markets and Fuel Cells, Johnson Matthey said: “JM is delighted to build further on our strong collaborative relationship with SFC. The mobile solutions SFC offer provide another vital route to decarbonisation as together we continue to deliver on our vision for a cleaner, healthier world.”