The Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall has received two more orders for fuel cell components. Together, the orders (for cathode flaps and shut-off valves) are worth a figure in the mid-two-digit million-euro range. Placed by customers in North America, the orders were booked last month. They bring the aggregate value of Rheinmetall cathode flap orders to a three-digit million-euro figure.
Based on previously delivered, successfully tested valve samples developed by the division, full-scale production will commence in 2024 and 2026 respectively. As a Tier 1 supplier, Rheinmetall will be shipping the components directly to the customers. Both contracts call for the delivery of high-volume components. Spare parts will be supplied on demand. In addition to the already planned large-scale production at Rheinmetall’s location in Berlin, the Group will now be building up capacity for high-volume production of valves at existing facilities in North America.
Featuring integrated electronics, the flap systems ordered here will be used as bypass and high-sealing shut-off valves for fuel cells. Thanks to their special design, the components meet the most stringent sealing specifications for fuel cell modules with a power output of 100-150 kW. Owing to its yearlong experience as a manufacturer of high-longevity commercial vehicle control dampers with extremely low-leakage flaps, Rheinmetall has succeeded once again in overcoming multiple competitors in the marketplace.
The flap system ordered from Rheinmetall regulate the intake and emission of airmass flows and isolate the fuel cell stacks on the cathode side at the inflow and outflow points from the ambient atmosphere. It achieves operating times of up to 12,000 hours, while a new generation currently under development should have a service life of at least 30,000 hours in commercial vehicles, trains and marine engines as well as in stationary applications.
The new orders highlight the success of Rheinmetall’s hydrogen strategy, which systematically seeks to expand the Group’s position in alternative drive technologies. The two new customers bring its portfolio of customers for high-volume components for various applications to five. Rheinmetall has already supplied over twenty other potential customers with sample components, meaning that additional nominations can be expected. As a tried-and-tested technology partner, for many years Rheinmetall has been contributing to the optimization of hydrogen use – and thus to the desired Energy Revolution in vehicles and stationary systems.
The orders demonstrate the massive market potential for hydrogen components, while simultaneously underscoring Rheinmetall’s ability to develop forward-looking solutions in cooperation with customers. Moreover, the orders reveal how the Group is successfully helping to shape the transformation from diesel- and petrol-powered engines to alterative drive systems in a variety of areas.
Rheinmetall is participating in Germany’s national hydrogen initiative as an industrial partner of the new Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centre in Duisburg. The Group’s Sensors and Actuators division develops path breaking solutions for supporting industry with high-quality hydrogen products, enabling efficient and dependable use of fuel cells.
SOURCE: Rheinmetall
