Alstom Inaugurates Its New Hydrogen Fuel Cell Production Platform in Aix-En-Provence

• Almost 6 million euros invested in a 100% “made in France” fuel cell production unit
• Alstom’s subsidiary, Helion Hydrogen Power, positions itself as a strategic French player in the hydrogen sector
• Alstom’s hydrogen strategy is in line with its ambition to be the leader in green and smart mobility around the world.

On December 10, 2021 , Alstom inaugurated its new industrial platform for manufacturing hydrogen fuel cells on the site of its subsidiary Helion Hydrogen Power, in Aix-en-Provence, in the presence of Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence region -Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Deputy Chairman of Regions of France, and Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, Chairman of Alstom France.

Our subsidiary Helion Hydrogen Power is a nugget of innovation with comprehensive expertise in hydrogen technology, from design to industrialization and manufacturing, both for cell cores and for complete subsystems. It complements our know-how in hydrogen trains and allows us to offer competitive solutions to our customers. ” Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud

“Our subsidiary Helion Hydrogen Power is a nugget of innovation with comprehensive expertise in hydrogen technology, from design to industrialization and manufacturing, both for cell cores and for complete subsystems. It complements our know-how in hydrogen trains and allows us to offer competitive solutions to our customers. With this 5^eEstablishment in the South region, including 4 within the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis, Alstom confirms its roots and its contribution to the economic and social dynamism of the region. A new building based in Aix-en-Provence will bring together by 2023 all of Alstom’s R&D, engineering and production activities in the Metropolis, currently based in Aix-en-Provence (out of 2 sites) and Vitrolles ”, explained Jean-Baptiste EYMEOUD , President of Alstom France.

 

“As early as 2017, with our Regional Climate Plan“ A COP in advance ”, we identified the development of renewable energies as a priority to make Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur a carbon neutral territory by 2050. We we are concretely committed to the development of hydrogen, which is a real environmental and industrial asset for the South region. Thanks to our Regional Hydrogen Plan, the players in this sector have been able to benefit from nearly 2 million euros, and from the support of our Regional Interest Operations “Energies de Demain”, “Economy of the Sea” and “Industries of the Future ”. Finally, as part of our Climate Plan 2 “Let’s keep our COP in advance”, we have decided to strengthen this support through new actions for the coming years ”, declaredRenaud MUSELIER , President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, Deputy President of Regions of France.

€ 6 million invested in a 100% Made in France fuel cell production unit

The industrial platform for manufacturing hydrogen fuel cells in Aix-en-Provence was created thanks to a substantial investment plan since the creation of Helion Hydrogen Power (in 2001). Almost 6 million euros were thus injected in order to increase production capacity tenfold, while reducing the associated manufacturing costs. The Alstom subsidiary is thus able to meet growing demand for high-power fuel cells, both in France and abroad.

Helion Hydrogen Power can produce up to 4 cell cores (stacks) and 1 fuel cell subsystem (FC Rack) per day.

One of the first 100% French fuel cell manufacturing platforms

Set up at the start of 2021, a new production unit makes it possible to standardize and automate the manufacture of stacks to integrate and assemble them in order to obtain, in the end, FC Rack fuel cell systems, covering a wide range of power (from 100 kW to more than 2 MW).

This new production line, partly robotized, has the latest technological advances and ensures rapid, reliable and reproducible assembly of the stacks.

All the components that make up the FC Rack are assembled in a 200 m building², bringing the total area of ​​the production line to 1,200 m².

With this new industrial platform, Helion Hydrogen Power is positioning itself as a strategic French player in the hydrogen sector. It is one of the precursors of a sector which is preparing to respond to the strategic challenges of ecological transition and the reindustrialisation of the territory. The Alstom subsidiary aims to increase its workforce to reach 80 people by 2030.

Production based on a single, modular product, suitable for various applications

Helion Hydrogen Power therefore now has the capacity to manufacture its own cell cores at its Aix-en-Provence site.

“By manufacturing our own battery cores, we are in a position of strength in an increasingly competitive sector”, explains Vincent Mahéo , President of Helion Hydrogen Power.

The company has also developed a battery subsystem, based on a simplified and modular architecture, reproducible in series. This standardized brick, called FC Rack, is made up of 4 stacks and can deliver an electrical power ranging from 100 to 200 kW. This flexible system covering a wide range of power can supply various heavy mobility and stationary applications, more precisely:

• Heavy mobility: rail, sea, river, construction and mining machinery
• Generating set: temporary energy supply for specific events and work sites, supply of cold units for refrigerated containers, shore power for ships, supply of auxiliaries for ships, etc.
• Emergency generator set for industrial sites, telecoms and data centers.

Alstom^TM and FC Rack^TMare registered trademarks of the Alstom group

Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks