Michelin, Forvia and Stellantis jointly opened the doors of “SymphonHy”, the largest fuel cell plant in Europe, located in the industrial area of ​​Saint-Fon, south of Lyon.

This joint venture called Symbio, formed by the three aforementioned companies, is aimed at the production of hydrogen systems designed to equip passenger cars and buses.

Will hydrogen vehicles soon become more affordable?

With 700 employees, SymphonHy plans to produce 15,000 hydrogen systems by 2024a figure that is expected to increase significantly to reach 50,000 units per year until 2026. This initiative is supported by the French state, which has invested funds 600 million euros as part of a European subsidy plan aimed at promoting this still uncompetitive technology.

During the inauguration ceremony, Agnes Pagnier-Rounachet, Minister of Energy Affairs, emphasized the importance of this progress for France, saying that “The energy and environmental transition is happening now”. She also highlighted the benefits of this innovation for employment, the environment and national sovereignty, stressing that these solutions will help replace imported fuel.

Stellantis, the European leader in the field of SUVs, has already started to market cars equipped with hydrogen systems. At the end of 2021, the manufacturer delivered the first trucks equipped with this technology, assembled in Germany. These vehicles offer a range of 400 kilometers with 4.4 kilograms of hydrogen, but their current purchase price is still over €100,000, as is the case with the Opel Vivaro-e Hydrogen.

Energy that will soon be even more subsidized than electricity?

To encourage the adoption of this technology, Stellantis plans to reduce costs with a new range of hydrogen plants from Peugeot, Opel or Citroën, which will be assembled in Hordein (North). By 2030, hydrogen systems are expected to be cheaper than electric batteries, according to Patrick Koller, CEO of Forvia.

However, emphasized Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis the need for financial support from European states for the next five years. He thinks that procurement support of at least €30,000 per vehicle is required to facilitate the launch and initial marketing phase.

In addition to fuel cell production, Symbio plans to expand its operations by opening a plant in Alsace in 2024 to produce bipolar plates, an important component of fuel cells. The second giant plant in France is planned for 2028. Globally, the company is also considering building a plant in California to meet demand in the US market for passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles.

The transition to hydrogen fuel cells will also require extensive charging infrastructure and the production of hydrogen from carbon-free energy. By 2030 The French state plans to invest 7.2 billion euros to achieve an annual production of 600 kilotons of hydrogen.

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