How Faurecia intends to become the French hydrogen champion
The automotive supplier invests 100 million per year to become the world leader in tanks for vehicles equipped with fuel cells.
Europe may have missed the boat on electric car batteries, but Faurecia is not going to miss out on hydrogen. The ambition of the French automotive supplier: "To become the world leader in tanks for fuel cell vehicles," says Patrick Koller, its managing director.
In a world of mobility in full electrification, the specialist in exhaust lines and interior fittings urgently needed to retrain. Suddenly, it invests 100 million euros each year in systems for hydrogen, in particular in a new plant which will be operational in 2022 in the Doubs, where it already has a technical center. Faurecia has "a recognized know-how with very technical tanks since it is necessary to compress the low density hydrogen under 700 bar to transport it", acknowledges a French manufacturer.
Chinese target
The group is targeting 20% of the world market (excluding China) within ten years. And, in mid-February, the component maker took over a majority stake in CLD, a Chinese producer of high-pressure hydrogen tanks. Because, "by 2030, China will represent a market of at least 1 million vehicles equipped with fuel cells," said Mathias Miedreich, vice president of Clean Mobility at Faurecia. The hydrogen, which allows autonomy worthy of a diesel and recharges in a quarter of an hour, will first be used by heavy goods vehicles. However, "China with India represent 50% of the sales of commercial vehicles in the world", continues Patrick Koller.
Specializing in tanks, Faurecia is also present in fuel cells, the heart of hydrogen models, through Symbio. 50-50 owned with Michelin, this young company is building a factory in the Rhône. Ambition: "100,000 batteries per year in 2030", underlines its CEO Philippe Rosier, with 140 million investment. With Symbio, "we will produce 75% of the value chain" in systems for hydrogen, says Patrick Koller. Deliveries will begin at the end of 2021 for Renault vans and Hyundai trucks.
Horizon 2030
Hydrogen should generate 500 million euros in sales in 2025 (2% of Faurecia's turnover by this time), then more than 3.5 billion in 2030. The hydrogen vehicle will then be "competitive with respect to -vis of electric vehicles with batteries ”, wants to believe Patrick Koller. However, the handicaps are heavy: astronomical costs of components, virtual absence of recharging stations and “dirty” manufacturing. "More than 95% of the hydrogen in the world comes from methane, petroleum or coal by polluting processes", notes the daily Reporterre. The stake of the hydrogen plans is certainly to decarbonize ... in 2030 or 2050. But it is not won.