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Sept 1, 2022
Bosch will produce fuel cell stacks in the US
Bosch announces its first fuel cell stack
production in the United States, bolstered with over $200 million
investment. The new lines will go live at the supplier’s Anderson
factory, South Carolina, and Bosch expects the stacks to power Class 8
hydrogen trucks from 2026.
The extension is underway and expected to
create at least 350 new jobs by 2026. It is part of Bosch’s “local for
local” manufacturing strategy, and the fuel cell stacks produced in
Anderson will drive hydrogen-powered trucks launching in the US in the
next few years.
Nikola, for example, reached a
strategic agreement with Bosch to produce fuel cells last year.
Bosch will supply critical components Nikola will assemble into power
modules at their US plant.
Bosch
reportedly wants to start series production for fuel cell trucks
this year in Germany. “At the Bamberg site, we aim to produce stacks
with a gigawatt output no later than the middle of the decade,” said
Markus Heyn, chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. “By
2030, it should cost no more to operate a fuel-cell truck than a
diesel – that’s our goal.”
The expansion in North America runs along
the same lines. “The hydrogen economy holds great promise, and at
Bosch, we are all in,” said Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in
North America.
The state of South Carolina and Anderson
County also supported said development. Bosch has been active there
since 1985 and remains one of the largest employers.
“Fuel cells have been a promising
technology for many years, and it is fitting that this technology is
coming to South Carolina, where our manufacturing strength has helped
many companies bring new innovations to the market,” said South
Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III.
The extended Anderson campus will host
about 147,000 square feet of floor space (13656,7469 sqm) to
manufacture Bosch fuel cell stacks and host rooms for quality control.
“It’s critical that we have local
production capabilities to support our local customers,” said
Mansuetti, who previously served as technical plant manager for Bosch
in Anderson earlier in his career. “For years, the Anderson associates
have developed expertise in producing electronics and sensors,
competencies that are very applicable to the fuel cell stack.”
One stack consists of 3,200 individual
parts assembled, more than 400 layers and more than 100 unique
components.
Bosch has increased its global investment
in fuel cells to almost one billion euros between 2021 and 2024 and
aims to be one of the first to market with large-scale production to
support hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.
However, the fuel cells are not developed
by Bosch alone. As
reported, the company previously announced a collaboration with
Powercell to create and produce the fuel cell stack. The agreement
goes back to 2019. However, PowerCell, a spin-off from the Volvo Group
in 2008 and based in Gothenburg, was already building fuel cells for
prototypical use in trucks and cars before the cooperation. For its
part, Bosch has an extensive portfolio of FC components on offer, such
as air compressors with power electronics or control units with
sensors.
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
exactrix@exactrix.com
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