INOCEL sets up its gigafactory in Belfort, a new step forward for very high power fuel cells
10 May 2023 L'agence, Filières, Investissement Hydrogène Share :
Major player in decarbonization
As a major player in decarbonization with its revolutionary fuel cell, INOCEL has launched its high-volume production plant in Belfort, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The objective is to produce the most powerful, compact, and efficient low-temperature fuel cell on the global market (300 kW) by 2024 and to reach the production of tens of thousands of units per year by 2030. In three years, the INOCEL Z300 fuel cell is ready for production. The choice of location for its gigafactory was Belfort, a region known for being a pioneer in the hydrogen industry and having a strong industrial ecosystem.
Whether for stationary electricity production, heavy land mobility, or maritime transport, INOCEL provides an unprecedented solution to the decarbonization problem. Its efficient, durable, compact, responsive, and modular system already stands out in the global hydrogen solutions market. The INOCEL fuel cell thus removes technological barriers, making it possible to use hydrogen systems for industrial applications for which there is currently no efficient solution. With a product of 300 kW available as early as 2024, INOCEL is positioning itself as the only player in the very high-power fuel cell market and preparing for the future generations of a 500 kW power range of products.
To meet the strong market demand, INOCEL announces the installation of its 4.0 production plant in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, in Belfort’s Techn’hom business park. As a complementary product to existing solutions, the INOCEL fuel cell will help establish French and European sovereignty in hydrogen with its very high-power fuel cell solution. The company aims to produce its fuel cells at a volume, quality, and price level expected by the market. The production site of more than 15,000 m² is designed to support the production of tens of thousands of units per year and provide turnkey solutions to industrial customers as early as 2024. The target annual production by 2030 is 30,000 fuel cell systems per year.
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, a land of the future for the fuel cells of the future
To achieve this, INOCEL will recruit more than 150 people by the end of 2024, 700 people by 2030, and has made the strategic choice to develop in a region recognized for its key competencies and complementary industrial ecosystem. This site will complement the Grenoble R&D center of 60 employees, a technological hub close to world-class research entities such as the CEA, from which INOCEL’s technology is derived. By choosing Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, INOCEL benefits from the strong support of a pioneering region in France in the field of hydrogen. The establishment of its plant will boost employment in the region as well as a hydrogren-focused industrial sector. Finally, and in a global decarbonization logic, the INOCEL plant is designed to have the lowest possible environmental impact.
The Regional Economic Agency of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
The Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regional Economic Agency has put the INOCEL company in touch with the entire ecosystem and local partners, opening the way to possible collaborations and additional financial arrangements.
About INOCEL
INOCEL designs, produces and markets high-power, modular fuel cells for stationary, marine, and heavy terrestrial mobility sectors. Their expertise encompasses fuel cell technology development as well as integration into a complete system. INOCEL also provides predictive maintenance, monitoring, and advanced control services to its clients.
INOCEL is a French company located in two strategic sites in France, an R&D center in Grenoble, an innovation and technology hub, and a gigafactory in Belfort, a hydrogen hub and technologically advanced industrial territory capable of producing tens of thousands of units per year.
INOCEL controls the entire fuel cell system value chain, from bipolar plates to auxiliary components, which gives them precise knowledge of the constituents and enables them to manage their quality and cost chain. INOCEL also participates in the development of future sector standards to stay ahead of the development of products and services of tomorrow.
More information at: www.inocel.com