German manufacturer Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH took advantage of its 25th anniversary to formally present a new hydrogen fuel cell production facility near Munich. The company’s new site, unveiled in August 2023, represents a sevenfold increase in production space.

It was officially presented to around 80 guests from Proton Motor`s customer base, as well as players from the industry and media, at an exclusive event.

The site in Fuerstenfeldbruck is the company’s second location and supplements its 6,000 m2 headquarters in Puchheim, about 12 km away, which will become a development centre for fuel cell stacks and hydrogen fuel cell engines.

Proton Motor has taken out a 15-year lease for the modern 13,500 m2 production facility in Fuerstenfeldbruck, in the Munich metropolitan region, in a move it said was “setting a milestone in the direction of industrialisation and serialisation of hydrogen fuel cells.”

An automated fuel cell production plant or Stack Robot is expected to be operational at the end of 2024.

The plant will build on energy efficiency concepts already in place at the current site in Puchheim, where the electrical and thermal energy generated during the production of fuel cell stacks and systems is reused wherever possible.

The electrical energy is used to charge the employees’ electric vehicles, while surplus electricity can be fed back into the power grid and thermal energy is available to heat the production halls during the cold season. At Fuerstenfeldbruck, this will be supported by solar power and geothermal energy.

Proton Motor Fuel Cell expects demand to rise sharply in line with awareness that hydrogen and fuel cells will play a fundamental role in overcoming the climate and energy crisis.

The company’s strategic roadmap envisages an annual increase in production capacity at the new site to 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell engines and gradually up to 30,000 fuel cell stacks.

Dr. Faiz Nahab, Proton Motor’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Personally, it makes me very proud and happy that my successful team supports the commitment to expand production capacities at the new modern production site.

“On the company’s 25th anniversary, the focus is on the overall performance of Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH, which makes an entrepreneurial statement about what hydrogen, with its key related technologies such as fuel cells, means for energy security and in the fight against global warming.”

Proton Motor has been developing hydrogen fuel cell technology “Made in Germany” for a quarter of a century, creating Hy-Brand products for the stationary, heavv duty, maritime and rail segments. The products include the HyShelter, HyModule, HyFrame, HyCabinet, HyRange, HyShip and HyRail emission-free fuel cell systems.

Its focus is on stationary applications such as independent uninterrupted power supply solutions for residential projects and critical infrastructures inclusive emergency power supply.

In addition, CO2-balanced customised or standard and hybrid systems for business-to-business markets are used for environmentally friendly drive concepts in the heavy duty, maritime and rail segments.

The technology player employs more than 120 people and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Proton Motor Power Systems plc, which has been listed on the London Stock Exchange with simultaneous trading in Frankfurt since October 2006.

“In the fight against climate change, hydrogen is one of the most effective energy alternatives,” Proton Motor said in a press release.