Johnson Matthey Expands Presence in China with Investments in Hydrogen Market

Johnson Matthey (JM), a sustainable technologies provider, recently signed an investment agreement with the Jiading District in Shanghai aiming to accelerate the hydrogen economy in China.

During a signing ceremony held in Sonning, UK, JM and the Shanghai Jiading District revealed their collaborative venture to construct a facility dedicated to the manufacturing of catalyst coated membranes (CCMs). This facility will offer production capabilities for CCMs, catering to various applications of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and PEM electrolysers.

The facility is planned to have an initial capacity of up to 5 GW and will occupy about 22,000 square metres in a designated Hydrogen industrial zone in the Jiading district of Shanghai. The project is due to be operational in 2025. It will also have the potential to expand further in line with customer demand.

The company’s statement notes that the investment is backed by customer demand and is part of JM’s £1.1 billion global stated capital expenditure for the three years to 2024/25. This will also include government support and incentives.

Dr Mark Su, President of Greater China at Johnson Matthey, said, “This is a landmark investment for our business as we build our footprint in the US, Europe and now China, cementing our presence in all three major hydrogen markets. We are excited to expand our businesses whilst creating and scaling the low carbon solutions that will help China achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.”

Johnson Matthey’s newly established production facility will empower the company to meet the demands of its Chinese and global clientele by providing them with domestically manufactured catalyst coated membranes (CCMs). Furthermore, the company asserts that there is robust customer interest in both fuel cell and renewable green hydrogen technologies, indicating a promising pipeline for future business opportunities.

Ms Gao Xiang, Mayor of Jiading District, said: “Jiading District is a famous international automobile city and one of the earliest areas in China to develop a hydrogen industry. With the help of companies like Johnson Matthey, we can actively build a hydrogen technologies innovation hub and a national fuel cell vehicle demonstration city. This investment agreement plays to both parties’ strengths and is a win-win cooperation.”

CCMs are key performance-defining components in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). Notably, China aims to have 1 million hydrogen-powered vehicles on its road by 2030.

With six cutting-edge manufacturing facilities under operation across China, Johnson Matthey claims to have a strong presence in the country. The company has established itself as a prominent producer of auto catalysts and a leading player in the trading and refining of platinum group metals. Additionally, the firm also has presence across syngas and hydrogen fuel cells. The firm demonstrated its expertise during the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, where it supplied membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for hydrogen fuel cell shuttle buses.