Symbio and Schaeffler joint venture to produce key component for fuel cell systems
By Bradley Osborne - 22nd June 2022
France / Germany – Symbio of Fontaine, Isère, France has announced the establishment of a joint venture with rolling element bearings manufacturer Schaeffler Group, based in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany, for the production of metallic bipolar plates, a key component in hydrogen fuel cell stacks for electric vehicles.
The joint-venture company, called ‘Innoplate’, will produce bipolar plates at a facility in Haguenau, France from early 2024, with an initial production capacity of 4 million units per year. The two firms hope to increase capacity to 50 million units globally by 2030. The production process will leverage Schaeffler’s expertise in precise metal forming and stamping, which it is already using to produce bipolar plates for electrolysers and fuel cell stacks.
