Few companies in the commercial vehicle supply chain can claim a heritage stretching back more than two centuries, but Johnson Matthey is one of them. Founded in 1817 as a precious metals assayer, determining the purity of metals, JM has since evolved into a global leader in clean air and sustainable technology solutions. Its name is synonymous with catalytic converters, the innovation that has arguably saved more lives than any other automotive invention of the last 50 years, but today the company’s ambitions go far beyond traditional emissions control.

The company has not disclosed the scale of its investment, but the facility is being described as a major strategic commitment to its hydrogen technologies business. The site is scheduled to be fully operational in autumn 2025.

The sale aligns with JM’s strategy to streamline its portfolio and focus on core growth areas such as hydrogen technologies and emissions control for commercial vehicles.

Specifically, this partnership focuses on the development and production of catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) for fuel cell stacks. JM's high-performance CCMs will be integrated into Bosch's fuel cell power modules, designed for commercial vehicles.

The companies will jointly build a 5GW catalyst-coated membranes (CCM) manufacturing facility in the USA in 2025.

The two companies will work together to make an emissions aftertreatment system for Westport's hydrogen "high pressure direct injection" (HPDI) product.

Johnson Matthey has begun refining and recycling operations at its plant in China of the platinum group metal (PGM) content from membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), a key component of automotive fuel cells.

The company announced that it is set to expand its hydrogen gigafactory in Royston with a GBP 80 million investment to support growing demand for clean hydrogen fuel cell components for commercial vehicles.

A producer a chemically-sustainable technologies, Johnson Matthey Plc, says it is planning to commercialise technologies to enable production of zero carbon ‘green’ hydrogen.

Johnson Matthey Plc, a specialist chemicals company which manufactures catalysts, pharmaceutical materials, and pollution control systems, has confirmed its new battery cathode materials plant which is under construction, is to be powered solely by electricity from renewable sources from the very start of production.