Cleantech and Hydrogen fuel cell technology specialist Bramble Energy has successfully completed a project aimed at accelerating the transition to an electrified automotive industry in the UK, funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC)’s Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) program.

As part of the Automotive Transformation Fund—a program created to support large-scale industrialization—Bramble Energy was awarded £1.8 million (US$2.25 million) in September 2022 to develop an optimized fuel cell stack assembly with the capacity to produce up to 2,000 50 kW stacks/year. This has been accomplished, in less than two years, at the firm’s HQ and Hydrogen Innovation Hub in Crawley.

Bramble Energy simplified the fuel cell stack assembly process through the design of its already trademarked Printed Circuit Board Fuel Cell (PCBFC), which includes integrated membrane electrode assembly into unitized PCB modules (cells). (Earlier post.)

The process also has seen the company prove its low cost production roadmap to $100/kW at 2,000 x 50 kW stacks/year (100 MW/year).

Bramble Energy secured funding last year to provide first-of-its-kind fuel cell technology for a new hydrogen-powered double-deck bus. (Earlier post.) The project, part of the Hydrogen Electric Integrated Drivetrain Initiative (HEIDI), involves partners including Equipmake, Aeristech, and the University of Bath, and is supported by £6.3 million (US$7.9 million) from the APC, matched by industry contributions to total £12.7 million (US$15.9).