Fuel cell manufacturer, Symbio signed an MoU with Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The two companies are to develop systems for mobility applications, including heavy construction equipments.

Known to the general public for its motorbikes, the Japanese group is an industrial giant. Its technologies are applied in the air, maritime (notably by developing a hydrogen carrier) and rail sectors. And on land, Kawasaki’s hydraulic solutions for heavy construction equipment have been adopted by many manufacturers. In particular, for the first Japanese hydraulic excavator, in the 1960s. What is less commonly known is that Kawasaki has also developed high-pressure hydrogen gas valves for fuel cell vehicles. These are mass-produced for commercial vehicles (including buses) and major car manufacturers outside Japan.

This contract is a boon for Symbio, which opened its gigafactory a few months ago and is looking to expand its activity. With this MoU, the two partners will step up their commercial initiatives in the hydrogen industry. They will explore the application of fuel cell systems to mobility, including solutions for heavy construction equipment anticipated by potential customers.

It’s noteworthy that the fuel cell still has its place, even though Japanese manufacturers are working in parallel on the hydrogen engine. Here is a document on Kawasaki’s vision of the Hydrogen Society.

To learn more about Symbio you can check out our articles here.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili