Rheinmetall’s Pierburg reaches fuel cell technology milestone with new order

Rheinmetall’s Pierburg reaches fuel cell technology milestone with new order

(IN BRIEF) Rheinmetall’s Sensors and Actuators division has secured a contract to supply over 150,000 HRB 1800 hydrogen recirculation blowers, worth a mid-double-digit million-euro range, to a new customer for use in buses and trucks. The hydrogen recirculation blowers improve the efficiency and longevity of fuel cells by returning unused hydrogen to the fuel cell stack. Rheinmetall is a leader in the field of fuel cell technology, with over 20 years of experience, and aims to play an enduring role in the shift towards environmentally friendly drive technologies. The Group is increasing its development of balance-of-plant (BoP) products and introducing innovative new components to its product portfolio to support this aim.

(PRESS RELEASE) DÜSSELDORF, 26-Apr-2032 — /EuropaWire/ —  Rheinmetall AG (ETR: RHM), a German integrated technology group active in the automotive and defence industries, announces that its Sensors and Actuators division has secured a significant contract to supply over 150,000 HRB 1800 hydrogen recirculation blowers to a new customer. The contract, valued at a mid-double-digit million-euro range, was awarded based on extensive testing of the technology, which demonstrated that the HRB 1800 is the most robust and high-quality blower on the market.

The contract marks an important milestone for Rheinmetall subsidiary Pierburg, which is developing innovative fuel cell technology. Meticulous testing by the customer resulted in a full-scale production order for the HRB 1800 blowers, which will be manufactured from 2026 to 2030. Follow-up orders are anticipated. In addition, an order for an electric coolant pump from Pierburg, the CWA 2000, has already been placed. The blowers and coolant pumps will be used in buses and trucks.

The hydrogen recirculation blowers play a critical role in the fuel cell system by returning unused hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, improving the efficiency and longevity of the fuel cell. They are also compact, have excellent noise, vibration and harshness characteristics, and are available in high- and low-voltage versions. The electric output ranges from 0.7 to 2 kilowatts or up to 400 watts in the low-voltage model. They are powered by a brushless motor controlled without sensors, and feature LIN and CAN bus communications and diagnostic functions for data transmission.

The hydrogen recirculation blowers are balance-of-plant (BoP) products, which are components that supply media to the fuel cell stack. The two systems ordered will ensure active cooling of the electronics and e-motor, resulting in greater performance density. With over 20 years of experience in the fuel cell business, Rheinmetall is a leader in the field and has already validated its technology in the bus sector for over a decade.

Given its latest successes and anticipated market growth, Rheinmetall is increasing its development of BoP products and introducing innovative new components to its product portfolio. The Group aims to play an enduring role in the shift away from the internal combustion engine to new, environmentally friendly drive technologies for motor vehicles and stationary industrial applications. Rheinmetall aims to be climate-neutral by 2035.

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Oliver Hoffmann
Head of Press and Public Relations
Phone: +49 211 473-4748
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SOURCE: RHEINMETALL AG