The agreements focus
on the development of carbon composite substrates
to be used to support the catalysts and other active
components within the MEA, which forms the heart
of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
They bring together Johnson Matthey's strong catalyst
technology and intellectual property in the field
of fuel cells and MEAs and James Cropper's experience
in the volume manufacturing of advanced technical
non-woven materials to form a significant alliance
for the development of commercial fuel cell manufacturing.
Under these agreements Johnson Matthey will market
all of the new products for fuel cells that result
from the collaboration with James Cropper TFP.
Commenting on the
agreements Neil Carson, Executive Director of Johnson
Matthey, said: "Technical Fibre Products are leaders
in their field and we are delighted to have them
as exclusive partners and strategic suppliers to
our fuel cell business. The combination of TFP and
Johnson Matthey's strong technology will result in
the mass production of world-class MEAs for our fuel
cell customers, the market for which is set to see
dramatic growth over the next few years."
James Cropper, Chairman
of James Cropper PLC commented:
"Technical Fibre
Products is the world's leading developer of technically
advanced non-wovens made from high performance fibres.
We have been supplying fuel cell components for some
time but working closely with Johnson Matthey and
its advanced MEA technology will enable us to develop
new leading edge products more quickly. We see the
market for environmentally clean energy generation
systems growing rapidly in the automotive, domestic,
industrial and portable sectors in the next few years."
