Bosch enters component development for hydrogen electrolysis

Bosch is stepping up its efforts in the field of regeneratively produced hydrogen: for effective climate protection, the company not only wants to use H2 in the future but also to participate in its production.

That is why Bosch is now getting involved in the development of components for electrolysers. In these plants, water is converted into so-called green hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis using electricity preferably from renewable sources such as wind power or photovoltaics.

"Climate protection cannot wait. We want to support the rapid development of hydrogen production in Europe," announced Dr Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, on the occasion of the presentation of the annual financial statement. "To this end, we are using our fuel-cell know-how," added Dr Markus Heyn, Bosch board of management member and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. The company is locating the electrolysis components in the Mobility sector based on its existing expertise and is investing up to 500 million euros in this by the end of the decade.

In the course of defossilisation, diversification of energy sources and CO2 reduction, the demand for regenerative H2 is rising rapidly, not only in energy-intensive sectors such as the steel and chemical industries or heavy goods traffic but also in private buildings - to around ten million tonnes per year by 2030, according to the EU. For the electrolyser component market as a whole, Bosch expects a volume of around 14 billion euros worldwide at that time, with the highest growth rates in Europe. For the economy and society to become less dependent on fossil fuels and to be able to tap into new energies, Bosch intends to invest a total of a good three billion euros in climate-neutral technology such as electrification and hydrogen over the next three years.