Daimler Truck AG and the Rolls-Royce have signed an agreement to cooperate on stationary fuel-cell generators recently.
Daimler Truck AG & Volvo Group JV to Supply Fuel Cells
Daimler Truck AG and Rolls-Royce plc plan to cooperate on stationary fuel-cell generators as CO2-neutral emergency power generators for safety-critical facilities such as data centres. They are to offer emission-free alternatives to diesel engines, which are currently used as emergency power generators or to cover peak loads.
The Rolls-Royce Power Systems business unit focuses on development and sale of fuel-cell generators as MTU emergency power generators. Fuel cells are to be supplied by the planned Daimler Truck AG and Volvo Group joint venture, and the first demonstrator to be operational by end of year.
In April, Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group signed a preliminary, non-binding agreement to establish a new joint venture for the large-scale development, production and commercialisation of fuel-cell systems for heavy-duty commercial vehicles and other applications. The Rolls-Royce Power Systems business unit plans to rely on these fuel-cell systems from the planned joint venture – as well as Daimler’s many years of experience – in the emergency power generators it develops and distributes for data centers under the MTU product and solution brand. Daimler and Rolls-Royce are linked not only by longstanding cooperation on conventional drive systems for other applications.
Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group plan to start large-scale production of heavy-duty fuel-cell commercial vehicles for demanding and heavy long-haul applications in the second half of the decade. However, the fuel-cell systems for stationary applications can be produced in series by the planned joint venture between Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group at an earlier stage, as the specific requirements for use in transport on public roads do not apply.
“For Daimler Truck AG, fuel-cell systems play a decisive role in achieving CO2-neutral transport – as a supplement to battery-electric drive. Just at the end of April, we announced our intention to establish a joint venture with the Volvo Group. With the agreement for stationary fuel-cell systems concluded, we are already demonstrating very concrete opportunities for the commercialisation of this technology through the joint venture,” stated Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG.
“Data centres are the nodes of the global information and communication network, whose vital importance has become particularly clear in these difficult times and whose operation must therefore be reliably safeguarded. The same applies to other safety-critical systems. Under our MTU brand, we develop customised solutions, thousands of which we have already installed, for data centres’ individual, complex and growing energy needs. The decarbonisation of drive systems and power supply is one of our central strategic goals and fuel cells will play a key role in this. No other technology offers such high reliability, modular scalability and all the advantages of renewable energies without dependence on the conventional energy market. Through the cooperation with Daimler Trucks, we will gain access to fuel-cell systems that meet our demanding requirements and will thus further strengthen our outstanding position in this growth market,” said Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
