[Job Story] Daimler Truck and Rolls-Royce collaborate for stationary fuel cell generators

• 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.

• First demonstrator to be operational by end of year.

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 centers. They are to offer emission-free alternatives to diesel engines, which are currently used as emergency power generators or to cover peak loads. Daimler Truck AG and the British technology group Rolls-Royce have signed an agreement to this effect. A comprehensive cooperation agreement is to be prepared and signed by the end of the year.

Already 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 commercialization 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 in the emergency power generators it develops and distributes for data centers under the MTU product and solution brand. 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 commercialization of this technology through the joint venture,”

said Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG.

Investing in this technology represents a further impetus for the development of a hydrogen infrastructure in all sectors and applications. Data centers 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. For the time being, the two groups are excited to work together to further increase the fuel cell economy.

Martin Daum reiterates that they are currently working together on customised solutions for individual, complex and growing data centre energy needs. The decarbonisation of drive and power systems is one of our central strategic objectives and fuel cells will play a key role in this.

Earlier large-scale production of fuel cells for stationary applications possible

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.

Daimler Trucks is bringing together the Daimler Group’s fuel-cell activities

During the past two decades, Daimler has already developed considerable expertise in fuel-cell technology with its site in Nabern, Germany (currently the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH) and other production and development facilities in Germany and Canada. In order to enable the joint venture with the Volvo Group, Daimler Trucks is bringing together all of the Daimler Group’s fuel-cell activities in a new fuel-cell entity and will place them in the planned joint venture. This also includes the allocation of the operations of Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH to Daimler Truck AG.

Source: Daimler