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2006-07-25 News Headlines

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Fuel cells industry JV starts up

Umicore and Solvay launch joint venture Solvicore to develop and supply core technology for fuel cells industry.

Umicore and Solvay announce today that operations have started earlier this month at SolviCore, their joint venture for the research, development, production and sales of Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA) and related compounds, to be used in Fuel Cell (FC) applications. The 50-50 percent joint venture is based in Hanau, at Umicore's main R&D site in Germany and will employ 34 people in the first stage of its development.

The European Commission considers that SolviCore raises no competition concerns and cleared its creation last June under the simplified merger review procedure.

In parallel with the start of its own activities, SolviCore intends to apply for European Union research funding available under the 7th Framework programme (2007-2013). Hydrogen power and fuel cells have already been identified among the priorities of European Union research efforts aiming at fostering sustainable development and environmentally friendly transport.

UMICORE is a materials technology group. Its activities are centered on four business areas: Advanced Materials, Precious Metals Products and Catalysts, Precious Metals Services and Zinc Specialties.

Find Information about Umicore.

Umicore and Solvay, two world-scale industrial groups which respectively enjoy a global leading position in precious metals catalyst and polymer membrane technology, have the ambition to play a major role in the emerging fuel cells technology. In the JV they will assemble electrocatalysts with polymer membranes to develop and manufacture the Membrane Electrode Assembly, the reactor where hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate electricity.

SOLVAY is an international chemical and pharmaceutical Group with headquarters in Brussels made up of three activity sectors: Chemicals, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals.

Find Information about Solvay.

Fuel cell technology is based on the catalytic transformation of fuel (hydrogen, methanol,..) -- via chemical reaction with oxygen -- into electricity, heat and water. It is likely to become the new energy technology in the medium and long term future for a wide variety of portable (for example batteries), stationary (for example power and heating cogeneration) and automotive applications.

The parent companies will continue their respective activities in catalysts and membranes in full ownership, outside of the JV.

Read a recent press release about - 'Egeplast acquires innovative Solvay technology for large diameter, high resistance, fully recyclable utility pipes using reduced quantities of plastics resins.'

Find Information and Suppliers of fuel cells.

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