Johnson Matthey acquires assets to accelerate green hydrogen scale-up 

Johnson Matthey, a global pioneer in sustainable solutions, has acquired the assets and intellectual property of Oxis Energy Limited, headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom.

Oxis Energy was a developer of lithium-sulfur batteries with assets that might be used to manufacture components for green hydrogen production. On 19 May 2021, the company entered administration.

This deal, together with modest further investment in modifications, will greatly accelerate JM’s developing Green Hydrogen business. The facility will significantly strengthen JM’s capability to design, test, and manufacture catalyst-coated membranes and innovative materials for electrolysers, as this market continues to grow at a breakneck pace and in response to favorable customer feedback. The facility will be capable of producing tens of thousands of catalyst-coated membrane pieces each year, which is sufficient to equip hundreds of megawatts of electrolyser capacity.

Robert MacLeod, Chief Executive, stated: “We are delighted to secure this acquisition. The capability this opportunity delivers will enable our green hydrogen business to accelerate the scale-up of CCM production in line with market demand. The purchase of these assets further demonstrates our commitment to developing a low carbon economy and progressing towards net-zero.”

Eugene McKenna, Managing Director Green Hydrogen, commented: “Acquiring Oxis Energy’s assets enables us to support our customers as they meet the strong demand for proton exchange membrane electrolysers used to produce green hydrogen. Improving electrolyser efficiency and reducing the cost of hydrogen are key to the further development of the green hydrogen market and scaling up CCM manufacturing will help bring JM and our customers closer to achieving this goal.”

Along with expediting Green Hydrogen’s scale-up, the acquisition of a sizable IP portfolio in next-generation lithium-sulfur and adjacent battery technologies enables JM’s Battery Materials company to accelerate the development of future battery material innovations.