Crawley’s Bramble Energy completes £1.8m hydrogen fuel cell project

Bramble Energy, a cleantech firm focused on hydrogen fuel cell technology, has completed a project aimed at accelerating the UK’s transition to an electrified automotive industry.

In 2022, the company was awarded £1.8 million via the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC)’s Scale-up Readiness Validation (SuRV) programme to develop an optimised fuel cell stack assembly with the capacity to produce up to 2,000 50 kW stacks a year.

This has now been successfully achieved at Bramble Energy’s HQ and hydrogen innovation hub in Crawley, where the team have managed to simplify the fuel cell stack assembly process through the design of their trademarked Printed Circuit Board Fuel Cell (PCBFC).

The successful project follows the company’s contribution last year to the Hydrogen Electric Integrated Drivetrain Initiative (HEIDI), which saw it provide fuel cell technology for a new hydrogen-powered double-decker bus.

Dr Tom Mason, CEO of Bramble Energy, said: “In our efforts to help both the automotive and public transport industry find a clean, reliable and cost-effective way of powering vehicles, both the SuRV and HEIDI projects have helped us deliver internal efficiency development, refine our build process and create more flexibility with our design.

“We already have unique production USPs with our fuel cell modules and the PCB industry, so the SuRV project was the perfect way to make advancements internally with delivering the fastest and most efficient build process. 

“The UK government’s aim to halt new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035 influences Bramble Energy’s plans. However, it’s just part of a larger vision.

“Our focus extends beyond this goal as we work towards creating real-world, commercially viable solutions for the wider transportation sector.”

Automotive fuel cells have lowered in cost by 70 per cent since 2008 as the industry works towards more efficient and scalable production processes.

Many of the companies driving that change are based in the UK, positioning the nation as a potential leader in the field of fuel cells. 

Julian Hetherington, automotive transformation director at APC, added: “The successful completion of this project by Bramble Energy reinforces confidence in large-scale manufacturing investment to build electrified supply chains in the UK.

“Our aim is to support innovative businesses like Bramble Energy that have the expertise to accelerate change in the automotive sector as it transitions to a net zero future.

“By advancing fuel cell technology, it brings a viable net zero transport solution which can scale quickly and be delivered at lower cost.”