Fuel cell systems company Advent Technologies Holdings signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Safran Power Units, a leader in auxiliary power systems and turbojet engines. Leveraging Advent’s proprietary Ion Pair Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) technology, and Safran Aerospace knowledge and capabilities, this new collaboration will seek to advance the development of next-generation high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cell technology, specifically for the aerospace sector.

HT-PEM enables more efficient heat management versus low temperature-PEM (LT-PEM). It is more adapted for applications requiring high amounts of power combined with strong integration constraints such as aviation. HT PEM is more robust and can withstand toughest conditions, such as extreme temperatures and pollution, compared to LT-PEM.

The collaboration is further supported by a strong research consortium including Safran Tech (the Research & Technology Center of Safran Group), the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, Fraunhofer Institute, the French National Centre for Scientific Research, the University of Strasbourg, and the IMDEA Energy Institute.