EUR 177 million in funding from IPCEI program for new high-performance fuel cell stacks from EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies

Dettingen/Erms (Germany), November 15, 2023 +++EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH (EKPO), a company fully consolidated within the ElringKlinger Group, today received notification of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport that it will be granted funding of up to EUR 177 million for the years up to and including 2027 as part of the so-called "IPCEI Hydrogen" program. EKPO intends to use the funds to expand its product portfolio in the high-performance segment and to develop and industrialize new, high-performance fuel cell stack modules for heavy-duty applications. This funding will thus facilitate the long-term scaling of EKPO's business model.

In this context, 70% of funding will be provided by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and 30% by the Ministry of the Environment of the state of Baden-Württem­berg. Funding was approved by the EU Commission under State aid law prior to the official notification being issued.

IPCEI programs (IPCEI = Important Project of Common European Interest) encompass strategic funding projects at a pan-European level that are aimed at establishing a European value chain in key economic sectors of relevance to the future. The hydrogen industry has been identified as one such key sector, of which hydrogen mobility forms a constituent part.