Johnson Matthey acquires assets to accelerate green hydrogen scale-up

LONDON, July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies, today announced its acquisition of the assets and intellectual property of Oxis Energy Limited, based near Oxford, UK. Oxis Energy was a lithium-sulfur battery developer with assets which can be adapted for the manufacture of components for green hydrogen production. The company entered administration on 19 May 2021.

With moderate additional investment in upgrades, this transaction will significantly accelerate the scale-up of JM's growing Green Hydrogen business. The facility will further expand JM's ability to develop, test, and manufacture catalyst coated membranes and advanced materials for electrolysers, as this market continues to develop very rapidly and in response to positive progress with customers. The site will enable the production of tens of thousands of catalyst coated membrane parts per year – enough 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."

In addition to accelerating Green Hydrogen scale-up, the acquisition of a considerable IP portfolio in next-generation lithium-sulfur and adjacent battery technologies presents opportunities for JM's Battery Materials business to advance its development of future battery material technologies.

About Johnson Matthey

Johnson Matthey is a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world. With over 200 years of sustained commitment to innovation and technological breakthroughs, we improve the performance, function and safety of our customers' products. Our science has a global impact in areas such as low emission transport, pharmaceuticals, chemical processing and making the most efficient use of the planet's natural resources. Today more than 15,000 Johnson Matthey professionals collaborate with our network of customers and partners to make a real difference to the world around us.