Alfa Laval dedicates a new production line to printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHE) at the Alfa Laval Vicarb factory in Fontanil- Cornillon (Isère)

Cutting-edge expertise comes to the Hydrogen Valley to meet increasing demand in this new market

The Alfa Laval group, a major player in the decarbonisation industry, has spent 140 years developing solutions that adapt to the evolving energy market. On Thursday the 4th of April 2024, Alfa Laval launched a new production line dedicated to printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHE) at the Alfa Laval Vicarb plant (Le Fontanil, Isère). This new line incorporates cutting-edge diffusion-welding (bonding) technology, making it possible to produce an ultracompact solution that supports the energy transition in a number of sectors (energy, marine, etc.), particularly in hydrogen-related applications.

With the launch of this new production line, Alfa Laval is bringing specialist expertise to the Hydrogen Valley, making Le Fontanil a hub of excellence among PCHE production sites in France. The new line will also produce around 1,000 HyblocTM units per year. This Frenchmanufactured PCHE works as a pre-cooler in hydrogen refuelling stations, cooling the hydrogen before it enters a vehicle.

With 300,000 vehicles in Europe estimated to use this energy by 2030, Alfa Laval plans to deploy 1,000 stations across France to support the scale up. Prospects for development in this market therefore come with significant growth opportunities for the group.

This new PCHE production line means that Alfa Laval can develop its HyblocTM, the latest solution for hydrogen refuelling, in Europe. As the world’s second biggest market for hydrogen, the European Union is a benchmark region for the development of hydrogen-based mobility. So, to anticipate the increase demand, Alfa Laval is introducing a diffusion-bonding technology, previously only used at the Alfa Laval CorHex site in Korea, in the hydrogen valley of France. This unique welding technology simultaneously applies pressure and heat to assemble 2 components and is a vital step in the production of printed circuit heat exchangers.

Thanks to the installation of special furnaces, Alfa Laval is now able to increase its Hybloc™ exchanger production capacity to 1,000 units per year. This all comes alongside the ImaGHYne project, which encourages the development of a major hydrogen valley within the region. Alfa Laval joined forces with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council with an investment of €10 million to make it happen.