Project Engineer

Inside Johnson Matthey's hydrogen engine testing facility. Johnson Matthey has opened a US$3.1m hydrogen internal combustion engine facility in Gothenburg to test emission control systems for heavy-duty transport Johnson Matthey has opened its first hydrogen internal combustion engine (H[2]ICE) testing facility in Gothenburg, Sweden. The cutting-edge plant represents a US$3.1m investment in what the company regards as a transitional technology for decarbonising heavy-duty transport. The facility, completed on time and on budget over a period of three years, was officially opened by Damien Sotty, Johnson Matthey's R&D Director, on 11 December. The new facility forms part of JM's existing Gothenburg site, which already houses heavy and light duty diesel engine test cells. For the first time, the firm will now be able to test complete H[2]ICE engines rather than individual components, with the facility supporting engines up to 600kW (800hp). This will allow the team at Johnson Matthey to evaluate the performance of catalysts within broader systems and should provide data on how emission control technologies perform in real engine conditions. "Very proud of my team who delivered this important project for Johnson Matthey," writes Damien on LinkedIn. "Thinking long term is what defines companies that last!" The technical infrastructure of hydrogen systems. The facility includes on-site hydrogen supply and storage infrastructure capable of handling pressures up to 500 bar, along with hydrogen flow meters, analysers and exhaust measuring instruments. All systems include appropriate control, sensing and safety mechanisms required for handling hydrogen at high pressures. These developments could prove to be important for the eventual maturation of hydrogen as a fuel, which is often cited as a sustainable solution for hard-to-abate sectors, like heavy industry. "This investment shows JM is backing H[2]ICE as a ready-to-go technology that will enable mobility partners to meet their decarbonisation and climate goals," says Tauseef Salma, Chief Technology Officer in Clean Air at Johnson Matthey. The market context. The investment follows JM's involvement in Project Brunel, a collaboration with Cummins, PHINIA and Zircotec launched in November 2021 and concluded in March 2025. That project delivered what JM describes as proof points for improvements in H[2]ICE engine performance and durability, though specific metrics were not disclosed. H[2]ICE technology uses hydrogen fuel in modified internal combustion engines, presenting a different pathway to fuel cells for hydrogen adoption in transport. It is an approach that allows manufacturers to make use of existing engine architectures while eliminating tailpipe carbon emissions, though questions remain about the efficiency trade-offs compared to battery electric and fuel cell alternatives. Collaborations and alliances across industries. JM is a founding member of the Global Hydrogen Mobility Alliance, a coalition of over 30 companies including BMW, Toyota, Hyundai, Air Liquide and Linde. The alliance is pushing EU policymakers to prioritise hydrogen mobility in decarbonisation strategies, reflecting broader industry efforts to establish hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel. "For more than two centuries, JM has helped tackle some of the world's biggest challenges," Tauseef says. "We continue to do so today because it's in our DNA. The opening of this new testing facility shows our commitment to strategic partnerships to drive innovation, strengthening the potential of H[2]ICE as a net zero pathway for commercial vehicles." The question of commercial viability. The facility's opening comes as the heavy-duty transport sector faces pressure to decarbonise while maintaining operational requirements that battery electric solutions may struggle to meet in certain applications. H[2]ICE presents potential advantages in terms of refuelling time and range compared to battery electric alternatives, though the technology faces challenges around hydrogen production, distribution infrastructure and overall energy efficiency. The technology competes not only with battery electric solutions but also with hydrogen fuel cells, which offer higher efficiency but at greater cost and complexity. JM's investment signals confidence in H[2]ICE capturing a portion of the heavy-duty decarbonisation market, particularly for applications where existing engine platforms could be adapted rather than replaced entirely.

The Johnson Matthey point of view. Johnson Matthey confirmed during Non-Road Powertrain & Fuels Europe 2025 that there is not a single-technology journey but a shared responsibility to meet climate goals Johnson Matthey also attended the NON-ROAD Powertrain & Fuels Europe conference in Munich. The British company provided a wide-ranging view, starting from the most established and affluent application - the passenger car - to dive into the details of industrial mobile applications. Emission Analytics and Johnson Matthey. The Non-Road Mobile Machinery sector is confronting its own highly complex energy transition, according to a recent presentation at the Emissions Analytics conference. Data presented by Johnson Matthey emphasized that, unlike the passenger car market's push towards BEV-only, the sheer diversity of NRMM applications - ranging from low-energy daily use to high-energy 24-hour mining operations - requires a "technology-open" approach. The urgency for change is clear: off-road equipment is currently responsible for 108 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, representing 3.1% of the EU's total climate emissions. Furthermore, NRMM is projected to account for over a third of NOx emissions from inland transport before 2050, highlighting a significant air quality concern that must be addressed alongside decarbonization efforts. Globally, the regulatory landscape is intensifying. While the US future on emissions remains uncertain, china is estimated to implement stage VI by 2029, and india's stage V for construction begins in january 2025. This pressure, particularly in Europe, is fueling a discussion around technology neutrality in the ongoing CO2 review. The consensus from the industry appears to be that there is "no magic solution." The varied operational environments of NRMM - often requiring robust equipment and mobile fuel delivery - mean that no single technology is a clear winner across the board. Johnson Matthey's analysis shows the complexity, with varying levels of favorability for solutions such as H2-ICE, BEV, H2 Fuel Cells, and Biofuels based on criteria like infrastructure, total cost of ownership, and CO2 intensity. As the continued large share of diesel/ICE is forecast through 2035, the focus remains on minimizing environmental impact through "enabling solutions." The company is actively working on highly efficient aftertreatment systems, including the use of renewable diesel (HVO), which demonstrated similar performance to Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) on the RMC cycle. Significantly, the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) supported Project Brunel, with the cooperation of Cummins, a collaboration aimed at accelerating hydrogen-fueled Internal Combustion Engines (H2-ICE). Tests showed that H2-ICE equipped with Johnson Matthey catalysts achieved ultra-low NOx emissions, falling approximately ten times below the anticipated Euro 7 limit for heavy-duty vehicles.

Alexandra French left a long career at Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies, to take the position of CEO of Xampla as it set out to move from university-based startup to international scaleup.