POSCO Inter and Doosan Sign MOU for Development of Metal Separation Plates for SuSo Drone

POSCO International's subsidiary POSCO SPS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Doosan Mobility Innovation on the 24th to develop ultra-thin metal separator plates for hydrogen drone fuel cells.

[Photo by POSCO International]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] POSCO International is expanding its business in the new mobility sector by developing metal bipolar plates for hydrogen drones.

POSCO International’s subsidiary, POSCO SPS, announced on the 24th that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) to develop ultra-thin metal bipolar plates for hydrogen drone fuel cells.

Through this agreement, the two companies plan to jointly develop 20μm (micrometer, one-millionth of a meter) metal bipolar plates and seek opportunities to lead various mobility businesses such as cargo drones and urban air mobility (UAM).

Metal bipolar plates are one of the core components of fuel cells, blocking direct contact between hydrogen and air while transferring the generated electrons to the circuit. The metal bipolar plates use 'Poss470FC' material, which was independently developed by the POSCO Group.

POSCO SPS and DMI have already jointly developed the world’s first 50μm metal bipolar plates and applied them to hydrogen fuel cell power packs for drones. The 50μm metal bipolar plate is the thinnest product among existing bipolar plates, about half the thickness of the 80μm to 100μm metal bipolar plates used in hydrogen vehicle fuel cells.

Since fuel cells used in aerial mobility such as hydrogen drones require lightweight design, a high level of technology is essential. Once the development of the 20μm metal bipolar plates is completed, it is expected that they can be applied to fuel cells in various aerial mobility fields.

Currently, lithium-ion battery drones can fly for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, whereas hydrogen fuel cell drones developed by DMI can fly for more than two hours, making them useful for various purposes such as monitoring high-risk areas and large-scale construction sites. The expansion of hydrogen fuel cell drones is also expected to drive growth in the hydrogen fuel cell power pack market.

Kim Hak-yong, CEO of POSCO SPS, stated, "Lightweight metal bipolar plates are a key technology to improve the efficiency of fuel cells in hydrogen drones. We will focus on developing technologies applicable to various mobility sectors through the synergy of POSCO SPS’s ultra-thin material development and molding technology and DMI’s drone design technology."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.