Dong-A Hwasung Signs Production License Agreement for High-Temperature Polymer MEA with BASF

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] Dong-A Chemical announced on the 26th that it is pioneering the market for Membrane Electrolyte Assembly (MEA), a core component of hydrogen fuel cells.

Dong-A Chemical (co-CEOs Lim Kyungsik and Seong Rakje) signed a license agreement on the 25th with Germany's BASF for the production of high-temperature polymer MEA (hereinafter HT-MEA, product name Celtec®), marking the start of Dong-A Chemical's future growth business. BASF has been improving Celtec products for over 25 years, and recently signed the license agreement with Dong-A Chemical to respond to the rapid increase in demand for HT-MEA and to enable mass production.

Through this agreement, Dong-A Chemical will receive training and know-how from BASF for MEA production and will begin full-scale commercial production from the first half of this year.

HT-MEA is a core component that induces electrochemical reactions in fuel cell systems, operating at high temperatures of 120 to 180°C. It can use various fuels such as natural gas, LPG, biogas, and methanol, and has specialized advantages such as strong durability against impurities like carbon monoxide contained in hydrogen.

Currently, BASF's HT-MEA (Celtec) is applied to high-temperature polymer building fuel cell systems of Dong-A Chemical’s subsidiary, Dong-A Fuel Cell. In Europe, SERENERGY is distributing systems using methanol as fuel based on this technology. Additionally, SIQENS has commercialized auxiliary power fuel cell systems applying Celtec, and several European companies are selling it as auxiliary power for automotive and mobile fuel cells.

Based on its own research and development over the past 20 years on fuel cell gaskets and fuel cell component technologies, Dong-A Chemical is confident in the successful commercialization of HT-MEA, leveraging world-class technical personnel and technology capable of early commercialization of BASF’s technology.

To this end, Dong-A Chemical is organizing a dedicated MEA team at its headquarters in Gimhae and is establishing a mass production line.

Through this contract, the two companies plan to build a close cooperative relationship in various ways to expand from the European fuel cell mobility market centered in Germany and the Japanese market, including applying the technology to building fuel cell systems distributed by Dong-A Fuel Cell, and eventually expanding to the global market.