Plastic Omnium supports development of Safra Hycity hydrogen-powered buses

Plastic Omnium (Levallois-Perret, France) announces that it is supplying Safra, a passenger transportation equipment renovation specialist and hydrogen mobility company, with Type IV high-pressure hydrogen vessels — a benchmark solution made entirely from plastic encased in carbon fiber — for its new fleet of Hycity hydrogen buses. Destined for urban public transportation, the buses will feature the latest hydrogen technologies and will be fitted with six vessels to provide a minimum range of 350 kilometers.

Safra reports that it has won one of Europe’s largest contracts for coach retrofits. Safra says the order placed highlights its role in designing a complete kit, H2-pack, for the purpose of converting diesel coaches to hydrogen. Safra has therefore entered a long-term industrial partnership with Plastic Omnium, which will supply hydrogen vessels, in addition to the fuel cell systems, at the heart of hydrogen powertrains.

Plastic Omnium will be able to leverage its existing production capacities as well as offer Safra support for product launches by providing the technical assistance needed for after-sales back-up and maintenance services.

“This partnership with Safra is an important stage in our growth strategy and a proof of Plastic Omnium’s positioning in the market, with its comprehensive, competitive and industrialized range of solutions for hydrogen mobility,” Marc Perraudin, CEO of Plastic Omnium New Energies, says.

Plastic Omnium is confident that hydrogen will play a major role in the clean mobility of the future. The group has invested more than €300 million since 2015 to increase its expertise and industrial footprint across the entire hydrogen value chain. The company plans to invest €100 million each year on average to reach €300 million sales by 2025, and €3 billion sales by 2030.

Safra itself pivoted to a focus on decarbonized mobility as early as 2010, specifically hydrogen technology. Anticipating strong demand on the market, Safra increased its capital in 2021, and brought in investment funds managed by Aqua Asset Management, a specialist in investment financing for the ecological transition. This growth will reportedly enable the company to create 400 additional jobs and boost its production capacity to more than 200 vehicles a year by 2025.