Integrated report 2021 - reinventing inventing

How is Plastic Omnium supporting energy transition?

Our mission is to anticipate changing regulations and social attitudes, to provide automotive manufacturers with innovative solutions and help support the emergence of clean vehicles. The changing powertrain mix is leading to an unparalleled situation: never in the history of the automotive industry have so many technologies cohabited alongside each other. This mixture of engine types will continue for some years to come, with vehicles powered by conventional internal combustion engines alongside those using hybrid or electric propulsion systems. By designing energy storage systems for all engine types, paired with emission reduction systems for diesel vehicles, Plastic Omnium is positioned as a major actor in energy transition.

How do you explain Plastic Omnium’s strong positioning on this market?

Faced with this mixed engine fleet - gasoline, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid - we have what it takes to develop a range of advanced technologies. We already do this for internal combustion engines, where we have been the leader for a number of years, with one vehicle in five equipped with a fuel tank from Plastic Omnium. Internal combustion will remain in service in some parts of the world over the medium term, and our mission is to make it more environmentally friendly while continuing to invest in the new technologies that will replace it. We are also a leading actor in emission reduction systems thanks to our selective catalytic reduction systems that cut emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel vehicles by up to 95%. And we’re also present on the booming market for hybrid vehicles with our high-performance INWIN and Tanktronic fuel systems. We were the first OEM to develop a solution tailored specifically to the requirements for plug-in hybrid vehicles, with a high-technology gasoline tank capable of withstanding high pressures.

Why is Plastic Omnium backing hydrogen?

Hydrogen opens the door to zero-emission electric mobility, making it a fuel for the future that ticks every box when it comes to sustainable mobility. Using hydrogen propulsion means fuel tanks can be refilled quickly and vehicles have the extended range that offers a client experience very similar to internal combustion. By 2030, governmental plans will have led to the creation of what will be a hydrogen industry in its own right, with global production projected to exceed two million vehicles a year. Our goal is perfectly clear, underpinned by our technical and industrial expertise in energy storage solutions: to become the leader in onboard hydrogen. For the past five years, and more, we have been investing to develop comprehensive hydrogen solutions - from highpressure tanks to integrated systems - that will position us as a key actor in decarbonized mobility. With hydrogen we are significantly ramping up the value of our content per vehicle and are opening up to new forms of transportation, such as trucks, buses and trains: the newly created New Energies division won its first commercial contracts from these different customer segments during 2021. The hydrogen sector, buoyed by economic stimulus plans, has never had a more promising future for all forms of transportation.