ALSTOM has completed the acquisitions of two companies, Helion Hydrogen Power and Flertex, which it says will enhance its initiatives in hydrogen fuel cell power and braking systems, respectively.
Alstom’s acquisition of Helion Hydrogen Power is based on “pursuing our strategy of sustainable development and innovation,” the company noted. “This promising, innovation-driven company, a 100% subsidiary of Areva Energies Renouvelables, specialises in high-power fuel cells, thus complementing Alstom’s expertise in hydrogen technology.”
Helion has been renamed Alstom Hydrogène and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alstom. The company employs nearly 30 staff at its site in Aix-en-Provence, France.
Alstom says the company covers the entire value chain of high-power fuel cells, including design, development, manufacturing, engineering support and customer training.
“Today, it focuses mainly on the energy and transport markets, in France and abroad,” Alstom says. “The company has been involved in more than 100 projects and some 30 of its solutions are in operation worldwide.”
Alstom’s acquisition of Flertex comes a few months after that of IBRE, a supplier of cast-iron and steel brake discs. Flertex supplies brake linings such as pads and shoes for the rail industry and other industrial applications. The acquisition, part of the Alstom in Motion strategic plan, expands and strengthens Alstom’s expertise in braking systems.
Flertex is an international company with approximately 120 employees, most of them located at sites in Gennevilliers (Île-de-France region) and Saint-Florentin (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region) in France, with a turnover of around €16m in 2020. More than 50% of its turnover comes from the rail industry, mainly in France and Europe as well as in Latin America.
“For more than 60 years, Flertex has focused strongly on innovation to develop ever more efficient materials: increased braking performance, noise reduction and reduced emissions of fine particles into the atmosphere,” Alstom says.
