How Schaeffler’s Enertect is Driving the Future of Green Hydrogen

Schaeffler’s Enertect coating technology demonstrates how material innovation can become a key enabler for the hydrogen economy. Awarded with the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2023 in the category “Material”, Enertect represents a major breakthrough for fuel cells and green hydrogen applications.

At the heart of modern fuel cells are so-called bipolar plates — critical components that must withstand extreme electrochemical conditions while maintaining excellent electrical conductivity. Traditionally, materials such as titanium or graphite have been used, but they come with disadvantages including high costs, difficult processing and a considerable CO₂ footprint.

With Enertect, Schaeffler AG has developed an innovative coating family that makes lightweight steel bipolar plates both technically robust and economically viable for large-scale industrial production. One of the most remarkable solutions is the carbon-based coating “Enertect PC+”, which combines high conductivity with excellent corrosion protection — without relying on expensive noble metals.

The result is impressive:
• up to 99% lower carbon footprint compared to noble-metal coatings
• up to 90% lower costs at comparable performance
• excellent conductivity and reduced interfacial resistance
• superior durability under harsh fuel-cell operating conditions

What makes Enertect particularly important is its scalability. Schaeffler already coats more than one billion components annually in other industrial applications, bringing valuable mass-production expertise into hydrogen technology. To industrialize coated bipolar plates for fuel cells, Schaeffler even founded the joint venture Innoplate together with Symbio.

Enertect is therefore far more than a laboratory innovation. It is a concrete example of how advanced surface technologies can accelerate the transition toward sustainable mobility and clean energy systems.

The MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award jury recognized Enertect because it perfectly combines material innovation, industrial feasibility, sustainability and future market relevance — exactly the kind of innovation needed for the next generation of hydrogen mobility.

Would you like to become part of the international MATERIALICA Award winners community like Schaeffler? Applications for the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2026 are now open in the categories Material, Product, Process and CO₂-Efficiency.