Lying on racks, dozens of steel tubes wait to be cut by a band saw. In the area dedicated to the forge, a cylindrical piece approximately thirty centimeters long and 15 cm in diameter glows under the effect of a live flame. A blacksmith waits, pliers in hand, for it to reach 1000°C to slide it into a machine which will form the pointed end. The operation will be repeated, at the other end, to obtain a capsule which will serve as a hydropneumatic accumulator.
A historic activity for Roth2, an SME based in Mions, in eastern Lyon. Pressurized by the customer, the tank will perhaps equip the emergency landing gear of a Dassault or Airbus plane. Other, larger models (up to 57 liters capacity) will brake wind turbine rotors or serve as a hydraulic press shock absorber. They will then be forged by hot flow forming, a technology combining different heating systems to round the metal with a large wheel, like a potter grinds clay with his fingers. “Two European companies have this production tool”, explains Patrice Blandin, founding partner.
“We are the only ones in France to have this expertise in seamless high pressure tanks”, assures Bertrand Marsac, the technical director, about the Type 1 (100% steel) and Type 2 (carbon fiber reinforced steel) cylinders which withstand pressures of 500 to 1000 bar.
Know-how put to the benefit of diversification. Following legal receivership in 2020, Roth was renamed Roth2, reflecting the desire to position itself in a promising market: hydrogen. “We are seeing a very strong acceleration, assures Quentin Marsac, the general director. Initiatives are multiplying in France. Eastern European countries are also very dynamic. Our high-pressure tanks power electro-hydrogen generators, construction equipment, forklifts and more generally, all vehicles running on a fuel cell.”
Bouygues, Eiffage, H2Gremm, Lhyfe and McPhy are among the clients of the company which will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary this year. According to Bertrand Marsac, hydrogen will be essential to decarbonize transport, as encouraged by European regulations. Firstly, buses, with strong development potential. “In 2035, all new urban buses must be zero-emission. Urban areas that have invested in electric vehicles are realizing that their vehicles do not go as far as the suburbs. They are becoming more and more interested in hydrogen.”
A strategy that bore fruit
Over the last four years, Roth2 has invested 3 million euros in equity to support the development of the lightest of gases. In addition to tanks, the company is focusing on the development of racks to transport and store bottles. Available in France, the chassis are distributed in the Iberian region and, since September, in Switzerland, Austria and across the Rhine.
Its diversification strategy in favor of hydrogen storage is bearing fruit. In 2023, its turnover reached nearly 8.9 million euros, half of which came from the sale of high pressure tanks and racks. At the same time, its number of customers increased from 150 to 250. Within five years, Roth2 forecasts 70 million euros in turnover and 20% market share in hydrogen tanks, racks and stations. Europe.
A great perspective combined with an important feeling of pride. “We did not benefit from any financial assistance,” insists Bertrand Marsac, who recalls that this is the price to pay for companies which recover after a judicial recovery. #
You are reading an article from L’Usine Nouvelle 3737 – December 2024
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Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
