Saudi Aramco, France’s Gaussin sign agreement for hydrogen-powered vehicle manufacturing
The Saudi Arabian Oil Company “Aramco” has inked five agreements with French firms, the most notable of which is a deal with Gaussin, a company that specializes in clean and smart mobility solutions, to investigate the commercial potential in hydrogen-powered cars.
According to a statement released by the firm on Saturday, the agreements were signed at seminars held by the Ministry of Investment in Jeddah to explore investment potential for French companies in the Kingdom.
The partnership between Aramco and Gaussin seeks to build a sophisticated plant in the Kingdom for the production of hydrogen-powered cars. The two businesses will investigate the viability of this facility and the hydrogen distribution business in the Middle East as a first step.
The two firms agreed that Saudi Aramco’s Advanced Innovation Center “Lab 7” will closely cooperate in Gaussin’s attempts to build an autonomous or remote-controlled hydrogen-powered race truck.
The laboratory, which is presently being created by Saudi Aramco for the development of innovation, will aid in the integration of the company’s composite materials into Gaussin’s existing product line, reducing the weight, energy consumption, and prices of these compounds.
Aramco will also support Gaussin’s development of the world’s first hydrogen-powered race truck, which will compete in the 2022 Dakar Rally, which will take place in the Kingdom next January.
The sponsorship of the Gaussin truck in the Dakar Rally by Saudi Aramco intends to emphasize the necessity of developing low-emission transportation solutions.
Aramco collaborates with the French corporate sector in a variety of areas, including refining, marketing, chemicals, and research and development, including the Satorp refinery in Jubail and the Retail Fuel Stations Company, both of which are in partnership with Total Energies.
Many major French enterprises, like Schlumberger, Technip, Air Liquide, ENGIE, the largest electric utility company, and the French Petroleum Research Institute, have substantial ties to Aramco. The organization has certified over 500 manufacturers and almost 90 French service providers.
