The leading Russian manufacturer of truck vehicles KAMAZ and the Russian investment company AFK Sistema have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of hydrogen technology development. The document was signed by AFK Sistema President Tagir Sitdekov and KAMAZ CEO Sergey Kogogin. The agreement is aimed at uniting and coordinating efforts in the creation of mass-produced products using hydrogen. Among them are a truck, warehouse equipment, an electric water bus, mobile hydrogen gas stations, electrolyzers, etc.
"Hydrogen energy is an extremely promising direction both in terms of high energy efficiency and environmental protection, since hydrogen is the most environmentally friendly type of fuel. AFK Sistema has been systematically working in this area since 2022 and has already achieved significant results. Last autumn, one of our assets, Sitronics Group, successfully tested a vessel with an electrochemical generator generating energy from hydrogen in the Neva River. The agreement with such a large partner as KAMAZ will give a powerful impetus to the development of hydrogen technologies not only in the perimeter of our companies, but also nationwide," noted AFK Sistema President Tagir Sitdekov.
"We already have experience in developing and implementing promising hydrogen technologies in commercial transport. But this topic requires the integration of efforts not only of automotive manufacturers, but also of advanced technology companies, among which, of course, AFK Sistema. I am confident that our joint work, as Russian leaders in their industries, will lead to practical results in the introduction of hydrogen technologies in a number of areas," said Sergey Kogogin, CEO of KAMAZ PJSC.
Also, within the framework of the agreement, the parties intend to cooperate with educational institutions to train personnel in the field of hydrogen technologies and electric transport.
KAMAZ is actively modernizing technological sites and mastering the production of new products, responding to the sanctions pressure with a steady growth of import-substituting industries, making a significant contribution to the systemic restoration of the domestic automotive industry.
Since 2022, AFK Sistema has started the development and implementation of hydrogen technologies in the economy, creating two R&D divisions – the Center for Hydrogen Technologies and the Center for Hydrogen Energy (together with the Russian Academy of Sciences).
Among the innovative projects of the Hydrogen Technology Center is the creation of an electrochemical generator for one of the first hydrogen–fueled ships in Russia. This development will increase the range of electric vessels produced by Imperium, a member of the Sitronics Group.
In order to train the necessary specialists for the new industry, with the support of the Charitable Foundation "Sistema", an evening school "Hydrogen Energy" was opened on the basis of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Last year, about 60 students studied there, and the best of them started working at the Hydrogen Technology Center.
As part of its career guidance and educational activities, the Sistema Foundation launched a scholarship program with a separate nomination "Hydrogen Energy Technologies" in partnership with the Hydrogen Technology Center.