[ Cover Story ]
[ Cover Story ]
activities . Close collaborations with various sub-contractors complement the range of services .”
Ready for hydrogen The Bibus Metals team respond rapidly to market trends , including the emerging role of hydrogen in the energy transition . Mr Bökels continues : “ Our strategy is to increase our stock of materials required for hydrogen applications , and we ’ re well-prepared to be a reliable partner in two different areas . The first is hydrogen production ; as an electrochemical process , there will be increased demand for the required grades , which we store in various forms . Secondly , we anticipate opportunities for hydrogen applications , such as fuel cells , bipolar plates , etc . Our sister company S + D Metals specialises in titanium and is well-positioned to serve this market . We anticipate that titanium may replace stainless steel in bipolar plates in future as it is lighter and therefore offers advantages for aerospace and automobiles . As a Group , we closely observe the market to learn about opportunities as they develop .” “ Once the many hydrogen projects which have already been announced finally start to be constructed , fabricators will need the material at short notice , especially for prototypes and pilot projects . As stockholders ,
BIBUS METALS Group ’ s central warehouses are located in Switzerland , Germany , Poland and China .
we operate between the end user and the mills and have increased our stock significantly in preparation .” Other renewable energies are also developing rapidly , and the Bibus Metals teams expect more opportunities to arise for special alloys . “ For example , we anticipate an increase in the specification of grades offering superior resistance to seawater in offshore wind parks . While these parks currently utilise fairly standard grades of stainless steel ,
The Group supplies nickel and nickel-based alloys as well as high-performance grades and special stainless steels .
there are higher alloyed grades which offer improved performance for assets exposed to wind and seawater .”
Technical expertise & certifications While the Group is well-positioned to become a reliable partner for future applications such as green hydrogen and renewable energies , it historically has a strong focus on the most demanding sectors . These include aerospace , automotive , chemical industry , pharmaceutical , environmental , oil and gas , industrial furnaces , heat exchangers and numerous others . The experience gained in these highly demanding industries , and for which the company has obtained many certifications , is a valuable underpinning for its support of future energy transition applications . “ We have a great deal of technical knowledge in-house . Our motto of ‘ Supporting Your Success ’ means we join our clients in their development journeys ,” Mr Bökels explains . A great example of this is BIBUS METALS Sdn . Bhd . Malaysia , which opened in June 2022 and received aerospace certification EN 9120 / AS9120 within two months . “ The certification was essential to instill the Group ’ s spirit and ethos in this new branch . It means the Malaysian team operates with the same business culture and high quality standards as the rest of the Group . Regardless of where in the world our customers are , they will receive the same high
10 Stainless Steel World June 2023 www . stainless-steel-world . net