INSPIRATION
The development of advanced electrolysis technologies primarily allows for the greater scalability of hydrogen production units. Increasingly favored because of reduction in operating expenditures, as well as capital expenditures, proton exchange membrane or polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers (PEM) serve both industrial and residential purposes. Solid oxide electrolyzers (SOE) and anion-exchange
membrane electrolyzers (AEM) are some of the other prevalent types of electrolyzers. Because of the low operating temperature, SOEs do not utilize precious metals as catalysts,while AEM electrolyzers are a type of alkaline electrolyzers,where, instead of hydrogen ions, hydroxide ions flow across the membrane. The overall efficiency of electrolyzers depends on the bipolar plates, the material of the electrodes,and the catalysts used in the reaction. This is where startups and emerging companies develop new innovations
US-based startup Alchemr designs AEM electrolyzers to produce hydrogen. Their AEM technology allows for low electrolyte degradation with the use of thin durable membranes,resulting in optimal hydrogen production. These electrolyzers do not require noble metals as catalysts, thus reducing capital expenditures. The AEM electrolyzers are connected to RES power inputs or scaled up for large-size hydrogen production,with a capacity of up to 100 MW.
Spanish startup H2B2 designs scalable electrolyzers for both residential and industrial use. EL580N is the startup’s large-scale electrolyzer, with the capacity to produce 1,251kgs of hydrogen per day. The startup custom-builds the electrolyzer according to regional standards while integrating it into a 40 ft container. The electrolyzer comes with CE marking and hazard & operability studies (HAZOP) conducted, along
with an option for ETL stamps. In addition, the startup manufactures a wide array of other electrolyzers, ranging from small-scale to medium-scale.
