Industry Update
H2U Technologies demonstrates iridium-free PEM electrolyzer In what represents a potentially game-changing development , H2U Technologies has demonstrated first-ofits-kind proton exchange membrane ( PEM ) electrolyzer stacks that replace expensive and scarce iridium catalysts with inexpensive and abundant catalyst materials . The company ’ s electrolyzer stacks leverage readily available catalyst materials to enable cost-effective green hydrogen generation .
The development of alternative catalysts is significant as highly constrained sources of costly platinum group metal ( PGM ) materials , such as iridium , will lead to supply chain shortages and price increases . With this successful demonstration , H2U is on track to ship its first proof-of-concept electrolyzer systems in 2023 .
The catalysts used in the new electrolyzer stack are optimized with H2U ’ s Catalyst Discovery Engine™ ( CDE™ ) originally developed by Caltech . The datadriven CDE rapid-screening process allows scientists to make , characterize and quantify the catalytic activity of thousands of material compositions per week – faster than any other screening process available . The H2U scientists then explore multiple options to get the ideal materials into the electrolyzer using their expertise in catalyst coatings , binders , and deposition methods . The materials used in the demo stack have separately been evaluated and verified through independent third-party testing .
GrInHy2.0 project completed with record production rates Salzgitter AG and Sunfire have successfully completed the EU-funded GrInHy2.0 ( Green Industrial Hydrogen ) project . Since 2019 , the project partners have been operating a high-temperature electrolyzer from Sunfire with an electrical connected load of 720 kW on the premises of Salzgitter Flachstahl . The plant is considered the world ’ s largest and most efficient of its kind . The electrolyzer is based on the innovative solid oxide electrolysis cell ( SOEC ) technology and runs at operating temperatures of 850 ° C . The system utilizes industrial waste heat and renewable electricity to split steam into its components hydrogen and oxygen .
“ Green hydrogen is essential for producing low- CO2 steel , as it reduces carbon emissions very efficiently ,” said Dr . Alexander Redenius from Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung . “ With GrInHy2.0 , we have gained valuable insights into the integration of electrolysis into our production processes .”
The green hydrogen produced is fed directly into the hydrogen grid of Salzgitter Flachstahl . To date , almost 100 tons of the gas have been used in annealing processes and galvanizing plants for steel finishing . The partnership between Sunfire and Salzgitter AG is to continue beyond GrInHy2.0 .
4 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 7 | December 2022