by Hydrogeit | Mar 12, 2025 | Germany, Market, News
In the electrolyzer sector, not only Enapter needed to bury its production plans in Saerbeck last year (see H2-international Jan. 2025). Quest One is also struggling and announced the dismissal of 120 employees in February 2025. Quest One had just, with a lot of pomp, opened the production hall in northern Hamburg last autumn (see H2-international Jan. 2025), but now has initiated a “program to strengthen the company’s competitiveness” for the north.
Shortly before, the MAN subsidiary had presented a new management. With effect from February 1, 2025, Michael Meister was appointed the new CEO. He is supposed to take over the strategic management of the company temporarily and follows Robin von Plettenberg, who is leaving the company at his own request. The construction of a PEM electrolyzer in Augsburg was announced just four days later. The new demo electrolyzer is to be integrated into a test bench on the MAN Energy Solutions factory grounds for illustrative purposes.
by Lowie D'Hooghe | Feb 13, 2025 | Development
The problem with iridium dependency
The push for more sustainable hydrogen generation has never been more critical, fueled by industries striving to decarbonize. And although green hydrogen production via water electrolysis holds immense promise for decarbonization, it grapples with a harsh reality: an almost complete dependence on an expensive and environmentally taxing resource. But what’s the deal with iridium? And can hydrogen live up to its reputation as a key tool for industrial decarbonization?
High conductivity and a high melting point are just a few of iridium’s unique properties. Above all, iridium serves as an excellent catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis. So much so, that virtually all PEM electrolyzers in use today depend on iridium as a catalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) on the anode side of their cells. There are, however, some drawbacks with this approach.
Iridium also happens to be one of the rarest elements on Earth. In fact, it’s over 50 times rarer than gold. And with only 7 to 9 tons mined annually, its labor-intensive extraction adds to an already tense environmental impact. This is because iridium’s extraction and refining processes are highly CO₂-intensive, further complicating its use in alternative energies.
The cost of iridium adds yet another layer of complexity to its use in hydrogen generation. As one of the rarest and most expensive precious metals, prices fluctuate between 4,000 and 6,000 US-$ per ounce. As such, iridium’s limited supply poses a challenge to scaling renewable hydrogen production. Its scarcity, combined with the high demand for PEM electrolyzers, drives up costs. And with the iridium loading of the anode side of these systems requiring 1 to 2 mg/cm² this dependency makes iridium reduction not just a technical priority but a critical step toward making hydrogen an economically viable energy solution.
As global demand for electrolyzers rises, the reliance on iridium presents a growing challenge. Iridium is a byproduct of platinum refining, hence both markets are interlinked. Increased adoption of iridium-dependent technologies only heightens its scarcity, making reduced dependency critical for the sake of hydrogen generation scalability and sustainability. Additionally, if the market for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles declines in the long term, the supply of platinum (and consequently iridium) may decrease, as the primary market for platinum today is in catalytic converters for ICE cars and trucks. However, efforts to optimize iridium usage are well underway, ensuring the hydrogen industry’s ability to meet future demand without the constraint of rare resources.
But as the global demand for iridium-based hydrogen technology grows, the element’s scarcity will only increase. This further highlights the critical efforts of reducing iridium usage to ensure affordability, scalability, and sustainability. And, to meet need, collaborative efforts to reduce dependency on such an elusive metal are well underway.
PEM electrolyzer technology
PEM electrolyzers are used to produce hydrogen through water electrolysis, a process responsible for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. These electrolyzers are used for green hydrogen production, supporting a wide array of applications such as steel manufacturing, transportation, and chemical production. The electrolyzer is made up of multiple components, including the anode, membrane, and cathode, to name a few. However, it’s the anode that becomes a bottleneck in this process.
Despite its critical role in facilitating the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the anode’s dependence on high iridium loadings remains a persistent challenge. Because of its excellent corrosion resistance, conductive properties, and high activity for the OER, iridium is relied upon by PEM electrolyzers as a critical element of the anode catalyst.
The Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) is at the heart of a PEM electrolyzer. It’s at this point in the process where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen ions through electrolysis. In fact, the MEA’s design is crucial for efficiency, ensuring effective proton transfer, minimal energy losses, and durability under harsh conditions. By optimizing catalyst usage and enhancing material performance, modern MEA technologies are paving the way for scalable hydrogen production. Making renewable hydrogen an increasingly viable solution for decarbonization.
The components of the PEM electrolyzer are dependent on one another for optimal functionality and hydrogen production. Given the reliance on such a precious element, iridium-reducing technology succeeds by optimizing iridium usage to enhance the PEM hydrogen generation process. And a growing urgency to reduce reliance on iridium for financial and environmental gain has sparked innovation within the hydrogen community. For PEM electrolyzers, this meant developing new component technology to minimize the impact of scarce materials while maintaining optimal performance.
Fig. 2: MEA stack
A partnership built on progress
The demanding operating conditions of the PEM electrolyzer present unique challenges, particularly in terms of material degradation over time. With durability being such a critical factor, iridium’s inherent resilience has long made it a key component. However, as hydrogen production scales up, reducing iridium use becomes essential. But providing solutions to these types of challenges requires innovation and collaborative efforts.
In 2017, Toshiba began developing innovative iridium reducing MEA technology that decreases the cost of the catalyst and increases the surface area. In turn, this reduces iridium loading by up to 90 percent. By moving away from Coated Catalyst Membranes (CCM) to direct coating onto a Porous Transport Layer (PTL). This results in a significant reduction of iridium use in hydrogen generation.
By 2022, Toshiba partnered with Bekaert to transform the availability of Toshiba’s MEA technology. And, in 2024, the companies entered into an official licensing agreement, thereby enabling Bekaert to scale up Toshiba’s technology. Bringing innovative, cost-saving technology to the market.
Fig. 3: Clos-up view
Innovating sustainable components
Sustainability is deeply embedded in every stage of Bekaert’s innovative processes. Ensuring that every solution is developed to meet or surpass customer needs, while also contributing to a more sustainable future for the planet. And the reduction of iridium consumption, in partnership with Toshiba, exemplifies Bekaert’s commitment to sustainability. Tackling not only the environmental implications of rare metal extraction, but also the economic pressures tied to iridium’s scarcity.
Shaping the future of hydrogen
As the energy sector pivots toward cleaner alternatives, innovations like iridium-saving PEM-MEA technology are vital to ensuring that PEM electrolyzers remain both practical and scalable. By embracing advanced engineering and collaborative breakthroughs, Bekaert is setting a new standard for sustainability without compromising durability or efficiency. This approach positions hydrogen technology as not just a solution for today’s energy demands, but a cornerstone for a cleaner, more resilient future.
Author: Lowie D’Hooghe, Bekaert, Zwevegem, Belgium, lowie.dhooghe@bekaert.com
by Hydrogeit | Jan 15, 2025 | Development, Germany, Market, News
Nordrhein-Westfalen is further expanding its capacities in the H2 research sector. In September 2024, the expanded HyTechLab4NRW in Duisburg went into operation. Since then, the site of the Center for Fuel Cell Technology has provided even better conditions for research into fuel cells and electrolyzers thanks to its improved infrastructure.
As part of extensive renovation work, the HyTechLab4NRW, which opened in 2019, was brought up to the latest state of the art and better equipped, particularly in terms of media supply, so that larger systems can now also be tested. ZBT Operations Manager Bernd Oberschachtsiek was visibly relieved: “Our temporary facility was the ugliest container in the world. Now we finally have a fully equipped laboratory that is not only technically up to date, but is also visually impressive.”
ZBT CEO Dr. Peter Beckhaus explained: “Today we are talking about fuel cell drives for ships, aircraft and trucks, with outputs ranging from 300 kW to the megawatt range. We have now created the right infrastructure to further research these applications.” Silke Krebs, State Secretary in the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, explained: “Hydrogen is a growth market and is of central importance for NRW in particular as an industrial location. We need new technologies and research to shape this future.” Prof. Astrid Westendorf, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, added: ”This is a real gain for our research infrastructure.”
The first ZBT Hydrogen Days on February 4 and 5 will provide an opportunity to view the improved facilities.
by Monika Roessiger | Dec 13, 2024 | Development, Germany, hydrogen development, Market, News
Patented process as a cost-effective alternative to electrolysis
The course to success of Siqens began with special methanol fuel cells. Then came the electrochemical hydrogen separation (EHS) in addition, based on the self-developed HT-PEM-FC stacks. With their help, hydrogen can be separated from natural gas or waste gases from industry and waste incineration with a high degree of purity. The manufacturer also sees EHS in combination with its own fuel cells as a solution to the last mile problem.
Whether in the South American jungle or at an altitude of 3,000 meters in the Swiss mountains, in a research station in the Antarctic or at a border post in northern Scandinavia – in all these places HT-PEM fuel cells from Siquens are in use, which supply electricity for radio and measuring stations or cameras, as Thomas Klaue, managing director of the company founded as a startup in Munich in 2012, states.
The special methanol fuel cells are also, however, in less exotic places: For example, they serve in the lighting of German highway construction sites or aviation obstruction lighting of wind parks. The “Ecoport” FC systems consist of fuel cell stacks with a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (HT-PEM) and a reformer. “In the reformer, pure hydrogen is obtained from methanol,” according to engineer and doctor of business administration Klaue. “This hydrogen then passes through the HT-PEM fuel cell. Our system works with industrial methanol, however, at a fraction of the cost compared to high-purity methanol.”
These systems therefore differ significantly from direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), in which a liquid methanol-water mixture is passed through the FC. For that, the methanol has to be as pure as for medical purposes, which is correspondingly expensive, explains Klaue, who has been CEO of Siqens since the end of 2019. The efficiency and power range of DMFCs are comparatively low, and they do not tolerate low temperatures well. Other indirect methanol fuel cells with PEM and reformer are available in both the low and high temperature range, but these would require manufacturer-specific methanol-water mixtures with lower energy density, according to Klaue. With a consumption of 0.6 liters per kilowatt-hour of electricity, Siqens is the market leader in efficiency. The Ecoports, according to Klaue “our bread and butter business,” have a peak electrical output of 800 or 1,500 watts (continuous operation: 500 or 1,000 watts).
FC as a replacement for diesel generators
Methanol, which has long been used in industry, like other liquid fuels, can be transported and stored cost-effectively. Because of this, (methanol) fuel cells are particularly suitable for areas without a connection to an electricity grid and where an uninterruptible power supply must be guaranteed, for example in the emergency power supply for critical infrastructure. Up to now, this function has mostly been performed by diesel generators, but these will little by little be replaced by fuel cells in the future – and not only because of their significantly lower CO2 emissions: They also work more quietly and are free of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
Ecoport 800
Demand for the patented systems, with which the southern German company has been on the market since 2019, is rising. For example, agencies, companies and operators of telecommunications systems are interested in the methanol fuel cells from Siqens, which according to Klaue are robust and reliable and can also be used far away from civilization. This applies to all climate zones, from minus 20 to plus 50 degrees Celsius. What’s more, the operating costs are around 75 percent lower than those of diesel generators. This year, the Munich-based company, which employs around 30 people, expects to sell several hundred of its HT-PEM fuel cell systems.
That the need to use hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for reasons of climate protection is increasing is beyond question today. The Siqens CEO stressed however: “We are convinced that the hydrogen economy will only be a success with price-competitive solutions, especially when it comes to last-mile distribution.”
FC as a replacement for diesel generators
In addition to fuel cells, the company has been offering a very special technical solution for producing pure hydrogen since 2022: electrochemical hydrogen separation (EHS). In this patented process, the feed gas flows through an HT-PEM stack, which is also used in the Ecoport, states Klaue. “The stack with the MEAs is comparable to a sieve that, under tension, is only permeable to the hydrogen molecules that have been reduced to protons on the anode side. On the cathode side, the protons get the electrons back. The product is highly pure hydrogen.” With this method, hydrogen can be separated, purified and processed from very different media. This can be natural gas or exhaust gas that is produced in industrial processes or from waste incineration. The hydrogen can also be obtained from natural reservoirs such as natural gas deposits.
And because methanol is a good hydrogen carrier, the EHS system can also avoid the last mile problem: From the methanol transported via the natural gas network, hydrogen is produced directly on site at the consumer’s premises CO2-free. “In 10 liters of methanol, approximately one kilogram of hydrogen is chemically bound,” calculates Thomas Klaue. This is more than in a standard 70-kilogram compressed gas cylinder that contains 50 liters of hydrogen compressed to 200 bar. The yield with that is only 0.8 kilograms. Instead of transporting hydrogen in bundles of heavy steel bottles or in pressure tanks by trailer, as was previously the case, a lot of money can be saved through the employment of methanol fuel cells.
Transport and storage costs currently make up the largest percentage of the hydrogen price. “This is even more true if the deployment location can only be reached by helicopter,” added Klaue. “The ratio of transport weight to useful H2 weight is for methanol ten to one versus one hundred to one for compressed gas cylinders.”
1 kg hydrogen for less than two euros
During EHS, likewise to water electrolysis, electricity is used. However, the energy requirement is significantly lower: Per kilogram of hydrogen, only three to five kilowatt hours of electricity would be needed; so around ten percent of the electricity required for electrolysis. “This produces hydrogen in fuel cell quality at a price of less than two euros per kilogram,” states Klaue. The technology is flexible, scalable and can be adapted to a wide range of gases. Such a system, which only takes up an area of one to two square meters depending on its capacity, can be connected directly to the gas network.
The EHS process could produce a good 100 kilograms of hydrogen per day with three stacks, which is enough for an H2 refueling station, according to Thomas Klaue. The modular design also allows several tonnes per day to meet the needs of an industrial company. “Electrochemical hydrogen separation is definitely an attractive alternative to other H2 technologies, as it consumes comparatively little energy and has a high selectivity for hydrogen,” according to the CEO.
Following an initial pilot project in Australia, there is now a second one in Germany: In the Unterfranken city of Haßfurt, hydrogen is being obtained from the natural gas grid using EHS. The municipal utilities of the city are known as pioneers, because they have been relying on renewable energies since the 1990s: photovoltaics, wind power and biogas from farmers in the region. Since 2016, they have had an electrolyzer to generate hydrogen from surplus wind power.
Now, with the help of EHS technology from Siqens, they are tapping into the municipal gas grid as a source of hydrogen. This is done in cooperation with the Helmholtz-Institut Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Institut für Energietechnik of the university Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden. The hydrogen separated from the natural gas is compressed and stored and, as needed, converted into electricity via a fuel cell.
As many gas network operators want to add green hydrogen to their natural gas in the future, such solutions for separating and processing climate-neutral gas could soon become more significant. “By separating the gases using EHS at the point of consumption, the end customer can be supplied directly with high-purity ‘green’ hydrogen,” says Thomas Klaue. In other words, hydrogen of the quality required for industrial processes or fuel cell vehicles. For this reason, Klaue also argues vehemently in favor of maintaining the gas grids.
In February of this year, he publicly appealed to the German economy ministry to reconsider the dismantling plans; for cost reasons alone. “In addition, the planned H2 core grid will not be able to supply the entire country with green energy for a long time without great effort,” he says. However, because the nationwide gas network is largely suitable for hydrogen, the infrastructure should be used for the future transportation of green hydrogen, to supply industry and communities with climate-friendly energy.
by Hydrogeit | Jul 17, 2024 | Europe, Germany, News
Despite challenging times, there are still reports of new H2 projects going ahead. For example, in mid-May 2024, building work began on a 10-megawatt electrolyzer in the Magdeburg region of Germany. It is here, in Osterweddingen, that energy company Enertrag intends to make green hydrogen using power generated from its own wind turbines.
Of the 900 metric tons that will be initially produced each year, a proportion will be fed into the Ontras hydrogen pipeline. A supply of hydrogen will also be funneled to the planned hydrogen mobility hub which will serve Keyou H2 trucks, among other vehicles. In addition, Ryze Power intends to use hydrogen to power its construction machinery.
Enertrag board member Tobias Bischof-Niemz said: “Hydrogen is an essential element in the energy transition and offers solutions for the decarbonization of various sectors, from heavy industry to long-distance transportation. By being connected directly to our nearby wind and solar farms, this electrolyzer will not only produce green hydrogen, but will also help attract other industries to the region and increase local value creation.”
The electrolyzer will be installed in the local industrial park which is located only around 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the proposed Intel chip factory. According to Enertrag, it will be used to support the energy system by offsetting fluctuations in the generation of electricity from wind and solar sources, thereby relieving the strain on the power grid.
