Hydrogen – the economic miracle

View inside the 500-kilowatt Green Electrolyzer, © iGas
View inside the 500-kilowatt Green Electrolyzer, © iGas

The production of hydrogen is now recognized as an emerging market right around the globe. Many diverse electrolyzer manufacturers are experiencing unprecedented demand. A great many new players are jumping on the bandwagon and increasing numbers of conventional energy suppliers are pivoting from traditional power sources to renewable energies and embedding hydrogen in their portfolios. So what is the current situation vis-a-vis electrolyzers and what can we expect in the future? This article seeks to shine a light on these and other questions by providing a general – though not necessarily exhaustive – roundup of recent developments.

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Enapter probes equity crowdfunding

Taking an innovative approach to raising fresh capital, Enapter, an electrolyzer manufacturer based in Pisa, Italy, has launched an equity crowdfunding campaign. In late March, it began offering shares for only a few hundred euros, promising investors dividend payments over a period of five years. Germany’s financial services regulator BaFin greenlighted the investment strategy in spring, the company said.

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Duncan Yellen appointed ITM Motive CEO

ITM Power is growing. In mid-May, the company introduced its subsidiary, ITM Motive, which will build and operate hydrogen gas stations in the UK. The role of chief executive went to Duncan Yellen, 54, a physicist and materials researcher by trade and former project development manager for Storengy, an Engie subsidiary. At present, ITM Motive … Read more

Electrolyzer Market Overview

resultsLast November, H2-international published a first market overview of residential fuel cell systems. This time, we will take a closer look at electrolyzers. To try and map the current situation on the electrolyzer market, we contacted 18 manufacturers, primarily from the German-speaking region, but also from across Europe and North America. Ten of them have sent us details on their electrolyzers. Nine of them have made it onto the product list; Diamond Lite and Proton OnSite provided virtually identical information.

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Stockage de l’électricité d’origine renouvelable

In June 2016, Dunod Verlag published a book in French about power-to-gas. The 192-page paperback edition “Le Power-to-Gas – Stockage de l’électricité d’origine renouvelable” (ISBN 13: 978-2-10-074137-3; price: EUR 32) describes the state of the art of P2G technology. Author Méziane Boudellal answers question such as: Where does the power come from? How does an … Read more

High-Pressure Electrolyzer in Pocket Size

Shortstack
Module-based PEM electrolyzer stack

Researchers of the Westphalian Energy Institute (WEI) at Gelsenkirchen Bocholt Recklinghausen University of Applied Sciences (WH) have developed a pocket-size PEM unit for water electrolysis. The electrolyzer stack is based on the WEI-invented method of hydraulic compression of individual cells [1] through the use of a patented control system [2]. The process allows for an alignment of hydraulic and gas pressure at the start-up of the system to achieve almost any pressure level

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Tipping Point is Reached in the Development of FCs

Hydrogenics-electrolyzer
PEM-electrolyzer in a container
(Source: Hydrogenics)

Looking at the share prices for fuel cell companies that are being traded on the stock exchange right now, one could be forgiven for thinking that a crash had just taken place. It is as if the technical breakthroughs in the further development of the fuel cells had never taken place, and as though the production, storage and use of hydrogen had zero chance of achieving any success. Yet in fact, the opposite is the case. Right now we are at the start of a new mega trend, and in 2015,

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H2 Filling Stations for Switzerland

Hans-Vock
H. J. Vock (Source: H2energy)

In Switzerland, the initial trials for the development of an infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles are now underway. At the start of April 2015, a consortium of companies announced that the first public hydrogen filling station is to be built in early 2016. The fuel to be used there is to be produced sustainably using hydroelectric power. For this purpose, the energy services group Axpo, one of the biggest producers of renewable energy in the Alpine state, is planning to construct an electrolyzer directly adjacent to one of its existing run-of-the-river power plants. The hydrogen

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Biogas plants become control energy power plants

GP-Joule-h-tec
GP Joule installed 24 electrolyzer stacks (Source: GP Joule)

At the end of April 2015, GP Joule began testing its electricity fill-in concept. As part of the 200 kW H2 biogas project, the engineers at the head office of the company in Reussenköge, Germany, installed two electrolyzers, each with 5 kW stacks. In May, the plant was extended, with 16 additional stacks initially being installed. By the summer of 2015, the first four stacks were set to be replaced with a total of 24 new modules so that the nominal output then totals 200 kW. This enables

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BMWi starts incentive program for market launch

NAPE-nationaler-action-plan-webIn May 2015, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) presented the long-awaited funding instrument for the market launch of fuel cell heating devices. As announced by Minister of Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel, the market launch is to be supported via the so-called Energy Efficiency Incentive Program. The program is part of the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE), which was passed by the German federal government at the end of 2014. With other projects, it aims to contribute to a big improvement in the level of effectiveness in the construction sector. The package of measures has an annual funding volume

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