In my last article, I focused on the challenges that incumbent electrolyser original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) face in scaling up production capacity to meet the expected rapid increase in demand for green hydrogen in the coming decade. The focus was on alkaline electrolysers and PEM electrolysers, which are already commercialised. Existing electrolyser products have been designed for the demands of industries such as chlor-alkali manufacture. Large-scale green hydrogen production is a new scenario and requires new demands on the electrolyser, with the potential for significant technological innovation.
The pace of innovation in alkaline and PEM electrolysis has been rapid in recent years. Costs continue to fall, and efficiencies are rising. Stack architecture is undergoing a radical transformation, manufacturing methods are evolving, and electrode designs are migrating to lower-cost, earth-abundant materials.
